What did I hear?

This is such an important question and one my mentor asks me to reflect on after every meeting.

The CEO role: challenging, exciting, creative. Most often in an arts organisation it’s the most work, and everything including the kitchen dishes.

Mentoring can come in useful in many ways and at various times in your life. A mother, sister or best friend can always give advice, and it can be very helpful, but often comes with a “guaranteed solution”.

Mentoring is far more nuanced. Samantha Shaw, the director at executive coaching organisation, The Anderson Partnership and my mentor at Kilfinan Australia, is highly skilled at asking questions, hearing my issues, and helping me to discover a solution, or possibly a pathway, to solutions.

I have worn the CEO hat for over 20 years, but refinement and tweaking my leadership style is essential. The mental pressures do not get any easier, and slow, considered decision making is essential in this role.

Sometimes, and I might suggest often, the coach can simply ensure that I focus on my skills and reduce self-doubt.

I am sure that for some CEOs the management and decisions for the organisation is the challenge, for others it is board relationships, and others it is finance. In my current CEO role, I have no issues with doing the work, building the brand, the business, the impact, the purpose. The lonely part, that needs support, is exactly what my mentor provides. A sounding board for very private issues regarding the work that can’t be shared with board or staff until they are resolved by me.

I heard that Kilfinan is an extraordinary organisation who supports leaders.