Latest news with #MarshallGoldsmith
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
DBS Launches Gen AI-Powered Coaching Tool to Future Proof Its Workforce
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 July 2025 - DBS announced today that it is democratising coaching for its workforce with the launch of iCoach, a Generative AI-powered (Gen AI) platform developed in collaboration with Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world's top executive coaches. While most corporations reserve coaching[1] for their top executives or high potential talent, DBS believes that employees at all levels would benefit from coaching by receiving expert advice on career development as well as topical issues such as work-life balance, personal and small team leadership, or mental wellness. However, the main challenge has always been scaling coaching in an efficient and cost-effective manner – coaching is usually done on a one-to-one basis and can be costly. With the advent of Gen AI, DBS saw an opportunity to leverage the technology to overcome these challenges, enabling the bank to avail coaching to employees across its network. Lee Yan Hong, Head of Group Human Resources, DBS, said, 'As the world of work continues to evolve, building career resilience has become more important than ever. At DBS, we are committed to helping our people thrive by equipping them with future-ready capabilities through our comprehensive Triple E framework – Education, Exposure and Experience. iCoach is a powerful new addition that complements these efforts, leveraging Gen AI to offer personalised, on-demand career guidance to help every employee confidently navigate and grow in the future of work.' Betty Lam, Head of Human Resources, DBS Hong Kong, said, 'DBS continues to entrench our standing as a Responsible AI leader and bring our employees along this responsible AI journey where AI is used ethically and effectively. iCoach is a powerful tool that allows our employees to focus on personal and career growth. At the same time, we also encourage our employees to equip themselves with the necessary AI skills, which will be crucial for our collective success.' iCoach's knowledge base was developed in partnership with Marshall Goldsmith, a leading coaching expert with over four decades of experience working with top CEOs and executives, including those from Fortune 500 companies. Dr Goldsmith was inducted by Thinkers50[2] into its Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the only two-time Thinkers50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He was also the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of Coaching. iCoach is always-on and available 24/7 to provide employees with just-in-time personalised career guidance. It is tailored to each employee, drawing on the context of the bank's roles, functions and internal mobility pathways to deliver relevant and actionable career advice. Data from International Coaching Federation and Better Up Career Coaching showed 70% of people in organisations who underwent coaching benefitted from improved work performance, relationships and more effective communication skills. 80% of people who received coaching reported increased self-confidence. iCoach further reinforces the bank's commitment to upskilling its employees and building career resilience, and complements other DBS initiatives including: The bank's commitment to supporting employees with career development has contributed to its recognition as an employer of choice. In 2025, DBS was ranked first in TIME's 500 Best Companies in Asia Pacific, while in 2024, the bank was named among Forbes World's Best Employers. In Hong Kong, DBS Hong Kong was also recognised at the 'Bloomberg Businessweek - Financial Institutions 2025 Awards', winning the 'Training Academy – Excellence Performance' and 'Training Program of the Year – Outstanding Performance' awards. Additionally, DBS Hong Kong was honoured with the 'Employer of the Year', 'HR Team of the Year', and the 'Grand Award of Recruitment' at the Jobsdb Hong Kong HR Awards 2024/25. [1] Coaching focuses on achieving specific, short-term goals through structured guidance, while mentoring emphasises long-term personal and professional growth through a supportive relationship. For more info here. [2] Thinkers50 is the world's pre-eminent global ranking of management thinkers and has been described by The Financial Times as 'the Oscars of management thinking'. Hashtag: #DBS The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About DBS DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's 'AA-" and 'Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named " World's Best Bank " by Global Finance, " World's Best Bank " by Euromoney and " Global Bank of the Year " by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named " World's Best Digital Bank " by Euromoney and the world's " Most Innovative in Digital Banking " by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the " Safest Bank in Asia " award by Global Finance for 16 consecutive years from 2009 to 2024. DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting social enterprises: businesses with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping communities with future-ready skills and building food resilience. With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit
The Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
DBS Launches Gen AI-Powered Coaching Tool to Future Proof Its Workforce
