Strong organizations require good leaders. Weak organizations need even better leaders. What strikes me most about working with a CEO is how they see the business versus how people down in the trenches see the business. UNDERSTANDING how a good chief executive processes the world strikes me as a very useful skill to conducting your own business.
Now, you may not work directly with a CEO. I didn’t at my last job. Maybe those of us who have, as well as CEOs in our midst, can share how they see the world for this post. And for those of use who AREN’T a CEO, think about these things and apply it to your role, either asking how you might think like a CEO at your level, and/or how you might better conduct yourself to make business easier for YOUR top executives.
Business Motivations
While we might be arguing over what the best technology is to solve a problem, the CEO is thinking, “How much energy and cost is being spent here versus the return?” It sounds cold and crass, but it also stops a whole lot of “religion” battles. CEOs seek to do things for the best ends to their customers, their stakeholders (anyone with an interest in the business), and to their staff. Great CEOs balance these three concerns well.
Listen and Absorb
I’ve noticed that the best CEOs listen. They absorb the landscape of any meeting. They take in the thoughts and opinions of their constituencies. And just when a meeting seems to be going off into the weeds, a good CEO will raise her hand, nod knowingly, and say something very focusing. But the listening and understanding is there in a great CEO.
Plan Higher
Executives want every project to succeed, but they are focused on partnerships, deals, acquisitions, and financial strategies. It is utterly different from what makes up most of our days. When I worked for my last organization, I’d be sweating over a software deployment that would fix a major telecommunications problem, hearing at the same time that the customer was trying to get out of their contract with us. Our CEO would fly down with a senior team, and would never once mention the little details of our project. He would focus on the relationship, the partnerships, the potential new revenue streams he could bring our customers. The plans were always way up higher than what was happening on the ground.
Build Your People
The purpose of being CEO isn’t to answer tougher questions. It’s to put the right team in place to answer tough questions. It’s to execute on the charter of the organization. My current CEO tells the team from time to time, “Hey, I don’t have that answer. I hired YOU to find that answer.” Every time he says it, I feel a mix of stomacheache (Holy cats! I’M driving this ship?) and pride. It’s great feeling like you’re the solution. But without a great team in place, things won’t get done.
Make the Tough Calls
I work from the heart. It’s just how I’m built. CEOs work from the perspective of business as well as heart. Your CEO might have to determine where cost reductions will improve the future life of the company. Do you think it’s easy to let people go? But they understand that sometimes the short term solution to a longer term success is something that will affect people’s livelihoods.
Read a Few Good Books
I read Winning by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch a few years back, and it was very eye-opening. Some people argue about Jack’s methods. I’ll say that he was pretty effective for his organization, whether or not you agree on his style. I also recommend Lou Gerstner of IBM’s book, Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?: Leading a Great Enterprise through Dramatic Change. This really opened my eyes to how a CEO manages turmoil. Lou’s a tad bit more emotionally open than Jack, so reading the two together is useful.
What’s Your Take?
Am I full of it? Am I painting these CEOs with a shiny face? Let me know your thoughts. And does this advice make sense for you in your role? Curious as to your ideas.
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