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Forbes Coaches Council members come from a wide range of backgrounds. And with their wide range of experiences, they have a lot to share with clients and fellow members of the community. To help them share with an even greater audience, we’re profiling Forbes Coaches Council members here on the blog. This week: Teri Citterman.
Teri Citterman is the CEO of Talonn and coaches first-time CEOs, seasoned CEOs and high performers. Her experience draws on 20 years of advising leaders on internal and external communications, thought leadership and leveraging their power and influence. She is the author of From the CEO's Perspective, an award-winning writer, professional speaker and regular contributor to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
What inspired you to become a coach?
I was a ghostwriter. My background was PR and corporate communications, and on the side, I wrote books for CEOs. The nature of ghostwriting is asking questions, but I was never satisfied with the surface answers. I would dig deeper and ask the 'nowhere to hide’ questions. I noticed these leaders were uncomfortable, but they admitted they were arriving at interesting insights and uncovering wisdom that it seemed they’d never tapped. I knew this was something, but I wasn’t sure what. I kept going, kept asking, kept digging deeper, and while much of what we discovered was left out of the books, they were finding it useful in their role as leader. I was excited. I realized I was doing exactly the work that I was meant to do, and I couldn’t stop myself. So I went through an excellent certification program, quit my job, and uncovered my own purpose – helping good thinkers become great leaders.
What one piece of advice do you find yourself relying on most? Why?
“If you’re talking, you’re not listening; and if you’re not listening, you're not learning, and it’s only a matter of time until you say something stupid.”
That principle, I learned from my mentor. I became a student of the question and honed my listening skills. I believe it’s a super power. It helped that I’m not very visual, which allowed me to keep focused on my auditory-intuition – listening for what’s not being said. I often shut my eyes to hear more, which can be a little awkward in coaching sessions, but I’m willing to be awkward if it means invoking the edge that listening gives me. In the end, it benefits my clients and helps them deliver the impact they're capable of having.
What is the biggest hurdle your clients face? What advice would you give others struggling with this issue?
I work with CEOs, and my particular favorites are first-time CEOs. Regardless of experience, one of the common traits is that they are fast thinkers. They process a lot of information and move quickly. But with that pace-setting, comes the need for increased and transparent communication around their thinking. To ensure everyone’s connecting the dots, they need to ask the right questions and make sure everyone has caught up. I see leaders struggle with this and my advice is to slow down enough to bring the key people with you. Don’t make them try and read your mind. That’s a losing game. People will shut down out of sheer frustration. Rather than hearing the good thinking of all, they’ll just wait to hear your answer, because they believe you have one in your mind, and you're just not communicating it.
Photo by Jerry and Lois Photography