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 July 2025 - DBS announced today that it is democratising coaching for its workforce with the launch of iCoach, a Generative AI-powered (Gen AI) platform developed in collaboration with Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world's top executive coaches. While most corporations reserve coaching[1] for their top executives or high potential talent, DBS believes that employees at all levels would benefit from coaching by receiving expert advice on career development as well as topical issues such as work-life balance, personal and small team leadership, or mental wellness. However, the main challenge has always been scaling coaching in an efficient and cost-effective manner – coaching is usually done on a one-to-one basis and can be costly. With the advent of Gen AI, DBS saw an opportunity to leverage the technology to overcome these challenges, enabling the bank to avail coaching to employees across its network. Lee Yan Hong, Head of Group Human Resources, DBS, said, 'As the world of work continues to evolve, building career resilience has become more important than ever. At DBS, we are committed to helping our people thrive by equipping them with future-ready capabilities through our comprehensive Triple E framework – Education, Exposure and Experience. iCoach is a powerful new addition that complements these efforts, leveraging Gen AI to offer personalised, on-demand career guidance to help every employee confidently navigate and grow in the future of work.' Betty Lam, Head of Human Resources, DBS Hong Kong, said, 'DBS continues to entrench our standing as a Responsible AI leader and bring our employees along this responsible AI journey where AI is used ethically and effectively. iCoach is a powerful tool that allows our employees to focus on personal and career growth. At the same time, we also encourage our employees to equip themselves with the necessary AI skills, which will be crucial for our collective success.' iCoach's knowledge base was developed in partnership with Marshall Goldsmith, a leading coaching expert with over four decades of experience working with top CEOs and executives, including those from Fortune 500 companies. Dr Goldsmith was inducted by Thinkers50[2] into its Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the only two-time Thinkers50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He was also the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of Coaching. iCoach is always-on and available 24/7 to provide employees with just-in-time personalised career guidance. It is tailored to each employee, drawing on the context of the bank's roles, functions and internal mobility pathways to deliver relevant and actionable career advice. Data from International Coaching Federation and Better Up Career Coaching showed 70% of people in organisations who underwent coaching benefitted from improved work performance, relationships and more effective communication skills. 80% of people who received coaching reported increased self-confidence. iCoach further reinforces the bank's commitment to upskilling its employees and building career resilience, and complements other DBS initiatives including: --> iGrow, an AI / machine learning-powered platform that offers personalised career advice by matching employees to tailored learning and job opportunities based on their career and training history. --> DBS Mentoring Programme, which connects employees with leaders and peers, enabling them to gain practical guidance, career insights and support at critical points in their professional growth. --> DBS Learning Hub, which provides employees with more than 10,000 curated courses, to learn and pick up new skills. --> Be My Guest Programme, where employees have the opportunity to participate in job shadowing, workshops and projects across departments. Last year, over 4,000 such opportunities were taken up by employees. The bank's commitment to supporting employees with career development has contributed to its recognition as an employer of choice. In 2025, DBS was ranked first in TIME's 500 Best Companies in Asia Pacific, while in 2024, the bank was named among Forbes World's Best Employers. In Hong Kong, DBS Hong Kong was also recognised at the 'Bloomberg Businessweek - Financial Institutions 2025 Awards', winning the 'Training Academy – Excellence Performance' and 'Training Program of the Year – Outstanding Performance' awards. Additionally, DBS Hong Kong was honoured with the 'Employer of the Year', 'HR Team of the Year', and the 'Grand Award of Recruitment' at the Jobsdb Hong Kong HR Awards 2024/25. [1] Coaching focuses on achieving specific, short-term goals through structured guidance, while mentoring emphasises long-term personal and professional growth through a supportive relationship. For more info here. [2] Thinkers50 is the world's pre-eminent global ranking of management thinkers and has been described by The Financial Times as 'the Oscars of management thinking'. About DBS DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's 'AA-' and 'Aa1' credit ratings are among the highest in the world. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named 'World's Best Bank' by Global Finance, 'World's Best Bank' by Euromoney and 'Global Bank of the Year' by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named 'World's Best Digital Bank' by Euromoney and the world's 'Most Innovative in Digital Banking' by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the 'Safest Bank in Asia' award by Global Finance for 16 consecutive years from 2009 to 2024. DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting social enterprises: businesses with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping communities with future-ready skills and building food resilience. With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit
Zawya
7 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
DBS Launches Gen AI-Powered Coaching Tool to Future Proof Its Workforce
