On Your Marks

The chief executive must personify his or her organisation like never before. An unforgiving market seizes upon any sign of hesitancy; a ruthless financial press exploits the slightest hint of weakness. It is imperative that the leader appears bulletproof at all times. Trappings of wealth, power and status and a life spent in the public eye elevates company bosses to the realms of celebrity.

But, in a climate where each and every move you make is scrutinised, where does one turn in times of doubt or difficulty? Board members may have their own agendas, fellow CEOs could exploit a competitive opportunity and family is not always up to speed on the latest quarterly results.

Into this void arrives the CEO super coach: consultant, consul and counsellor, as an increasing number of business leaders begin to seek clandestine guidance from beyond the walls of their organisations. The question is, are such measures a sign of weakness or strength?

Sign of strength?

"It takes a lot of humility for somebody in that position to call a coach," says Paul Gibbons, chairman of London-based management consultancy Future Considerations. "This is a complicated environment involving difficult relationships and myriad problems to solve. It can help to bring someone in who is not mired in all that and can provide an objective viewpoint."

By his own admission, Gibbons entered this bespoke end of the coaching market "by mistake", following work he undertook ten years ago with the then Woolwich chief executive John Stewart and his team of directors. The founder chairman of Future Considerations, currently working alongside 15 of the UK's leading 50 companies, believes the lot of the CEO is often underappreciated. "[Nokia president and CEO] Jorma Ollila once called it the loneliest position in the firm, and that a truly effective board of directors should be there to support and care for one another first and do business later," Gibbons says. "He also admitted he'd never seen it happen."

But why should an executive, when he has risen to such lofty heights, place his faith in the hands of an outsider? Surely part of what gets a CEO to the top in the first place is a fierce competitive streak and sheer bloody-mindedness. This, the coaches counter, is precisely why so few people are operating in their field.

Gibbons's background is equally remarkable. "The people I'm meeting with are much more accomplished in business than I'll ever be," he admits. "Without meaning to sound grandiose, however, I had achieved two degrees by the age of 20 and have further qualifications in economics, psychology, business ethics, philosophy, leadership and organisational change, so I bring quite a lot to the party."

Talking tough

What appears to tie all scenarios together is internal politics and what coaches refer to as "the undiscussables". Gibbons highlights the negative effect that a breakdown in communication can have. "When two people don't get on, it chews up vast amounts of time," he says. "I sit them down for as long as it takes and tell them I want to hear all the rage, jealousy and disappointment unleashed. Once that's out in the open, we can talk about building something."

Being encouraged to speak one's mind, both on a personal and professional level, is what makes the work so valuable. "We don't do much shouting," Gibbons chuckles, "but we would be of no value if we agreed on everything. I'm outside the political system and can challenge this person in a way nobody from within the company ever would, stretching strategic thinking and challenging assumptions."

Lack of motivation

Another problem that often needs addressing with newly installed CEOs is an abrupt loss of motivation. "I'm often asked how these people make it to the top," says Gibbons. "They are not always the most intelligent guys in the organisation, and they are often not even that good with people. The one characteristic I always see is that they've wanted to get where they are for as long as they can remember. However, once they are there, the race is won and a new game is needed. A lot of the work I do is based around people's values and career vision. What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want people to talk about you in five years' time? There's always a new sport to be found."

Gibbons is asked whether he can prescribe a cure. "There's something I've heard said about people as they get older," he replies. "One does not have fewer demons; one simply becomes better friends with the ones that were there before. I hope I'm in a position to help that process along."