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How The CEO’s Compass is helping The Drop In CEO

Every 6-12 months I feel off track for which the book, The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track becomes my own self help book. Chapter 1 is titled: It’s Personal – What changed and why are you off track” followed by a quote on the facing page:
 
 “Having Clarity amidst chaos cuts through the noise.” -Deb Coviello.

I was feeling off track, took some time to reflect if I was still committed to my work. I then took some time to declutter my life as it got real messy again. I had so much I wanted to accomplish, but my efforts were diluted and not having the impact I wanted. When I looked at, I found comfort in my chapter on “People: They’re your greatest tool in your tool box” for which I realized I needed help to move my business forward again.

One of the challenges I see in CEO’s is they lack the courage to ask for help until it’s too late and then they wonder why they are in crisis. Fixing the issue becomes so much more expensive than had they moved faster with external support. I see the same challenges in businesses going through Mergers & Acquisitions. They focus on the transaction and lose sight of evolving the leadership team. Businesses spend a lot of money on consulting companies to complete the project, but have they actually created chaos? The leadership teams are not equipped with the tools to sustain the new business model. I often wonder how many companies out there could use Drop In CEO services to bridge the gap between the past and the future state. Any M&A leaders out there, just know I’d love to speak to you to  help navigate the process more smoothly. Just reply to this email as I’d love to pick your brain to help with this challenge. 

So getting back to my story about getting back my story… you will be seeing a lot of changes that evolve Illumination Partners, LLC (my business entity) and The Drop in CEO (my brand) to bring our team closer to my community: C-Suite Leaders of Today, C-Suite Leaders of Tomorrow and Sponsors & Advocates for our work. I’ve called in the calvary to support me through content writing, marketing, video & audio production and even a refresh on our brand images. I’ve set an intention on investing what works and having the courage to ask for A LOT of help! 

I’m grateful I wrote the book, The CEO’s Compass to help C-Suite Leaders of today. It servesso as a gentle reminder for myself to stay on track and make course corrections as needed to enable me to be in service to my community.

Look for a refreshed look to my Get to the point Newsletter in the coming weeks that we hope will increase the value to you and make it a go to resource for you, your teams and the network. 

If you would like to learn more about the book, you can also visit my website  to preview and order your copy. Let me know how I can help you. I’d love to support you. Until then, I wish you much success-Deb
New Date / Times for The Drop In CEO CollectiveI’m so excited about the conversations and value we’re providing attendees of the Collective.

Each week, I teach people different approaches to networking that will make you memorable vs. an elevator pitch.

We bring forward educational content from our podcast or even from the community to teach you skills needed for the C-Suite. 

The spot coaching is also amazing as it’s not just from myself, but the Collective can help you also navigate your challenges. 

I appreciate the feedback about the dates / times and with that we will offer our next Collective on Monday March 20th at 12:00-1:00 and 4:00-5:00 ET to see if this will make it easier for you to invest in your career. 

If you cannot make this session, but know of someone who would benefit, please pass this along so they can register. 

This is complimentary because I care about supporting you and The Drop In CEO Community. 
Click here to get your initiation
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What C-Suite Leaders are missing to get back on track

On the way to work I got a flat tire. Nothing special, it’s happened to all of us! The unfortunate thing was the people who installed it completed a transaction and got paid for putting on a new tire. However, they never drove it around to assure the seal was intact and the vehicle was safe. As a consumer, I want the assurance that I don’t have to worry about the flat tire happening. While driving at high speed, all of a sudden my tire pressure alert came on and showed it dropped from 35 to 20 and ultimately to 6. I was rescued by AAA and got my tire repaired by my tire dealer who said it is possible there was dirt that enabled a leak and a loss of pressure. They added bead seal and assured me after pumping it back up, it was safe.

The problem with this situation is the service provider was seeking a result – install a tire and get paid. For the consumer, I wanted Peace of Mind; knowing my vehicle was safe and the service provider had assured the workmanship was sound and validation the car would work in the end application. A big fail from a consumer perspective.

Yet the same pattern exists for C-Suite leaders; getting the results and claiming success. I propose to you that C-Suite leaders who seek results are in reality in pursuit of Peace of Mind; knowing they can sleep at night and won’t get that late night call.

