I often begin blog articles by reminding readers that highly self-aware people are happy, healthy, prosperous and influential. Among the qualities of their affluent lives that they most value are the meaningful relationships they have fostered in their lives.
We might think that top executives, especially of large organizations, are among the most satisfied people in society, but over the decades numerous surveys of CEO’s find they feel isolated and have little opportunity for sharing concerns with colleagues or for receiving vital feedback. The higher an executive rises to positions of authority and power, the more his position boxes him into a sequestered, isolated existence and the less satisfied he feels.
This increasingly leaves them out of touch with their colleagues while increasing their job pressures. Even so, who doesn’t envy the power and authority these CEO’s command. CEO’s enjoy great autonomy and can set rules and make demands on their underlings that they themselves ignore with impunity. Who doesn’t like that?!
Having command and power are not the same thing at all as having authentic influence, a sense of fulfillment and real success. We see and read about leaders every day who are clearly angry, lonely and who have trouble relating to others. They can’t trust anyone, and no one can trust them.
Most CEO’s clearly are good people, but the one thing so important to us all, the ability to form deep connections with others, is often not possible for them. CEO’s are often stuck when trying to foster such relationships, for it is difficult to confide in a boss who can fire you or a direct report who might be angling for your job. The very attributes that help create great relationships, being vulnerable and open, can easily get a CEO fired. Yet, truly successful people form such relationships effortlessly.
If CEO’s can’t or don’t receive essential feedback or form relationships that help keep their skills sharp and vital, research confirms they likely suffer from low self-awareness. And if they have low self-awareness, do they suffer from feeling frustrated, unhealthy, being unhappy and lacking success? A recent article in CEO magazine says “YES”!
You might not feel that these powerful “Captains of Business” would be so vulnerable, but here are some startling facts:
- 82% of CEO’s were overweight
- 36% had elevated blood pressure
- 13% were diabetic (about the national average)
- 69% were found to be hopelessly poor physical condition
- 100% suffered from stress disorders, including headaches, asthma, ulcers and back problems.
There are eight prevalent risk factors of heart disease. CEO’s suffer from most of them. CEO’s work incredibly hard. CEO’s who have high self-awareness generally don’t suffer from these problems because they know themselves and use their high level of self-knowledge to mange themselves physically, emotional and mentally. They are connected to others and seek feedback to keep themselves on track in both their personal lives and their career.
Recently I worked with a very successful executive who suffered from anxiety and depression, two very common ailments for CEO’s. He was extremely well-balanced emotionally but suffered a work-a-holic’s schedule with a perfectionistic bent. Both are signs of low self-esteem.
It was surprisingly simple to help him increase his awareness of this emotional weight he was carrying around and employ two simple tools that quickly started dismantling these compulsions that were causing such distress.
We are seeing more reports suggesting that most people don’t really understand how unhappy they are and how their lack of self-awareness feeds into their unhappiness.
The work we are doing as coaches to resolve these challenges is have far reaching positive effects for people. Join the increasing numbers who are discovering that a much better life awaits them.
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