Kevin Burns Blog

Why a $50K CEO Coach Is 'Worth It,' But $50K for 100 Supervisors Isn't?

Written by Kevin Burns | Aug 21, 2026, 2:15:00 PM

You'll approve $50,000 for a CEO executive coach without blinking.

The same $50,000 could develop 100 frontline supervisors with the people and leadership skills they need to be successful.

So why doesn't it?

That question points to something most senior managers never think about until it's too late: confidence. Not just one kind, but a spider web of it running through every level of your operation.

The crew's confidence in their supervisor. The supervisor's confidence in themselves. The psychological safety to speak up. The trust that shortcuts won't be tolerated.

None of it shows up on a financial statement. All of it determines whether your numbers move.

Here's what nobody tells you: confidence doesn't collapse. It drifts. Slowly. Quietly. Long before anything shows up on a report. By the time you can see it, it's already been bleeding for months.

The double standard between how senior managers and supervisors get developed isn't just unfair. It's expensive.

 

 

Want to see what "Worth It" looks like? Go here.