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 July 2025 - DBS announced today that it is democratising coaching for its workforce with the launch of iCoach, a Generative AI-powered (Gen AI) platform developed in collaboration with Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world's top executive coaches. While most corporations reserve coaching[1] for their top executives or high potential talent, DBS believes that employees at all levels would benefit from coaching by receiving expert advice on career development as well as topical issues such as work-life balance, personal and small team leadership, or mental wellness. However, the main challenge has always been scaling coaching in an efficient and cost-effective manner – coaching is usually done on a one-to-one basis and can be costly. With the advent of Gen AI, DBS saw an opportunity to leverage the technology to overcome these challenges, enabling the bank to avail coaching to employees across its network. Lee Yan Hong, Head of Group Human Resources, DBS, said, "As the world of work continues to evolve, building career resilience has become more important than ever. At DBS, we are committed to helping our people thrive by equipping them with future-ready capabilities through our comprehensive Triple E framework – Education, Exposure and Experience. iCoach is a powerful new addition that complements these efforts, leveraging Gen AI to offer personalised, on-demand career guidance to help every employee confidently navigate and grow in the future of work." Betty Lam, Head of Human Resources, DBS Hong Kong, said, "DBS continues to entrench our standing as a Responsible AI leader and bring our employees along this responsible AI journey where AI is used ethically and effectively. iCoach is a powerful tool that allows our employees to focus on personal and career growth. At the same time, we also encourage our employees to equip themselves with the necessary AI skills, which will be crucial for our collective success." iCoach's knowledge base was developed in partnership with Marshall Goldsmith, a leading coaching expert with over four decades of experience working with top CEOs and executives, including those from Fortune 500 companies. Dr Goldsmith was inducted by Thinkers50[2] into its Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the only two-time Thinkers50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He was also the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of Coaching. iCoach is always-on and available 24/7 to provide employees with just-in-time personalised career guidance. It is tailored to each employee, drawing on the context of the bank's roles, functions and internal mobility pathways to deliver relevant and actionable career advice. Data from International Coaching Federation and Better Up Career Coaching showed 70% of people in organisations who underwent coaching benefitted from improved work performance, relationships and more effective communication skills. 80% of people who received coaching reported increased self-confidence. iCoach further reinforces the bank's commitment to upskilling its employees and building career resilience, and complements other DBS initiatives including: iGrow, an AI / machine learning-powered platform that offers personalised career advice by matching employees to tailored learning and job opportunities based on their career and training history. DBS Mentoring Programme, which connects employees with leaders and peers, enabling them to gain practical guidance, career insights and support at critical points in their professional growth. DBS Learning Hub, which provides employees with more than 10,000 curated courses, to learn and pick up new skills. Be My Guest Programme, where employees have the opportunity to participate in job shadowing, workshops and projects across departments. Last year, over 4,000 such opportunities were taken up by employees. The bank's commitment to supporting employees with career development has contributed to its recognition as an employer of choice. In 2025, DBS was ranked first in TIME's 500 Best Companies in Asia Pacific, while in 2024, the bank was named among Forbes World's Best Employers. In Hong Kong, DBS Hong Kong was also recognised at the "Bloomberg Businessweek - Financial Institutions 2025 Awards", winning the "Training Academy – Excellence Performance" and "Training Program of the Year – Outstanding Performance" awards. Additionally, DBS Hong Kong was honoured with the "Employer of the Year", "HR Team of the Year", and the "Grand Award of Recruitment" at the Jobsdb Hong Kong HR Awards 2024/25. [1] Coaching focuses on achieving specific, short-term goals through structured guidance, while mentoring emphasises long-term personal and professional growth through a supportive relationship. For more info here. [2] Thinkers50 is the world's pre-eminent global ranking of management thinkers and has been described by The Financial Times as "the Oscars of management thinking". Hashtag: #DBS The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About DBS DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named " World's Best Bank" by Global Finance, " World's Best Bank" by Euromoney and " Global Bank of the Year" by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named " World's Best Digital Bank" by Euromoney and the world's " Most Innovative in Digital Banking" by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the " Safest Bank in Asia" award by Global Finance for 16 consecutive years from 2009 to 2024. DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting social enterprises: businesses with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping communities with future-ready skills and building food resilience. With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit DBS Hong Kong
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
DBS Launches Gen AI-Powered Coaching Tool to Future Proof Its Workforce
iGrow, an AI / machine learning-powered platform that offers personalised career advice by matching employees to tailored learning and job opportunities based on their career and training history. DBS Mentoring Programme, which connects employees with leaders and peers, enabling them to gain practical guidance, career insights and support at critical points in their professional growth. DBS Learning Hub, which provides employees with more than 10,000 curated courses, to learn and pick up new skills. Be My Guest Programme, where employees have the opportunity to participate in job shadowing, workshops and projects across departments. Last year, over 4,000 such opportunities were taken up by employees. Coaching focuses on achieving specific, short-term goals through structured guidance, while mentoring emphasises long-term personal and professional growth through a supportive relationship. For more info here. [1] [2] Thinkers50 