Tim Gustafson
Executive Coach
Applied Leadership Coaching
Episode 237
Stop Leading with Fear: Embrace Trust for C-Suite Breakthroughs
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleApril 10, 2025 · 12:45
Thesis
“Effective leadership, particularly at the C-suite level, hinges on fostering trust, embracing a 'love-based' behavioral framework over fear, and leveraging external support systems like coaching and peer groups to overcome isolation and drive strategic organizational success.”
Show notes
Leadership Lessons from Tim Gustafson: Navigating Careers and Coaching Executives
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host David welcomes Tim, an executive coach, who shares his diverse career journey from environmental consulting and corporate roles to founding his own practice in leadership coaching.
Tim discusses key leadership lessons learned from coaching CEOs, including tackling imposter syndrome, the importance of trust, and the challenges of loneliness at the top.
He also explains his love-based framework for developing effective leaders, emphasizes the need for strategic succession planning, and offers insights into the evolving role of HR leaders.
Tim concludes with advice on the value of coaching and peer support for leaders.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:45 Tim's Career Journey
02:45 Key Leadership Lessons from CEOs
04:30 Framework for Developing Effective Leaders
06:32 Common Leadership Challenges for Executives
07:45 Succession Planning and Strategic Leadership Development
09:34 The Evolving Role of HR Leaders
11:22 Parting Advice for the Community
12:35 Closing Remarks
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What you'll take away
- 1Trust is paramount for effective delegation; leaders must empower employees by providing clear expectations and believing in their capabilities.
- 2Adopting 'love-based' leadership behaviors (vision, purpose, teamwork, caring, authenticity) significantly enhances effectiveness compared to fear-driven control tactics.
- 3HR's role is evolving into a strategic imperative, focusing on change management, people planning, and supporting leaders, acknowledging that people are fundamental to financial success.
- 4Proactive and strategic succession planning is crucial to mitigate company risk and ensure continuous leadership development for future roles.
- 5Executive coaching and peer groups are invaluable resources, offering C-suite leaders a confidential space for support, self-discovery, and addressing challenges like imposter syndrome and loneliness at the top.
What most organizations get wrong
In Tim's words
“Not only did I like it, I didn't really know what I was doing at that point, but it hit me so hard. It was, I have to do this. This is my thing.”
Illustrates the powerful personal realization that led Tim to pursue executive coaching as his calling.
“The idea of being lonely at the top is a real thing. People that work for you don't always tell you everything that you should know, or they don't want to embarrass you or challenge you or whatever, don't give you the feedback. Having a peer group is a huge thing for CEOs.”
Highlights a common, often unacknowledged challenge faced by top executives and underscores the critical value of peer support.
“If you don't trust people, you don't delegate to them effectively. And if you're fearful of somebody not doing it right because you are the founder or you're the one that designed it, They aren't gonna do it the way I did it. Well, you gotta trust people. You hire 'em for a job. You gotta trust that they can do it.”
Emphasizes the critical role of trust in enabling effective delegation and overcoming a founder's control mentality.
“If we're in a place of developing vision and purpose and providing teamwork, caring for other people, being unselfish. And then of course we have to be full of integrity and we have to be bold. We have to be authentic about ourselves and how we put things out there. So having these systems and the frameworks to operate from in a love-based behavior world, I think that's the most effective way to go.”
Articulates Tim's core 'love-based' leadership framework and its positive behavioral outcomes for leaders and organizations.
“Getting the right people first and then retaining them is so critical and prevalent on all of our CEOs and presidents' minds.”
Identifies the top challenge for executives, highlighting the intertwined importance of both talent acquisition and retention.
“In my mind, HR work should be strategic. Certainly there is the transactional aspect of HR's world, but when you're working with these CEOs, it's gotta be a strategic mindset that you bring.”
Articulates the evolving and crucial strategic role HR plays within executive leadership and organizational success.
The problems this episode addresses
- •CEO isolation and lack of candid feedback: Executives often feel lonely at the top and struggle to receive honest feedback, leading to imposter syndrome and hindering objective decision-making.
- •Ineffective delegation due to lack of trust: Leaders, especially founders, often fear employees won't perform tasks correctly, preventing effective delegation and slowing organizational progress.
- •Challenges in acquiring and retaining top talent: Finding and keeping the right people is a persistent and critical concern for C-suite leaders, directly impacting operational efficiency and potentially fostering workplace toxicity.
- •Absence of strategic succession planning: Companies lacking a proactive succession plan for key leadership roles face significant risk, particularly as senior executives approach retirement.
- •HR being relegated to transactional tasks: When HR is not strategically involved in business decisions, organizations miss opportunities for effective change management and people-centric growth initiatives.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Dave has been coaching for 10 years and currently runs executive coaching practice
Dave On Leading With Coaching
Tim Zimmerman transitioned from corporate to executive coaching over the years
Tim Ferriss: Key Leadership Lessons Learned From Coaching CEOs
Can you share your framework for developing effective leaders
Developing Effective Leaders: Love vs Fear
Getting the right people first and then retaining them is critical, Tim says
The Challenges of Leadership
How should aspiring C-suite leaders approach succession planning and strategic leadership development
Tim Ferriss: Strategic Leadership Development and Succession Planning
Tim Miller: HR work should be strategic. When working with CEOs, it's crucial
Tim Wilcox: The Strategic Role of HR Leaders
Dave: As much as you can get people involved in being coached
A Coach's Last Words
Tim Anderson joined us on the Built by People podcast
Tim Ferriss on Built by People
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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