I've interviewed a number of folks about the challenges VPs and C-suite face. I talked with execs across companies from tech to product to people, mostly at scaling companies. I've discovered a few trends. Thread below.

1) Tech leaders often feel isolated and lonely. This was pretty much universally true for all I interviewed. This isn't surprising given power imbalances that come with their role, having few peers, tons of scrutiny and information they need to keep confidential. I felt this too.

Addressing exec isolation + mental well-being might not seem important but it's critical. It can improve their decision making and lead to less burn out. It makes them more effective for the folks they serve. Executive coaching can really make a difference here.

2) Scaling companies can be chaotic. Leaders constantly juggle competing priorities which makes it unclear at times which fires to put out immediately and which ones can burn for a while. The kind of advice they want is more functional around organizational strategy.

The pain of scaling a company and executives overwhelmed with priorities is felt by all employees. They might talk about a breakdown in trust or uncertainty or a lack of clarity on the company's priorities. Even if folks don't talk about it, trust me -- they're feeling it.

Hiring folks who have scaled a company or are experienced in organizational strategy can be very useful. Bringing full-time hires or engaging with consultant with this kind of experience can make a big difference in the company's trajectory and the experience of employees.

Finally, the third big trend I saw. This might be the one that captured my attention the most. It's a hidden issue that really needs more attention.

3) On-boarding for new executives is non-existent. We expect them to swim or sink. Without support, many of them flounder causing stress for everyone.This was the mostly commonly cited challenge for folks in their first or second leadership role.

The lack of support for new executives can't be underestimated. The leap from manager to executive is huge. Leaders need support to successfully make that transition. Execs who come into a new company are also challenged w/ learning a new culture + building up that trust bank.

It's easy to be hard on executives, especially these days. Some with good reason. Still, but they face real challenges and most really are trying to do the right thing. Many told me they became an exec to create a better environment for their folks. That's why I became one too.

New executives often underestimate how challenging it will be to navigate organizational issues that are rapidly changing, building trust and working well on all levels, especially with other execs.

Lack of experience in a leadership role means execs can often fall to dictating (hello micromanagement) rather than influencing. We've all probably experienced a leader like this. It's so stressful isn't it?

These leaders often fail and the impact is felt organization-wide: the CEO is distracted away from high impact activities, more gossip, increased turnover, a loss of trust and much more uncertainty. This is bad for everyone in the company. The impact of this cannot be overstated.

We expect leaders to be plug and play. This means they're often the last group to get focused development. I've worked in career development for years so I've seen those budgets. Surprisingly little of it goes to the development of executive staff. This is a mistake.

Executives rarely get the kind of specialized support they need. If I were the founder of a scaling startup I'd offer executive coaching to every leader in the company. I'd also add budget for a facilitator to help create an effective exec team. It's well worth the investment.

By the way, most of the executives I interviewed haven't had executive coaching. Or much support for that matter. When I asked if they had on-boarding for their role most snort laughed. At the same time, pretty all longed for that kind of support.

This made me really sad. Most became leaders to have a positive impact -- driven by doing good for people. Setting them up for success benefits everyone. Too often their development slips through the cracks. I get why, I'd just like to change it.

It's ok to expect things from our leaders. This is what they signed up for. We just need to make sure to offer them support too.

It's been fun sharing what I learned. Thank you for your thoughtful messages about this thread. If you want to hear more or want to share your thoughts, I'm happy to chat. DM's are open.

By the way, one area I am seeing companies invest in is new manager training. This creates better work environments and makes managers more effective. This is fabulous. Keep this up. Just add development for Directors, VPs and C-suite too

And a BIG thank you to all the leaders who gave their time to share their experiences with me!

Making the shift from manager to executive is big. A super useful book for new leaders is Transitions by William Bridges. It's breaks down the stages of transition and the shifts we need to make during each.

I'm working to turn this thread into a blog post. Right now it's 4,500 words. Send me the strength to cull it down to a more reasonable length.

I decided to break the piece into a series so I can cover the leadership trends thoroughly. Hope to have first one out this week. If there’s something you want to hear more about let me know!