is the world's pre-eminent global ranking of management thinkers and has been described by The Financial Times as "the Oscars of management thinking". HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 July 2025 - DBS announced today that it is democratising coaching for its workforce with the launch of iCoach, a Generative AI-powered (Gen AI) platform developed in collaboration with Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world's top executive most corporations reserve coaching[1] for their top executives or high potential talent, DBS believes that employees at all levels would benefit from coaching by receiving expert advice on career development as well as topical issues such as work-life balance, personal and small team leadership, or mental wellness. However, the main challenge has always been scaling coaching in an efficient and cost-effective manner – coaching is usually done on a one-to-one basis and can be the advent of Gen AI, DBS saw an opportunity to leverage the technology to overcome these challenges, enabling the bank to avail coaching to employees across its network., said, "As the world of work continues to evolve, building career resilience has become more important than ever. At DBS, we are committed to helping our people thrive by equipping them with future-ready capabilities through our comprehensive Triple E framework – Education, Exposure and Experience. iCoach is a powerful new addition that complements these efforts, leveraging Gen AI to offer personalised, on-demand career guidance to help every employee confidently navigate and grow in the future of work.", said, "DBS continues to entrench our standing as a Responsible AI leader and bring our employees along this responsible AI journey where AI is used ethically and effectively. iCoach is a powerful tool that allows our employees to focus on personal and career growth. At the same time, we also encourage our employees to equip themselves with the necessary AI skills, which will be crucial for our collective success."iCoach's knowledge base was developed in partnership with Marshall Goldsmith, a leading coaching expert with over four decades of experience working with top CEOs and executives, including those from Fortune 500 companies. Dr Goldsmith was inducted by Thinkers50[2] into its Hall of Fame in 2018 and is the only two-time Thinkers50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He was also the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of is always-on and available 24/7 to provide employees with just-in-time personalised career guidance. It is tailored to each employee, drawing on the context of the bank's roles, functions and internal mobility pathways to deliver relevant and actionable career advice. Data from International Coaching Federation and Better Up Career Coaching showed 70% of people in organisations who underwent coaching benefitted from improved work performance, relationships and more effective communication skills. 80% of people who received coaching reported increased further reinforces the bank's commitment to upskilling its employees and building career resilience, and complements other DBS initiatives including:The bank's commitment to supporting employees with career development has contributed to its recognition as an employer of choice. In 2025, DBS was ranked first in TIME's 500 Best Companies in Asia Pacific, while in 2024, the bank was named among Forbes World's Best Employers. In Hong Kong, DBS Hong Kong was also recognised at the "Bloomberg Businessweek - Financial Institutions 2025 Awards", winning the "Training Academy – Excellence Performance" and "Training Program of the Year – Outstanding Performance" awards. Additionally, DBS Hong Kong was honoured with the "Employer of the Year", "HR Team of the Year", and the "Grand Award of Recruitment" at the Jobsdb Hong Kong HR Awards 2024/ #DBS The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About DBS DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named " World's Best Bank" by Global Finance, " World's Best Bank" by Euromoney and " Global Bank of the Year" by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named " World's Best Digital Bank" by Euromoney and the world's " Most Innovative in Digital Banking" by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the " Safest Bank in Asia" award by Global Finance for 16 consecutive years from 2009 to 2024. DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by supporting social enterprises: businesses with a double bottom-line of profit and social and/or environmental impact. DBS Foundation also gives back to society in various ways, including equipping communities with future-ready skills and building food resilience. With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit
Forbes
22-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Perception Gap: Why Great Leaders Fail To Influence
Anna Barnhill, CEO of AdvantEdge Leadership, guides executives to peak performance with tailored coaching and leadership strategies. Most leadership development fails because it discounts perception. While executives perfect their skills in boardrooms, their influence evaporates in daily interactions, killed by a perception gap they never knew existed. Organizations invest billions in teaching leaders to change while ignoring whether anyone notices this fundamental truth: Influence isn't about becoming better; it's about being recognized as better by those who matter most. The Hard Truth About Leadership Impact This perception gap isn't theoretical—it's measurable. Marshall Goldsmith's research reveals the core issue: The only thing that counts is leadership effectiveness as perceived by stakeholders. Not your intentions. Not your effort. Not even your actual improvements—only what stakeholders experience and notice. The data exposes a startling reality: • "80% of senior executives believed their change management initiatives were successful, [but] • "74% of managers believe they listen well, [but] only 34% of employees feel heard" • "71% do not trust their leaders' capability to take their organization to the next