I’ve met CEOs who’ve read many leadership books, attended leadership trainings, yet keep repeating some patterns consistently.

People breaking signals are not uncommon. It’s not because they don’t know the rules. Every driver who breaks a signal knows red means stop. There is no lack of knowledge, but they still do it.

In a way, something similar happens with leaders.
– Every CEO knows they shouldn’t lose their temper in front of the team. Many still do.
– Every CEO knows they shouldn’t insult someone. Many still do.
– Every CEO knows they should delegate. Many still micromanage.

Here’s what I’ve learned working with CEOs as a CEO Coach for 13+ years: knowledge doesn’t influence action. Awareness does.

When you get angry, a chemical reaction happens in your body. Your reptilian brain seems to take over. You react before you think.

In that moment, everything you’ve known disappears. You’re not choosing your response. You’re just reacting.

Awareness is what interrupts that loop.

It’s noticing the heat rising before you snap. It’s feeling your jaw tighten before you say something you’ll regret. It’s sensing the room go quiet and realising you caused it. It’s about building presence, building awareness, addressing the ‘being’ that causes the ‘doing’.

Many CEOs I work with don’t have a knowledge problem. It’s just that they can’t see themselves while they’re in motion.

That’s the trap. You’re so deep in the game that you become the hardest person to observe, and no book can fix that.

You don’t need another framework. You need someone to show you what you look like when you think no one is watching.

It’s about building the Leadership Presence

A Coach could help here!

About the Author:

PK Narayanan is a CEO Coach based in Bengaluru, supporting CEOs, Founders and Business Owners Scale-up their Leadership Impact.

#ceo #scaleup #business #leadership #leadershipimpact #leadershippresencecoach

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