Executive development: outer goals and inner coaching

Abstract

© 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ert.10027 If the Enron debacle has shown us anything, it is the apparent arrogance that exists at the executive levels of some companies. A “power dominates” belief system is responsible for the arrogance that drove the destructive behavior of the executives. An equally ineffective belief system of those witnessing the process prevented them from taking appropriate challenging actions. Reconstructing belief systems is a powerful tool in shifting behavior in a productive direction. Many HR managers feel powerless to address dysfunctional behavior in the executive ranks. This is why it is critical to provide both executives and HR managers with a new pathway for executive development that addresses the inner resources that are related to the achievement of outer goals. The Enron phenomenon isn’t the only thing that has brought attention to how business leadership functions. The events of last September 11 have accelerated the need for today’s executives to be more than managers. They must be compassionate leaders who are able to facilitate employees through some of their personal issues in order to maintain productivity. This requirement goes beyond the executive’s ability to process his or her own emotions, not only through tragedy but also at the executive table where so many unproductive behaviors block the executive team’s potential. The issues that influence these newly demanded behaviors become apparent with higher levels of awareness. This article describes an executive-development process that gives executives and those interacting with them a framework in which to address important business goals and explore and restructure beliefs related to those goals. This process can virtually eliminate the business environment in which an Enron-type disaster can occur. It can also provide the skills and mind-set that executives need to address employee concerns, even in a crisis situation like the terrorist attacks on September 11. This is good not only for executives, managers, and workers, but also for the overall health of the company. The executive-development process includes these elements: