As a part of growing one of my Vistage CEO peer advisory groups, I met with a prospective CEO to see if we were a right fit for each other. Before meeting with me, he said he wasn’t really interested in membership, but since we had so many relationships in common, he was willing to sit down with me. We shared a mutual respect, having heard so many positive things about each other over the years.
During our discussion I asked a question that I could immediately tell took him by surprise. I asked: “Are you a developer, or are you the CEO of a company that is in the development business?”
He paused for a long time. Then he told me he started his career as a developer but now finds himself having to be a CEO. He said it often feels like being a CEO is a chore, and what he really loved doing was development. As with most all the CEOs I talk to, he went on to say how much of his time is spent on people-related issues, sitting in meetings, handling problems, processing emails, etc. (According to a McKinsey Global Institute study, the average executive spends a whopping 28% of their time processing emails.)
And the interesting thing is that this CEO’s company has fewer than 10 employees. Nonetheless, his comments are similar to those I hear over and over from CEOs of all size businesses.
Here’s often how someone gets to be an executive or CEO: He or she might be an accountant, an architect, a lawyer, a project manager, etc. That really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they are really good at that job. They have strong technical skills, they have some natural leadership aptitudes, and they can attract and bring on new clients.
So, they probably get promoted to a team leader or head of a department. In this job, they still are using those strong technical skills and they continue to bring in new clients. But along the way, more and more of their time is spent on their people, and now they are responsible for budgets, recruiting, etc.
This is where many of these successful company leaders either start their own company or continue to get promoted where they are until they reach top leadership roles like COO, president or CEO.
But when asked what they do, they continue to say things like, “I’m an architect” or “I’m an accountant.” What they should be saying (and internalizing) is, “I’m a CEO who happens to be providing architectural services,” or “I’m a professional executive at an accounting firm.” Because in most cases, a professional executive is exactly what they are. They have transitioned from being an architect or accountant or developer to now being a professional executive running a small- to mid-sized professional services firm.
And as a professional executive, they should work on their executive / leadership skills just as hard—if not harder—as they honed their technical savvy and business-development skills in the past. Why? Because the stakes and risks are much higher. The firm is counting on their leadership skills to succeed. It’s their job to own—and effectively communicate—the company’s vision, culture, values, etc. They must be able to take and give feedback and promote optimism in what is most definitely a trying time.
They Don’t Have to Go it Alone
There are great resources available to help someone become a better, more effective leader—no matter their industry.
As I told the CEO developer I was meeting with, an executive peer advisory group can help you be a better leader. It can help you make better decisions and produce better results. It’s one of the few places you will receive authentic feedback from people (peers actually) who have no agenda. Their advice is strictly intended to make you a better leader. And it’s offered in a confidential and safe environment.
One-on-one executive coaching is also a great tool for developing and improving leadership skills. In a perfect world, both approaches are extremely beneficial. In certain situations, and regarding specific topics, it’s better to explore an issue with just one person who can help you work through it.
As you approach the new year, I invite you to seriously think about what you do for a living. Take time to evaluate your leadership skills. If you are a COO, general manager, president or CEO, consider where you stand as a leader. How effective are you? What challenges do you face? How much of your time do you spend on vision, culture, strategic thinking, team-development, diversity, etc.? How much of your time is spent doing things you could delegate?
There are many good executive peer advisory groups out there. I lead / facilitate four groups called Vistage. That’s in addition to my Corsini Consulting Group executive coaching. But there’s also YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Convene and several others.
One of them is right for you. And I’m here if you want to learn more about what I can do for you.
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