Leadership has changed. 

Expectations are higher while calendars are fuller. Leaders’ development time has shrunk, and many leaders are navigating complexity without the mentorship, guidance, and space that once existed naturally within organizations.

That reality sat at the center of my recent conversation with Aleta Maxwell on The Dr. Ginny Show podcast. Aleta is a best-selling author, an executive and leadership coach, and a long-time friend, collaborator, and ExecutiveBound partner. What we explored together reflects what we both see in organizations every day.

Our conversation highlights a growing gap between what leaders are responsible for and the support they have to meet those expectations.

A common misconception about executive coaching

For leaders who have never engaged with or considered seeking support from an executive coach, a common misconception persists.

Isn’t coaching about talking about our feelings?

While some leaders assume coaching is like therapy, focused mostly on emotions, Aleta was clear on what it is and what it is not. While self-awareness matters and emotions are part of any leader’s life, effective executive coaching is action-oriented. 

Coaching is about focus, accountability, raising emotional intelligence, and intentional steps leaders agree to take and follow through on.

While coaching, trained coaches can identify limiting beliefs, notice how leaders perceive their teams, and understand how those perceptions shape behavior. When leaders shift how they think and how they show up, teams experience that shift immediately.

This work is not about talking and giving advice. It is about creating clarity and momentum to drive lasting transformation.

Cutting through the noise

And creating clarity and momentum becomes more challenging when there’s so much noise to distract us.

From Aleta’s perspective, the biggest challenge in our industry that she’s noticing right now is precisely that. Noise.

On the one hand, many former corporate professionals enter the coaching and leadership development space without the experience, training, or certification required to support leaders at this level. 

Simultaneously, leaders are inundated with information and understandably more distrusting, reasonably so. 

Cutting through that noise requires credibility, discipline, and ethics. Coaching leaders at the executive level is not work to be taken lightly. It requires training, structure, and a thoughtful approach grounded in professional standards.

For leaders and organizations investing in coaching, asking about training and methodology is not skepticism; it is our responsibility.

The leadership competencies leaders need most

As we steered the conversation into which leadership competencies matter most right now, three key competencies rose to the top.

First, the communication strategy ranked #1. What does Aleta mean by this?

We’re not referring to communication volume; rather, she’s guiding us to develop an intentional communication strategy with our teams. 

When leaders communicate reactively, without explaining why conversations are happening, what the goal is, or how decisions are being made, that lack of clarity slows alignment and execution.

The second competency that’s in a bit of a crisis is feedback. Many leaders struggle here. In some cases, leaders are too blunt, and their directness doesn’t land, despite the best intentions.

Others feel very uncomfortable giving it and thus withhold the feedback for six months until the next round of performance reviews. While others sugar-coat it so much that the developmental message gets lost in the sugar. 

Most of us know intellectually that when feedback is inconsistent or delayed, performance and trust both suffer.

Leaders who become adept and comfortable at giving and receiving feedback consistently create teams that perform at a higher level, collaborate more effectively, and enjoy working together.

How the Enneagram supports emotional intelligence

How well teams collaborate and deliver is at the core of the leadership consulting we focus on with C-Suite leaders and their executive teams. 

A significant part of the work Aleta and I partner on involves using the Enneagram as a development tool–to raise self-awareness and surface how team members show up when they operate in their leadership style. 

The Enneagram helps leaders understand what drives them, what stresses them, and how they show up when they are healthy and unhealthy. When leaders can recognize those patterns in real time, they gain choice.

At the team level, this shared language quickly changes the dynamics. Leaders stop assuming intent. They stop taking others’ behavior personally and begin to give each other much more grace and empathy, especially under pressure.

Instead of escalating conflict, teams learn how to “call one another up” in moments of stress. Conversations move forward without long explanations or repeated sit-downs, allowing team members to get the work done more effectively.

Why leadership development is not optional

So, how can teams evolve and grow together, develop trust, align on key objectives, and drive value for their organization while cultivating a more engaging workplace?

Many of us agree on the role leadership development plays in helping organizations build future-ready leaders.

Aleta takes it one step further. 

“If you’re not developing your team actively, you are losing money. It’s not just about them quitting and the costs of turnover, rehiring, and retraining. It’s also about disengagement.” Aleta Maxwell

Without stating the obvious, she highlights that there is no group of fully trained employees waiting to step in. 

While tenures are shorter, the time for mentorship has decreased as well. Many of us can recall benefiting from the informal development we received from members who took us under their wings, helping us navigate challenges and learn about our environment and our craft. That has completely transformed in today’s hybrid landscape and isn’t at all guaranteed.

When we don’t intentionally develop our leaders, the most significant price we pay is increased disengagement. Yes, the leaders may stay; we all have bills to pay. However, we won’t see “discretionary effort,” going above and beyond to meet key objectives. Having a warm body in a seat does not mean they are fully engaged.

The most successful teams we know do not treat leadership development as a nice-to-have. They see a direct correlation between how they invest in their leaders’ growth and the organization’s performance, engagement, and sustainability.

Leadership development is not about fixing leaders, but about giving them the space and support to lead fully in environments that demand more than ever.

A final challenge to reflect on

Aleta challenges us to take a closer look at the support we’re currently getting. Who is in our support team?

For some of us, we may have built one a while ago and haven’t revisited it since, even as our roles, responsibilities, and environments change. As our needs evolve and context shifts, our support system must evolve with it.

And if you find yourself thinking that coaching isn’t for you, that leadership development isn’t all it is hyped up to be, or that this kind of support is not for you, I invite you to question those beliefs.

Because those beliefs point to something significant about where you are right now.

Through the work we do and the leaders we support, we have seen what’s possible when leaders are open to reflection, growth, and receiving support–not always the easiest thing to do for some of us who take pride in figuring things out alone. 

Leadership at this level requires intention, perspective, and a support team, including mentors, sponsors, and coaches who have our back.

So, we’ll leave you with these two reflection prompts:

• What support do you need in this season of your leadership?
• If nothing were to change in your leadership in the next 12 months, how satisfied would you be? 

Sustainable leadership does not happen in isolation–it never has.

If this conversation reflects what you’re seeing, I invite you to connect with us for a 15-minute Cyber Coffee or cafecito. We can talk candidly and confidentially about what’s happening with you or your team right now and what support might look like.

In the meantime, if you’re reading this before February 27, 2026, I’ll be hosting the 2026 Game Changer Leadership Reset, a safe space for leaders to step back, gain clarity, and strengthen their leadership in this environment. Learn more from our Events page and join us, or invite team members to this empowering leadership development session.

Leadership today requires more than experience and technical skills. It requires intention, self-awareness, and team support.

And those are choices leaders and organizations can still make.

Lead with purpose, live with joy!

Dr. Ginny

About Aleta Maxwell:

Our guest, Aleta Maxwell, is the founder and CEO of Uplifting Leadership. As a leadership coach, organizational consultant, and best-selling author, Aleta helps executives lead with clarity and confidence. To connect with Aleta, visit her website: upliftingleadership.com, email her at aleta@upliftlead.com, and follow her on LinkedIn.