Peace of Mind is a state of being for which you know you, your team and the consumer is cared for. It’s not a number, but when you do the right things and see the consumer happy, you know you have Peace of Mind.

I felt very dissatisfied after the transaction with the tire repair place and I have my fingers crossed each time I get into my car. However, this story is meant to inspire those leaders who seek results and then realize there was a better way of helping their teams to perform at the highest level based on purpose and elevating individual performance.

I would love to give a copy of my book The CEOs Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track to the tire repair place so they can assure their customers Peace of Mind. If you don’t want to be “That Person” who is only seeking results and truly understands that pursuing Pease of Mind is a better use of their time, consider a copy of the book to help you get there with The CEO’s Compass. 

If you would like to discuss more your situation and how Peace of Mind will get you to a different place because you’re stuck and don’t know how to get back on track, please reach out to me. I can be your compass and guide.

-Deb Coviello

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How fixing a light bulb can solve world peace… or close to it!

I don’t often talk about my husband Dan, but he’s the center of today’s story! He’s been my partner for over 33 years and while marriage is a challenge, we find a way to make it work. He knows having the house functioning well is the key to my happiness and hence Coviello World Peace! Read on because there is always a life lesson in everything I write!

“Honey, the kitchen light is out over the island, can you fix it?”. “Dan, the front spot light went out in front of the house, can you fix it?”. “Hey, when you have a minute, can you replace the light in my pantry?”. These requests to help give me light is actually a laughing matter for us as some lights are always blowing out in the house!  While he could let the honey-do’s pile up and usually there is no safety issue or urgency to any light replacement, he knows over time it builds up my frustration. And so goes the saying: “Happy wife, happy life!”. Sound familiar? Dan knows that while fixing a light is only a small act of kindness and sometimes necessary, he also knows in the bigger picture, life will be more peaceful if he tends to these small requests. 

Now I said there is a life lesson in all of this silly little story about how my marriage works, but hang tight as I finish the rest of the story. When Dan fixes the light over the kitchen island, it enables me to cook for the family and read the recipes without reverting to cheater glasses! When Dan fixes the spotlight on our home, it adds to my joy of seeing our beautiful home properly lit up. When Dan fixes the pantry light, I can see my inventory and more efficiently make meals for my family. It’s all about creating community and the things that give us pleasure in our lives. When Dan tends to the small things, the rest of our life is peaceful (most of the time!). 

So what does this have to do with you? As always, I revert to my purpose of helping C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow navigate challenges with confidence. And why is this important? Because I want you to struggle less and enjoy the things you like to do with yourself, friends, family and community. Simple and straight forward. I now ask if you are taking care of the little things that you need to improve your confidence, capacity or capability? Of have you delayed that in favor of urgent matters and procrastinate on serving the most important person; yourself. Sure, you can delay building up your skills, but for how long? Letting it slide too long may result in a poor performance review, missed opportunities or not being respected for the value you bring? And then, peace evades you.

If you know me personally, I’m not a Debbie downer at all. I’m an optimist and everyone of you that I’ve personally met, I’ve seen the value in who you are and potential for much more. I try to inspire you to think differently at every moment and take control of your situation. Getting a good review, raise or promotion is always good, but ultimately you want peace of mind in all aspects of your life. Just like changing a light bulb and keeping the home in good order; you deserve the same. Why not invest in yourself like my husband Dan takes care of the light bulbs?!

Thank you for reaching the bottom of my article! Can I be of more service to you?

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3 Reality Shifts That Will Change the Trajectory of Your Career

“Deb, do you have a minute?”, “Deb, can I ask you a question?”, “Deb, I’d like to bounce something off of you” are some of the things people are saying to me recently.  When the universe speaks to me, it’s clearly a sign that more of you are having the same challenges. There are important #RealityShifts that I want to share with you based on these recent conversations for which may change the trajectory of your 2023 career goals. Ready to read on?

Before I share the reality shifts you need to make, I want to give you some context of why these stories are the trends I’m seeing in talent as they struggle to break out and be the leaders they were meant to be. While the media & guru’s push the narratives of the “Great Resignation”, “Silent Quitting” or “Work from Anywhere”, are these really the topics we should be speaking about? I believe the root cause of all these Trends is a growing phenomenon called the “Human Awakening”.

