Consider one senior executive I coached, who I’ll call Robin (the name and some details were changed to protect the identity of my client). Robin was a talented chief revenue officer under consideration to become her organization’s next CEO. Highly valued for her ability to fundraise, communicate her company’s mission, and expand its impact, she was a natural choice for successor. But feedback from stakeholders across the organization revealed a serious concern: Robin had extremely high standards for herself and expected the same level of achievement from others. She responded with impatience and criticism when anyone fell short, leaving team members feeling demoralized, resentful, and demotivated.