As a CEO, you need someone who has been there.

The position of CEO is a lonely one. I know, I was a CEO for over fourteen years. Who can you confide in? Who can give you feedback? Who can cover your blind spots, or help you figure out what could possibly come next for your career? And who can show you day-to-day how to inspire passion, meaning, and purpose in yourself and your organization?

Your board may be of some guidance. But the reality is that few of your board members may have been CEOs themselves, and it can be hard to confide in them when they have the power to fire you or determine your bonus. Your team is a possibility, but they might not have the background or skills necessary to understand the position you’re in. And, again, it can be difficult to be vulnerable with them knowing they look up to you as their leader.

That’s where I come in. As your confidant, coach, and counselor, I work exclusively with you, the CEO. Most of the Fortune 100 CEOs utilize a personal coach, and for good reason: they know not to wait until problems loom large to seek out guidance. Every day is an opportunity to better themselves, to prepare for the inevitable crises. In the words of David Schnarch, “The issue isn’t whether you’re good enough the way you are. It’s a question of who you want to be.”

I know the territory.

As an entrepreneur and CEO for over fourteen years, I have had direct experience with the unique challenges of being CEO. I’ve built two companies and led them through successful IPOs, and I’ve had direct involvement in M&A transactions (both on the buying and selling sides). Furthermore, I’ve served on many boards with top-tier VCs, including August, Bessemer, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Intel, Kleiner Perkins, Microsoft, USVP, Venrock and others. I’ve been on both sides of the boardroom, gaining rare insight into the hurdles you’ll be facing now and in the future.

I’ve coached over a hundred CEOs.

From leading small startups to established corporations with thousands of employees and revenues in the billions, I’ve coached CEOs through it all. My clients have generated hundreds of millions in value for their companies, both private and public. In fact, a number of my clients have built companies with multi-billion-dollar market values, and at least three of them have become billionaires themselves. Interestingly enough, many of my clients are known as “serial” CEOs. Yet, they still want to grow. Despite having succeeded many times before, they possess the maturity to know that they can benefit from ongoing coaching.

Depending on your needs, we may work on tangible practical issues like raising capital and managing investors, product and competitive strategy, sales and marketing issues, building and managing your board, or developing a world class team. Along the way, we’d also work on longer term issues like developing your authentic presence, emotional and spiritual intelligences, and on becoming a more effective public speaker and inspiring leader. We also would work on how to sustain your passion and energy over the long haul (building a company is a marathon, not a sprint), and how to hold yourself when things get challenging (which they undoubtedly will). Whatever it is, I am there to support you—all confidentially, of course. 

Your employees look to you for inspiration.

As the CEO, you are the heart and soul of your company. Your job isn’t just to make decisions, it’s to inspire. To define the vision of the company. Your employees want to know: why are we here? What is our purpose? They’ll look to you for the answers. They’ll watch you for even the most subtle of emotional cues. Are you hopeful, or despondent? Are you invigorated, or anxious? To be inspiring, you must first get inspired yourself. If you can learn to find the fire within you, you can ignite it in others too. And the vitality, passion, and alignment of your organization will follow.    

You are the message.

A Las Vegas casino sign says, “You must be present to win.” It’s correct, even if it doesn’t necessarily know how. As a leader, you must learn to develop your authentic presence, winning over the hearts and minds of those who follow you. Without an authentic presence, the real you is absent, existing out of alignment, divided from the power within you.

More than anything you may say, people will look at what you do and who you are. So, who are you? And who do wish to become?

If you’re not sure, learning to manifest your authentic presence will provide the answers. It entails connecting with your core values and aligning your actions with them; this is what it means to develop our emotional and spiritual intelligences. Developing your emotional intelligence (EI) enables you to be aware and manage your emotions and others’. And your spiritual intelligence (SI) relates to your ability to inspire passion, meaning, and cohesion in your organization. These non-IQ forms of intelligence (EI & SI) and their application to Spiritually Intelligent Leadership were the subject of my PhD research, so I can help you assess, develop, and apply them.

You are an Olympian—you need a coach.

The best athletes are always working on their game. They constantly reflect, analyze, and try different approaches. As one world champion said, “At the end of every tournament, to review every stroke and every hole, seeing what I can learn from the experience.” Though the pros usually compete on their own, they still need a coach to help them develop and grow. They recognize the value of having someone to work with them on their development plan and help them cover their blind spots. None base their sense of pride around “doing it alone.” For many of the top athletes, they report that their own sense of pride comes from continued growth, pushing themselves not just to win, but to surprise themselves and find a new personal best.

And remember, you’re more than just a CEO.

In addition to my fourteen years of experience as a CEO and my experience coaching dozens of CEOs, I have also completed my PhD in clinical psychology and am a licensed clinical psychologist (PSY24924). I engaged in these studies and work because I am interested in understanding the depth of human experience, and in aiding the cultivation of emotional and spiritual intelligences, self-esteem, human potential, and self-actualization. I see this work as crucial to undertake alongside whatever practical matters we’ll be tackling together, and I see you as a whole person. More than I want you to succeed as a CEO, I want you to attain deep human fulfillment and achieve balance between the professional and personal aspects of your life. That is the key to true, lasting success.