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Executive Mentoring for CEO’s and Directors
It’s estimated that over 60% of companies CEOs and Directors have their own personal coaches.
An Executive Mentor for the CEO.
The role of an Executive Mentor (EM) is unique, because the job of a CEO is unique. There are no pressures greater, no challenge as complex as the job of CEO. The Executive mentor can provide an oasis of calm, a relationship of trust and honesty to help the CEO fulfill an extremely demanding role.
CEOs are beleaguered by constant pressure from shareholders, boards of directors, government regulators, the media, and special interest groups. The list goes on.
The job of CEO is unique from several perspectives:
- no one else needs to hear the truth more, and gets it less from employees;
- no one else is the focus of criticism when things go wrong;
- no one else is the final decision maker on difficult, and often lose-lose decisions; and finally,
- no-one else enjoys the almost hero-celebrity status.
For many CEO’S, the most significant issue for them to deal with is the feeling of intense and profound loneliness at times. For these reasons and many more, no-one in a organization needs an honest, close and long-term relationship with a trusted mentor more than a CEO. The role of an Executive Mentor is invaluable for a CEO who uses a mentor wisely.
What is communicated to the CEO’S boss-the Board?
There is no feedback to the board, unless an individuals life is at risk. All consultations are strictly confidential
An Executive Mentor for Directors:
The challenges and pressures that face Directors are often complex. For many Directors, the most significant issue for them to deal with is the feeling of intense and profound loneliness at times. The Executive mentor can provide an oasis of calm, a relationship of trust and honesty to help the Director fulfill an extremely demanding role.
An Executive Mentor must:
- Maintain a strict code of client confidentiality
- While the mentors presence in the organization may be common place, they’re not part of the organization.
- Must maintain a professional perspective, one that allows the mentor to be honest with the client.
- Be vigilant about peoples’ ulterior motives and yet be a source of information than can help the client
- Be able to challenge the client to explore and integrate new perspectives
- Provide an oasis of calm, a relationship of trust and honesty to help the client to fulfill an extremely demanding role.
What is communicated to the CEO?
There is no feedback to the CEO unless an individuals life is at risk. All consultations are strictly confidential.
What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
Coaching
Coaching is focused on addressing specific development needs. Often these are oriented around skill-sets. Coaching can also include the development of coaching as a leadership style.
Mentoring
Mentoring provides guidance and direction on how to think about relationship related issues, by using an exchange of experiences and scenarios that look at issues strategically. The aims of relationship mentoring for executives include:
- being challenged to explore and integrate new perspectives
- receiving guidance on specific relationship challenges, including strategy and policy.
Your mentor should have broad useful experience and the ability to share that with you at a practical and pragmatic level that is goal-directed and which you can apply to your own context.
Value of mentoring
- receive support and a sounding board
- provide an oasis of calm
- Challenges you to push yourself
- Increases your effectiveness
- Exchange life and career experiences
- Enhances interpersonal skills
Choosing your mentor
It is vital to the success of your mentoring relationship that you and your mentor are well suited to working together. Determining which mentor is the best fit for you is a critical step – spend some time considering who to work with.
About Ali Murray
Ali Murray is a Relationship Consultant and Executive Mentor, who consults with companies, single adults and couples, assessing, consulting and mentoring them to maintain a happy equilibrium and healthy work/ life balance. A high achiever herself, Ali has owned her own company for ten years, is a businesswoman, who believes in practical solutions and is dedicated to helping individuals resolve issues and live happy balanced lifestyles. Ali has a broad range of qualifications, and life experience, she was a Rotary Exchange student to Argentina before starting her studies and in Public Relations and her BAA in 1998. She has presented to an estimated 20 000 people in South Africa and other areas of Africa in the last ten years and has consulted with many of these clients in their private capacity. She is a qualified SAAM Mediator and is currently completing a postgraduate degree in Sexology through the University of Sydney, Australia.
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