Becoming a Formation leader is particularly hard for CEOs. They’re expected to have all the answers. They’re probably naturally prone to being a definitive leader in their foundational leadership voice. Many CEOs, in fact, disproportionately are foundational Pioneer leadership voices. In the 5 Voices System, the Pioneer is the champion of strategic vision, results, and problem solving. They’re very confident, and their voice is strong and heard. Even if a CEO isn’t naturally wired as a Pioneer, they’re certainly wired that way in nurture. There’s an expectation we have in the U.S. for definitive top leaders. We expect them to have all the answers — the right answers — to be bold, strong, and loud.

This is actually problematic for becoming a formation leader because formation recognizes that we don’t always know the right answers.