CEO Coaching International Founder Mark Moses: Are you asking yourself the right questions?
Feb 19, 2025
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Mark Moses, Founder and CEO of CEO Coaching International, is a U.S. Squash National Champion and 12-time IRONMAN. He discusses how participation in sports enhances leadership qualities and fosters teamwork among top executives. Mark emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to clarify goals and achieve results, alongside strategies for breaking down massive objectives into manageable steps. He shares personal stories of resilience, including a poignant marathon running experience that inspired his leadership philosophy.
Athletic backgrounds shape Fortune 500 executives' leadership styles, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration for achieving business goals.
Asking insightful questions about personal and organizational aspirations enables leaders to cultivate clearer visions and drive meaningful growth.
Deep dives
The Impact of Sports on Leadership
Many Fortune 500 executives share a common background in athletics, which has significantly shaped their leadership styles. Participating in team sports has instilled leadership lessons that resonate throughout their careers, regardless of their athletic skill levels. For instance, individuals like Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A and Ed Bastian of Delta Airlines highlight how sports have influenced their ability to lead. This connection between team dynamics in sports and successful leadership in business underscores the importance of collaboration and teamwork in achieving organizational goals.
Challenges Faced by Modern CEOs
Despite various external challenges like economic fluctuations or supply chain issues, the primary struggle reported by CEOs revolves around team dynamics and personnel management. The transition from an early-stage team to a more developed one often requires a different skill set, which can complicate growth. Leaders frequently find that the people who helped them reach early milestones may not be the right fit for the next phase of their journey. This necessitates careful consideration in hiring and team development to ensure alignment with future business objectives.
The Power of Asking Better Questions
Effective coaching often begins with asking insightful questions that prompt deep reflection and clarity about personal and organizational goals. One transformative question posed by coaches is, 'What do you really want?' This inquiry helps individuals articulate their long-term aspirations and the steps needed to achieve them, yet many struggle to answer it. This indicates a lack of clarity and direction, suggesting that leaders must cultivate a clearer vision for themselves and their teams to facilitate growth and success.
Believing in Possibilities
The narrative emphasizes the significance of setting specific, measurable goals and the necessity of dedication to achieving those objectives. For example, a client aiming to generate $70 million in new business was encouraged to outline the concrete actions necessary to reach that target, leading to $84 million in actual revenue. This reflects the principle that successful outcomes arise from diligent planning and execution, as underscored by the experiences of endurance athletes who meticulously map their training to achieve competitive times. The overarching lesson is that cultivating a mindset of possibility can lead to remarkable successes in both personal and professional arenas.
Ep. 218: This U.S. Squash National Champion and 12X IRONMAN teaches you how to “Think Big” in your business. You don’t necessarily have to write an 8,000lb elephant into a meeting like Mark did, but this episode will show you how to elevate your team’s vision, break down massive goals into achievable steps, and create a culture of execution that drives results.
Our BONUS RESOURCE for this episode includes Don’s favorite quotes from today’s episode and a reflection question so you can apply today’s insights.
Do you want to write a book? In my new role as Publisher at Forbes Books and with the incredible resources and expertise of their team, we’re making it easier than ever to help YOU to tell your story. Send us a message here to get started: https://books.forbes.com/don/
Looking for a speaker for your next event? From more than 30 years of interviewing and studying the greatest winners of all time Don offers these live and virtual presentations built to inspire your team towards personal and professional greatness.
Special thanks to Samantha Clark and Dave Calder for making this episode possible.
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