Finding Your Executive Edge: Lessons from the Mountain

Standing at the top of Black Diamond Edge at Keystone, Colorado, I paused before my descent. The irony wasn't lost on me—here I was, literally on the edge of a challenging run, reflecting on what I've been calling the "Executive Edge" for nearly a decade. Sometimes the universe hands you the perfect metaphor.

It's Friday afternoon. You're likely staring at a daunting to-do list, year-end deadlines bearing down, and Christmas shopping that hasn't even started. You're running thin, reactive, in pure get-it-done mode. But here's the problem: when your head's down, how can you possibly see where you're going, how you'll get there, or guide your team along the way?

After more than a decade as a thought partner to executive leaders, I've observed something critical: the most effective leaders are ruthlessly shrewd with their time and commitments, keeping first things first. They understand their Executive Edge.

The Three Priorities That Define Your Leadership Edge

Your executive effectiveness comes down to three core priorities:

1. Champion a Vision. Great leaders don't just have a destination in mind—they paint it so vividly that others can see it too. They create clarity about where the organization is headed and why it matters.

2. Communicate the Strategy. Vision without strategy is just dreaming. Effective leaders translate that vision into a clear roadmap, ensuring everyone understands not just the destination, but the route.

3. Develop a Team to Execute. The best strategy means nothing without the right people executing it. Elite leaders invest heavily in building and developing teams that can turn plans into reality.

The 60-80% Rule

Here's my proposition: your Executive Edge is defined by spending 60-80% of your time in your sweet spot—those activities that have the most significant impact on you, your team, and your organization. Everything else? That's not your edge. That's erosion.

Your Challenge This Week

Take a hard look at your calendar from the last week or month. Where did your time actually go? How much was spent championing vision, communicating strategy, and developing your team? How much was consumed by urgent but less important tasks, meetings that didn't need you, or decisions that could have been delegated?

This exercise isn't about judgment—it's about recalibration. It's Friday afternoon, and yes, the pressure is real. But sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop, step back, and recalibrate your focus. Find some space to realign your time, energy, and perhaps even how you define success for this season.

Standing at the edge of that Black Diamond run, I had to assess the terrain, trust my preparation, and commit to the path ahead. Your leadership requires the same courage.

Your leadership confidence for the mountain you’re facing maybe at the Green or Blue level. Yet, if you have a sense of what’s before you, project, goal, and your next role for 2026, then you maybe heading towards your next level, Black or Double Black. It can be overwhelming facing new terrain!

If you're looking for a thought partner to help you find and sharpen your Executive Edge, let's explore how coaching might serve you in this next season. After all, every leader deserves someone in their corner helping them see clearly and lead boldly. If that’s you, let’s explore a free no hassle conversation. We have a team of 10 ICF executive/leadership coaches ready to support you and your team. Feel free to reach out directly to me! russell@leadersadvance.net

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a mountain to conquer.

The ROI of Leadership Development: Beyond the Numbers

Standing in Phoenix after working with 80 leaders who hadn't received leadership development in over a decade, one truth became crystal clear: organizations who invest in their leaders are better than those who don't.

The Hard Evidence

The research is compelling. Companies that invest in leadership development see a 25% increase in employee engagement and up to 50% reduction in turnover according to studies by Gallup and the Center for Creative Leadership. Deloitte research shows that organizations with strong leadership pipelines are 2.4 times more likely to hit performance targets and see 34% higher employee retention rates.

The ROI is undeniable: for every dollar invested in leadership development, organizations see an average return of $7 in productivity gains.

The Soft Evidence That Matters Most

But what you can't fully measure in spreadsheets is equally powerful. Today, we witnessed the transformation—faces that entered with skepticism left with genuine smiles. Laughter filled the room. Leaders who had worked together for years experienced breakthrough conversations for the first time.

High-trust environments emerged through facilitated vulnerability. Conflicts that had lingered for months found resolution in hours. The question shifted from "How do we not know this?" to "How do we pay this forward?"

These are the force multipliers that cascade through organizations: faster decision-making, stronger collaboration, and psychological safety that drives innovation.

Your Next Step

Whether you're a board looking to align vision, an executive team needing strategic cohesion, or a department requiring an infusion of people capital horsepower—2026 is your year.

The commitment doesn't require perfection. It requires starting.

