Most leaders think accountability is for people who need training wheels.
Meanwhile, they're riding a bike with a flat tire.

I've been having the same conversation with successful leaders for months.
They all want coaching—but only for the things they're already good at.

"Help me get better at strategic thinking." Yes.
"Coach me on public speaking." Absolutely.
"Work with me on that thing I consistently struggle with—the pattern that keeps tripping me up."

Suddenly, silence.

They pay thousands for executive coaching to optimize their strengths. They'll hire consultants to refine their strategy. They'll invest in leadership development to sharpen what they're already good at. But mention accountability coaching for that thing they consistently struggle with?

"I don't need training wheels."

This resistance isn't about money or time. It's about ego. You've convinced yourself that accountability is for people who lack discipline or competence—not for leaders who have their act together.

Here's what you've actually done: You've severed yourself from the feedback that could unlock everything else.

The Severance We Don't See

You know that show Severance? Where employees surgically separate their work memories from their personal memories, creating two completely different selves?

Most leaders do this without surgery.

You've compartmentalized yourself so completely that you can't see the pattern running through every area of your life. The same behavior that creates tension at home is probably limiting your leadership—but you've severed the connection.

Your spouse keeps bringing up the same issue. You dismiss it as "relationship stuff."

Your team keeps hitting the same bottleneck. You call it a "business challenge."

What if it's the same pattern? What if the thing that frustrates your family is exactly what's capping your organization's growth?

The Performance Paradox

Here's the paradox that's keeping you stuck: The thing you most resist getting coached on is probably the thing limiting everything else.

You want coaching to go from good to great in areas where you're already competent. You want to optimize your strengths, refine your expertise, and polish your natural talents.

But you avoid accountability around the patterns that consistently trip you up.

The micromanaging that drives your spouse crazy? That's the same behavior making your team afraid to take initiative.
The way you shut down when stressed at home? That's why your leadership team stops bringing you problems.
The tendency to overcommit that creates chaos in your schedule? That's why your organization can't execute consistently.

You think these are separate issues requiring different solutions. But they're the same issue showing up in different contexts.

The Training Wheels Myth

You think accountability is for people who need "training wheels"—for those who lack discipline, clarity, or competence.

But here's the truth: You're riding a bike with a flat tire and calling it performance.

Every professional athlete has a coach. Not because they're incompetent, but because they can't see their own swing, their own form, their own blind spots.

The best leaders don't avoid accountability—they seek it out. They know that the pattern they can't see is probably the one keeping them from their next level.

What Your Spouse Is Really Telling You

Your spouse isn't nagging you about relationship issues. They're giving you free 360-degree feedback about leadership patterns you can't see.

When they say you don't listen, they're telling you why your team meetings feel unproductive.

When they point out you promise things you can't deliver, they're showing you why your projects consistently run over deadline.

When they mention you avoid difficult conversations, they're revealing why toxic team members stick around too long.

The feedback is right there. You've just severed yourself from receiving it.

The Real Cost

This severance isn't just limiting your growth—it's limiting everyone around you.

Your team is managing around your blind spots instead of addressing them. Your family is adjusting to patterns you refuse to acknowledge. Your organization is hitting ceilings you can't see.

Meanwhile, you're investing in coaching to optimize strengths while the thing that could unlock everything sits in your blind spot, untouched.

Your Next Move

Stop treating accountability like training wheels. Start treating it like professional development.

This week, ask two questions:

What pattern does my spouse consistently point out that I dismiss as "personal stuff"?
How might this same pattern be showing up in my leadership?

Then get curious instead of defensive. Because the thing you've severed yourself from might be exactly what you need to breakthrough to your next level.

The best leaders don't need less feedback.
They need more courage to receive it.