level," while leadership teams rate themselves at 62.6 out of 100 When stakeholder perceptions differ significantly from leader self-perception, the resulting gap becomes a critical barrier to organizational success. Why Perception Gaps Persist Three cognitive mechanisms explain why even genuine leadership improvements go unnoticed: • Cognitive Filtering: Stakeholders form mental models of who you are as a leader based on past interactions. These models act like filters, making them more likely to notice behaviors that confirm their existing beliefs and overlook changes that contradict them. • The Power Paradox: Research from Stanford shows that gaining power reduces empathy and perspective-taking ability. This creates a double challenge: Leaders become less aware of how they're perceived, just as perception becomes more critical to their success. • Emotional State Projection: Neuroscience reveals that we use ourselves as yardsticks when assessing others. This creates a fundamental challenge: Leaders often assess their impact based on their intentions rather than their stakeholders' actual experiences. A Strategic Framework For Bridging The Gap Understanding the perception gap is just the beginning. Real transformation requires working on two fronts simultaneously: developing your internal capabilities while actively managing how stakeholders experience those changes. My evidence-based IMPACT Framework provides this dual-focus strategy, developed through extensive client work and proven effective across diverse leadership contexts: Leadership transformation begins from the inside out. This phase builds awareness of your internal operating system—cognitive patterns, emotional responses and behavioral defaults that drive your leadership presence. Effective internal leadership mastery integrates three foundational elements: authentic leadership development, emotional intelligence advancement and executive presence cultivation. Research shows 85% of job success stems from people skills, making emotional regulation and self-awareness critical leadership capabilities. During this three- to five-month phase, you engage in systematic self-assessment, identify cognitive and behavioral patterns that undermine effectiveness and build the internal stability required for sustainable external change. Make note of the 10-20 stakeholders most critical to your success, and map their current experience through structured perception audits. This involves understanding: • How stakeholders currently experience your leadership style • What specific behaviors they need to see from you • Where the largest perception gaps exist • Which relationships offer the highest influence leverage Transform stakeholders from passive observers to active partners. Create visible behavioral contracts that make your development efforts transparent. When people know you're working on specific improvements, they become more likely to notice and acknowledge positive changes. Rather than relying on traditional feedback about past performance, implement feedforward focused on future possibilities. The process includes: • Monthly stakeholder check-ins focused on specific behaviors • Collaborative suggestion gathering for improvement opportunities • Progress acknowledgment systems • Systematic documentation of perception shifts Establish baseline assessments and conduct regular perception evaluations. This data-driven approach enables course correction and provides concrete evidence of influence growth over a six- to 12-month period. When stakeholders recognize and amplify your development, transformation occurs. Research demonstrates that "when leaders communicate clearly, lead and support change, and inspire confidence in the future, 95% of employees say they fully trust their leaders"—showing the direct correlation between perceived leadership capability and organizational execution. Case Study: Perception Gap In Action Consider one of my executive clients who was consistently criticized for "slow decision-making" despite having strong analytical skills. His measurable improvement went unnoticed because it wasn't visible to stakeholders. Only when he began communicating decision-making criteria and involving stakeholders in the improvement process did perception scores shift from 0 to 2.8 out of 3 over six months. This example illustrates why behavior change alone is insufficient—perception management requires deliberate strategy. Strategic Assessment Questions Before addressing the perception gap, assess your current state: • Whose perception of your leadership directly determines your success? • What's the current gap between your self-assessment and stakeholder perception? • How can you make your development efforts collaborative rather than invisible? • What measurement systems will track both behavioral change and perception shifts? The Transformation Imperative Organizations cannot afford leaders whose influence fails to match their capability. The perception gap represents both strategic risk and untapped opportunity. Here's the ultimate leadership paradox: Your greatest strengths become your greatest weaknesses when they go unrecognized. Every day this gap persists is another day of unrealized influence. While competitors struggle with invisible development efforts, leaders who master both internal operating systems and perception management gain exponential advantage. The most effective leaders understand that influence isn't determined by becoming better; it's determined by being recognized as better by stakeholders who matter most. This recognition doesn't happen by accident; it requires the same strategic focus and systematic approach you apply to other critical business outcomes. Start by identifying key stakeholders whose perception directly determines your success. When stakeholders witness your development journey, they don't just acknowledge change; they become invested in your success and actively amplify your influence throughout the organization. That recognition becomes the catalyst for exponential influence, growth and lasting impact. Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