We are realizing the energy we’ve invested in a corporate conformist society has taken a toll on who we want to be in pursuit of purposeful work. While we’ve enjoyed the experiences and resources of a traditional corporate pursuit, we are getting very, very, very restless about the work we were meant to do and how do we rediscover the person we once were. At the core of all these recent encounters is a yearning to do something different, but they are stuck for which I want to share some insights.

Start describing yourself as how you change lives & businesses

A new acquaintance of mine wants to elevate their side gig to full time pursuit as they think of retiring. They love both careers, but one is pulling them towards more purposeful work. During our casual brainstorming sessions, they describe what they do in terms of functional title: Coach, Advisor, Consultant. The problem with this, is you put yourself in a box with the thousands of others that label themselves as a title or function.

To stand out from the crowd, I recommend you describe yourself in how you change lives and business. Rather than saying I’m an Executive Leadership Coach, start saying “I help talented leaders rediscover their passion for play and make work fun again”. Wow! That’s certainly different and differentiates you from everyone else.  Think of it as a living Eulogy of what people would say about you when you’re not there.  

Start speaking as if you were in the next role you aspire to

I would be rich if I could monetize every person who shared their story with me about “I’m not this”, I’ve never been in that role, I can’t be that because I don’t have this” …Ugh, please stop saying what you’re not, but start speaking as if you are! Then if there are gaps, you address how you’ll fill in those gaps.

A colleague of mine is in career transition, and they are reflecting on what they’ve done and seeking new opportunities in what they have done in the past. They don’t see themselves as the next level higher such as the president or CEO of a company. They kept focusing on what they are not and not listening to who they are already qualified to be. I jolted them by saying, you’re already acting at the next level, but you don’t realize it. They stopped dead in their tracks and said they never thought of themselves in that way.

When we think about the skills we bring to the table, the title is simply a validation that we have everything we need to be successful. Where there are gaps, we are resourceful in bring in subject matter experts to advise us.

Could you shift your mindset and start thinking about yourself in the next role and the qualities (not qualifications) that are needed? Do you have most of the skills already and can picture yourself in the role? I can tell you that magic starts to happen as your mind shifts to a new persona. You have been the only you have been holding yourself back. Could we stop doing that and start being the person in your next role?

Start bringing who you are outside of work into your work

An old colleague of mine reached out to me who is thinking of a career transition. They know I’ve been through the same process and wanted to have a chat with me and pick my brain. They shared in advance some assets that floored me when it came to describing their history. Far different than a resume or website was the richness of color and their life passions which they brought forward in the copy. They were marketing a human being, rich with stories and pursuits vs. a resume of qualifications. They were interesting and fun and a person I would want to have a drink with and want to learn more about.

So why is it we go to work and check the human at the door? Yes, we’ll talk about our weekends with the kids and their soccer matches over coffee, but after these cordialities, its’ back to the grind. There’s a deeper message in bringing the human into the workplace far more than before. It’s about being authentic in your gifts and imperfections. It’s about discovering what makes you unique & interesting to others. It’s about being the human that comes naturally vs. conforming to a formal structure. I’m not saying you should be crazy, silly & reckless in the workplace, but stop being someone who you’re not!

I have recently started talking about Curling, Podcasting, writing a book, blogging, cooking, having 3 kids in Europe and everything that I’m passionate with anyone and everyone who I meet. I’m far more interesting to others than being “The Drop In CEO”, a coach or business advisor. I’m letting myself be myself, which to some it’s called a “Personal Brand”, but we are unique in that way. When we conform to ways of working like everyone else, we lose ourselves. When we position ourselves as the collective of all our passions & pursuits, we become much more interesting, and doors open. We are no longer that resume that goes in the “No” pile but move into the “Interesting” pile.

The shift is to start being the person who you already are into work, so we no longer have energy shifts into who others expect us to be. People might not like who you are or won’t find you interesting. But then you can determine if this is your tribe or should you be someplace else. It’s a risk worth taking to change the trajectory of your career.

