Thanks for this, Kathy. I was one of those who didn't think I needed a coach. "I can handle this. I know what to do." Hiring the right coach was the most intelligent decision I've ever made. When you're living "inside the bottle," it's very hard to read the label on the outside of the bottle. Thank you to all my coaches over the years for helping me "read the label."
Loved your thoughts on coaching for founders! I’m curious…how would you approach where a potential co-founder leans on you like a coach for every key decision? Is that dynamic healthy or sustainable long-term, and what does it reveal about early founder-partner relationships and role boundaries?
Co-founder relationships are notoriously challenging. Few, if any, partnerships are truly equal. The best ones leverage the strengths of one to complement the weaknesses of the other.
To answer your question, I think that having one co-founder always seek out the other as a coach is not a great sign if it means that they are asking for validation on every decision. If, however, they are: (a) only doing this for select decisions that are high-stakes; (b) learning and growing with each alignment discussion; and/or (c) leveraging the other co-founders strengths, then I think it might be OK.
If, however, it's a sign that the partnership is not balanced and/or they are developing an unhealthy pattern, then it's a sign to shift. Regardless, it's probably a good moment to have a conversation about what is working and what isn't.
Wow, really appreciate you taking the time to write this out! It’s super thoughtful and gave me a lot to chew on. Co-founder dynamics are messy and unpredictable, and your perspective on leveraging each other’s strengths versus leaning on someone for validation resonates. Definitely gives me a lot to reflect on in terms of what’s working, what’s not, and where things might need to shift. Thank you so much 🙏 Can’t wait to learn from you.
Thanks so much for sharing, Dennis. And I love your visual of sitting inside the bottle. So true!
You said you worked with multiple coaches. If you're open to sharing, I'd love to hear the kinds of coaches you engaged and/or the challenges you traversed with them. I think it'll help so many other leaders see the possibilities.
Wow. Great question Kathy. And a challenge. I’ve just done a quick reflection and I’ve come up with 8 coaches who helped me through different challenges…not including my 2 tennis coaches…so that would make 10.
Thanks for this, Kathy. I was one of those who didn't think I needed a coach. "I can handle this. I know what to do." Hiring the right coach was the most intelligent decision I've ever made. When you're living "inside the bottle," it's very hard to read the label on the outside of the bottle. Thank you to all my coaches over the years for helping me "read the label."
Loved your thoughts on coaching for founders! I’m curious…how would you approach where a potential co-founder leans on you like a coach for every key decision? Is that dynamic healthy or sustainable long-term, and what does it reveal about early founder-partner relationships and role boundaries?
Co-founder relationships are notoriously challenging. Few, if any, partnerships are truly equal. The best ones leverage the strengths of one to complement the weaknesses of the other.
To answer your question, I think that having one co-founder always seek out the other as a coach is not a great sign if it means that they are asking for validation on every decision. If, however, they are: (a) only doing this for select decisions that are high-stakes; (b) learning and growing with each alignment discussion; and/or (c) leveraging the other co-founders strengths, then I think it might be OK.
If, however, it's a sign that the partnership is not balanced and/or they are developing an unhealthy pattern, then it's a sign to shift. Regardless, it's probably a good moment to have a conversation about what is working and what isn't.
Hope this helps! So appreciate you asking!
Wow, really appreciate you taking the time to write this out! It’s super thoughtful and gave me a lot to chew on. Co-founder dynamics are messy and unpredictable, and your perspective on leveraging each other’s strengths versus leaning on someone for validation resonates. Definitely gives me a lot to reflect on in terms of what’s working, what’s not, and where things might need to shift. Thank you so much 🙏 Can’t wait to learn from you.
Thanks so much for sharing, Dennis. And I love your visual of sitting inside the bottle. So true!
You said you worked with multiple coaches. If you're open to sharing, I'd love to hear the kinds of coaches you engaged and/or the challenges you traversed with them. I think it'll help so many other leaders see the possibilities.
Wow. Great question Kathy. And a challenge. I’ve just done a quick reflection and I’ve come up with 8 coaches who helped me through different challenges…not including my 2 tennis coaches…so that would make 10.