A hospital CFO who knew the business inside out was tapped to lead the organization as its CEO. Taking on a role with very different requirements, he was faced with a number of organizational and other challenges such as Covid 19. He had not left the workplace for more than a few hours in months, butted heads with people who disagreed with him, and adopted a rules-based approach to management. Coaching helped him recognize that managing people was more complex than managing balance sheets, and he needed a “reset” in order to gain followership.
Here is how he describes the impact of coaching:
I am an analytical, introverted kind of person who was used to doing a lot myself. When I was promoted to CEO I realized I had to lead through people, but I wasn’t really sure how to do that. Fredia has helped me get more comfortable engaging with people – not arguing with them or telling them what to do. I am clearer now about what are non-negotiables and what I can let go of, and I’m both more willing to trust them to do their jobs and more comfortable speaking from the heart and revealing more of myself. We’ve gone through some turbulent times recently, and the quality of support and engagement has been very high since I’ve been clearer about my vision and commitment to what I’m trying to do. And they saw how much I’ve lightened up when I spent the day in a Santa Claus costume spreading good cheer over the holidays!