ADHD Executive Coach · For EO and YPO Members
ADHD Executive Coaching for
EO and YPO Members
Forum meets once a month. Follow-through happens on the other 29 days.
Robert Pal is an ADHD executive coach for members of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO). A former President of EO Toronto, he has coached since 2014, with more than 8,500 hours of coaching. Coaching is by Zoom across the United States, Canada, and internationally.
Send a short inquiry. I reply within two business days, and if it looks like a fit, we set up a 20-minute call.
Forum and ADHD
Forum is the most honest room you have. It was not built for the weeks in between.
Forum gives you people who understand the work, real confidentiality, and a reason to be straight with yourself every month. I would not suggest replacing it.
What it can't do is sit with you on a Tuesday, when the decision you said you would make is still open and the task you keep avoiding has moved to next week again. Forum also runs on shared experience rather than advice. That is part of why it works, and it means nobody in the room is likely to tell you directly what you keep working around.
With ADHD, the weeks in between are where commitments get lost. That is where this coaching works.
Where It Shows Up
What this looks like for members
Most of this stays out of sight, even in a room where people are honest with each other.
The update written at the last minute
Your monthly update comes together just before the meeting, and it reports on the business more than on what is actually going on.
Commitments that fade after the meeting
You say it out loud and you mean it. By the next meeting it has slid, and you are explaining that to people whose opinion you care about.
Retreat clarity that does not last
The retreat is honest and clear. Three weeks later the company has your attention back and the plan is sitting in a notebook.
The comparison of ease
Peers seem to produce results effortlessly while you privately manage a great deal of friction. It is hard to raise, even in Forum.
One more role
Chapter board, a learning event, a venture someone mentioned at dinner. New commitments are easy to take on and harder to carry than they looked.
What you have not said in the room
Whether to raise ADHD in Forum, and how, is a real decision. It helps to work through it privately first.
No formal ADHD diagnosis is required. The pattern matters more than the label.
The Approach
Each session moves between two levels.
Tactical Coaching deals with what happens this week: a decision, a deadline, a conversation. The System turns your priorities into specific commitments and keeps them visible between sessions. Mindful Intelligence looks at what keeps getting in the way, such as perfectionism, fear of being judged, or the inner critic.
More on how the coaching works: for entrepreneurs and founders | for executives and professionals
About Robert
You won't have to explain what a Forum is.
I spent 25 years founding and running companies, starting at flea markets and building Lapor Inc. and Illusions International into international fashion businesses. For a long time I was running hard, by myself. My first EO event was the first time I was in a room full of people who understood the work from the inside.
That is why I went on to moderate my own Forum and serve as President of EO Toronto, where I grew the chapter from 25 to over 100 members, and later joined the EO International Board. I was also selected for the Entrepreneurial Masters Program at MIT Sloan, one of 65 high-growth entrepreneurs from across North America.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 40, while running those companies. I have coached since 2014, with training that includes Solution-Focused Coaching at the University of Toronto, cognitive behaviour therapy at the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, cognitive therapy for adults with ADHD (Mary Solanto, Ph.D.), and Internal Family Systems through the IFS Institute. I am the author of Mindful Intelligence and the forthcoming The Calm Inside the Storm.
Read Robert's full background →What EO and YPO Leaders Say
"Robert has a unique gift in his ability to easily relate to people and create the type of environment of trust where true openness and learning occurs. He brings a sense of humor, a true sensitivity rooted in personal experience and a caring approach that make him a great coach."
Sean Magennis
Former Global President and COO, YPO · Past International Chairman of EO
"Robert has a unique way of listening, framing the situation, stretching the mind, respecting the experience, and challenging my conclusions. He has walked the walk, as an entrepreneur, father, husband and friend. His supportive, non-judgmental touch allows me to be more comfortable, creating a space for breakdowns leading to my breakthroughs."
James F. Kenefick
Former Chair, YPO International Corporate Social Responsibility · Managing Partner, Working Excellence
"Life-changing. Robert teaches you how to get through adversity through mindfulness and self-awareness."
Alan J. Yacoubian
Managing Partner, Johnson Yacoubian & Paysse · EO New Orleans · From a Forum retreat, August 2019
Fees and How to Start
Published fees. A clear first step.
Coaching starts with a ten-session package by Zoom. I work with members across the United States, Canada, and internationally.
Standard package
US$3,500
Ten 60-minute sessions
Extended sessions
US$5,000
Ten 90-minute sessions
Step 1
Send a short inquiry
Tell me where things stand. It takes a few minutes.
Step 2
I reply within two business days
I read every inquiry myself and give you an honest view of whether I can help.
Step 3
A 20-minute call, if it is a fit
A confidential conversation to decide whether working together makes sense, for both of us.
Confidential · Direct · No pitch
Questions Members Ask
YPO, EO & Peer Dynamics
How can an EO or YPO member or Moderator with ADHD stay focused and regulated during Forum meetings and retreats?
Forum and moderation roles demand sustained attention, emotional presence, and real-time synthesis, all of which can be draining with ADHD. We focus on practical, discreet strategies that support focus and regulation in high-stakes group settings, so you can lead effectively without suppressing your natural engagement or charisma.
Why do I feel insecure or "behind" in my YPO or EO Forum meetings despite my business success?
Many leaders experience what I call the comparison of ease: watching peers achieve results that appear effortless, while privately managing significant internal friction. Coaching helps address the emotional layers beneath this experience, including impostor feelings, frustration with delegation, and the gap between external success and internal strain. The goal isn't to compete differently. It's to lead with greater self-trust and steadiness in high-functioning peer environments.
How does coaching address inconsistent motivation and the "guilt" of being a scattered leader?
Even highly successful leaders often experience guilt when focus and motivation fluctuate. Rather than pushing harder, we work toward clarity, emotional stability, and self-leadership, creating a steadier sense of purpose without relying on pressure or self-criticism.
How common is ADHD among successful leaders, and why is it rarely discussed in peer groups?
Research suggests ADHD and its symptoms are more common among entrepreneurs than in the general population. In a 2025 BDC survey of 1,463 Canadian entrepreneurs, 7% reported a diagnosis, and about one in four when symptoms were counted. At senior levels, however, the pressure to appear composed and reliable often leads leaders to mask challenges rather than discuss them openly. A private coaching environment allows these conversations to happen safely, supporting more authentic leadership and healthier team dynamics.
What should an EO or YPO member with ADHD look for in a coach?
Look first for experience with people who have run companies and understand the challenges you face, so you are not explaining revenue, profit, hiring, or risk before the real conversation starts. Make sure they have worked with entrepreneurs who have ADHD. Ask whether they use a standard method or adapt it to each person, how they track progress between sessions, and what they do when a strategy doesn't work. Can they work on the business problem and the pattern underneath it in the same conversation? Most important, can you trust them, and do you believe they can help?
Is this coaching offered by EO or YPO?
No. Robert Pal is an independent coach, a former President of EO Toronto and EO International Board member, and a trained Forum Moderator. This coaching is not offered, sponsored, or endorsed by the Entrepreneurs' Organization or the Young Presidents' Organization.
Find out whether this is the right fit.
Send a short inquiry about where things stand. I read every one myself and reply within two business days with an honest view of whether I can help. If it looks like a fit, we set up a 20-minute call.
Start a Conversation Confidential · Direct · No pitch