Consider a discovery conversation to explore what's possible when you invest in your leaders. Because organizations that develop their people don't just perform better—they become places where breakthrough happens daily.

Ready to move your team to the next level of performance? Let's talk.

russell@leadersadvance.net

Balancing Achievement Drive with Sustainable Leadership

Unsplash @santesson89

The relentless drive for achievement that propels many executives to success can become their greatest challenge in building sustainable leadership careers. As illustrated in a recent executive coaching session, high-performing leaders often struggle to find the right balance between seizing every opportunity and maintaining personal sustainability.

The session revealed a common pattern: when presented with compelling opportunities, ambitious leaders often default to "if it's physically possible, I'll make it happen" - even when already operating at capacity. While this approach demonstrates impressive capability and dedication, it can lead to periods of burnout, strained relationships, and missed opportunities for developing others.

One executive reflected, "I don't want to be the kind of leader who'll do everything all the time and then burn out at some point, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout." This insight highlights a critical inflection point many leaders face: recognizing that long-term impact requires more than just personal heroics.

““I don’t want to be the kind of leader who’ll do everything all the time and then burn out at some point, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout.” ”

— John C - CFO

The primary challenge emerges around calibrating ambition - learning to say no to good opportunities so you can say yes to great ones, while building sustainable practices that allow for recovery and growth. This includes developing the capacity to delegate meaningful work and creating space for others to develop their capabilities.

For leaders grappling with this balance, consider these reflective questions:

1. How might your drive for achievement be limiting your organization's overall capability by inadvertently stunting others' growth opportunities?

2. What would it look like to measure your success not just by what you personally accomplish, but by the capability you build in others?

3. Where in your current role are you saying "yes" out of pride or habit rather than strategic necessity?

A practical next step is to identify one significant project or responsibility that you can thoughtfully transition to another team member over the next quarter. The goal isn't just delegation - it's creating space for others to develop while giving yourself room to operate at a more strategic level.

Remember, sustainable leadership isn't about doing less - it's about accomplishing more through others while maintaining personal effectiveness over the long term. By learning to balance achievement drive with sustainability, leaders can build lasting impact that extends beyond their personal capacity.

The most successful leaders understand that their legacy isn't measured by how many challenges they personally overcome, but by how many capable leaders they develop along the way.

The Weight and Wisdom of Executive Leadership

I've had the privilege of coaching dozens of leaders, half of these executives managing billion-dollar decisions, and hundreds of employees. These conversations have revealed a profound truth about leadership at the highest levels: with great power comes responsibility and an intense personal investment in outcomes. This personal investment, often overlooked, is a testament to the dedication and sacrifice these leaders make.

These leaders approach their roles with decisive assertiveness, drawing on years of experience and an unwavering drive toward innovation. Yet, what stands out is how deeply personal their work becomes. Missed deadlines, unmet quotas, and unreached goals aren't just business metrics—they're taken as personal setbacks. This dedication drives success but can also exact a steep price.

The cost of leadership often manifests in overlooked priorities, neglected relationships, and compromised personal health. Consider this: if you consistently have unused PTO at year's end, are you inadvertently prioritizing work over family and well-being? The implications are worth examining.

This brings us to a critical inflection point in leadership development: accountability. As leaders ascend the corporate ladder, three essential questions emerge:

• - Who challenges your thinking?

• - Who has veto power over your decisions?

• - Who provides alternative perspectives in your life?

Counter-intuitively, effective high-level leadership requires surrendering some autonomy. It means actively granting stakeholders, mentors, and coaches permission to speak into your life and work. This vulnerability, rather than weakening leadership, strengthens it.

The path forward requires careful evaluation:

1. Assess what's at stake in your current decisions

2. Consider the long-term impact of today's commitments

3. Identify whose counsel might lead to better outcomes

4. Take inventory of your commitments, decisions, and priorities

5. Evaluate the trusted voices in your life who can serve as sounding boards, guides, and even occasional vetoes

This process isn't just about better decision-making but sustainable leadership. It’s a balance of Grit and Grace. Leaders can move forward with greater confidence and effectiveness by establishing a network of trusted advisors and maintaining the humility to heed their input.

Remember: the strongest leaders aren't those who carry the weight alone, but those who know when and whom to trust for guidance.