It’s a long journey from the valley to the peak and the air at the top is thin. But the view is often worth the struggle—a sight few might see, amplified by the knowledge you had the fortitude to be one of them.
Julie Krivanek has seen novices become leaders for more than 25 years and has coached and developed them to find the strength to climb the mountains of their careers. Now, the Founder of Krivanek Consulting and mentor of every leadership class from the former United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership Program is refocusing and rebranding her skill set for those who have made the climb and may need an anchor—or just someone to share the view.
Julie Krivanek, Founder, Krivanek Consulting: The catalyst was, frankly, the pandemic. Executives kept calling me for dilemma decisions and what to do in such circumstances. Everyone was so isolated and seeing many unprecedented challenges. When it came to making decisions, even though it was about business, it was often very personal underneath the surface.
The network from the United Fresh leadership classes is now over 300 people in decision-making positions, and I went to them with what I was seeing. What I found was that these instances of leaders lacking a sounding board were frequent. As a gift of service, I offered each of them an hour, which ended up being nearly two months of phone calls. Nearly everyone took me up on the offer, and I realized, looking at my business model, this was a need I could answer. To give leaders, who are usually isolated and making decisions in a vacuum, an opportunity not to be.
JK: There is always a vacuum. When I do feedback reports, the top level is often the last to know of many underlying things in terms of leadership style and culture. It is lonely at the top. Then the isolation is even heavier with what they have to manage.
In terms of peers, there really are no peers. The mistake some people make is to treat a confidant at work as their “sounding board” instead of acknowledging why that can’t work. That person, unless there’s something really unusual about them, will fall into the trap of telling the top-level executive what they want to hear. If the feedback can’t be depended on, and if it is not external, then they don’t get fresh air in terms of new ideas.
JK: I live at a high altitude and hike at over 10,000 feet where the air is literally thin. Every breath you take is purposeful and important. You don’t waste it when you’re at that kind of altitude. To that point, leaders who have a sense of being up so high can breathe good air into their environments, their business, and their teams to create growth-positive mindsets. They focus on making connections, solutions, purpose, and vision. That is taking that thin air at the top and making each breath count. Do not get fixated on the negative—the culture gossip, finger-pointing, and blame, in other words. The question is, are you bringing good oxygen into your corporation and into your teams? Because if it’s toxic, that spreads.
JK: Often, we think that by the time you get to those top jobs we will have mastery of hard and soft skills. That we come as a ready-built package. I will say many do, but not the awareness of how to execute. Often it’s about being yourself, only better.
A new Chief Executive, for example, we’re not teaching how to budget. We are looking at their leadership style and attitude. Are they visionary? Are they strategic? Do they have people skills? Can they grow a business? Are they collaborative? Do they have emotional intelligence? From the years I’ve worked in our industry, particularly with the board and investor level, if an executive derails, it is due to a single flaw. The person isn’t visionary; the person doesn’t grow the business; the person doesn’t act or is too controlling. You look backward and you see the impact of decisions that should have gone a different way. That is why true support and honest feedback are vital even, or especially, at the top.
JK: My services are not canned. I enter where I am needed and create an executive coaching program that can include assessments, feedback, my own insights, and/or planning. Everything from a one-and-done to a longer assignment based on what the person needs to happen, I’m very curated and customized.
The biggest questions are: Why are you calling me? What is it you hope to accomplish by working together? How can you be yourself but better? What does that look like? I had 10 years as an executive in a Fortune 100 company, where I was developed through their high-potential program. So, I had extraordinary skill training, which I took into the produce industry. I have a broad scope to draw from, from other industries and big businesses to working with family businesses, and can see “Well, this is a possibility.”
I want to be helpful and to provide value. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? To have an experienced straight-shooter who helps us become our best self? That is what I want to be, and if you feel it is what you need it is always worth asking.
The rigors of any climb are lessened when shared. You can have the skills and mental stamina to get to the top, but sometimes need an extra voice to remind you that you are able to. Leadership, even at the highest peaks, is no different. And while it’s true the most challenging summits are worth the climb, the view and the journey are often better when shared. 