Now let’s talk about you. Do you have questions about the trajectory of your career and don’t know who to talk to? Consider The Drop In CEO Collective where I bring together passionate leaders who want to make a difference, but need support. In the Collective we learn new skills, strategically network with others seeking the same goals and you get spot coaching that is complimentary. Now ask yourself, are you work investing 60 minutes a month into your career? Are you stuck and need someone or a group to bounce ideas around. I’m extending this offer to you and if you’re interested, message me so I can share an invite only link to attend. #askDeb

Are you ready for making a reality shift in your career or will you continue to follow the societal imposed trends? Take control now and let me part of your path forward and creating your 2023 career goals.

Until we meet, be well!

-Deb

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Less is Better in Leadership Effectiveness

Less is Better in Leadership Effectiveness

Short and sweet, I’m here to listen and help you navigate challenges with confidence. Whether you’re a C-Suite Leader navigating business challenges or a C-Suite Leader of tomorrow seeking greater impact, I’m here to provide you insights, inspiration and resources.

During this season of reflection I’ve realized that many in my community are highly aware and open to learning new things. Many of you have prioritized time & energy so you can balance career, family & community. That is why I will simply share only my best insight with you so you can consume, reflect and apply what is relevant to your situation.

Insight: Having clarity amidst chaos gives you wisdom to guide your teams through challenges.

Context: Missing an operations objective, an irate customer, loss of business, new opportunities, resource shortages; all can cause teams to go into chaos. While it is easy to be pulled into the situation, you need to find a “pause” button for which you can take in data, listen to the information and from your experience formulate a path forward. When you do this, you give yourself time to process data, formulate a problem statement or summary and when you speak your team will know they’re understood and respected. 

Impact: When you listen more and speak less, your leadership comes through. When you take a moment to respond vs. react, you pull yourself out of the chaos and become the strong voice of reason to pull your team forward. When there is a future crisis, people will either pull you in for your leadership and / or emulate your behavior so others can navigate challenges with confidence.

In real life: I worked with a client that was having challenges and we created a strategy to move beyond the challenge. However, when we slowed things down and tried to get to the root cause of the challenge, a different strategy was revealed for which the challenge was turned into an opportunity. It came from asking questions, organizing their thoughts and finding a new solution that calmed the chaos. Does this sound like something you’ve experienced? 

Potential Actions:

  • Was there a recent crisis that you didn’t handle well for which you can regroup and move forward differently? Convene the players to get back on track
  • Is there a situation for which you’re going into to practice listening more or asking questions of others to give you time to respond with more input from others? Take notes, listen more and look at the words written down to see a theme and reframe what you heard. 
  • Think about your role as a facilitator to ask people to share their perspectives in a constructive manner? Sometimes when there are email chains that go on too long. Convene the interested parties and ask well placed questions to gain clarity and get everyone on the same page to create constructive conversations. 

Need more help?

  • Send me a note with your situation and let’s talk through how to evolve your approach.
  • Want to connect as part of a collective, consider The Drop In Collective offered on October 24 & October 25th where a team can help you navigate your unique situations with confidence. See below for more details.

… and here are some more resources for you: 

A previous client and The Drop In Collective Community asked me about a set of favorite leadership books that have helped me and I would recommend. While I’ve read many, here is a collection published recently that may be a source of inspiration. Coaching Teams and Influence

The Drop In CEO podcast, my blog and my book, The CEO’s Compass can be great resources for you to navigate challenges with confidence

If you just want to connect with me and see how I can support you in a business or personal setback, let’s have a conversation.

Wishing you well and continued success!

-Deb

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Drop In CEO Top 10 Books for Coaching Teams and Influence

More than once the community has asked for resources that I’ve found useful to creating a greater impact by elevating your skills and those of others.

Enjoy this curated list, share with others and let the authors now how you found them through The Drop In CEO community.

Drive your Career (I know the author) – Great tools to align with the people who can influence your future. Been on my podcast.

The 48 Laws of Power (given to me be a prior boss / past Navy) – Hard read, but takes you through politics and power and you find the tactics that work for you. Taught me a lot and from there I started to move up faster.

The CEO only Does Three Things – I know the author, been on my podcast. For you, it’s about setting your mindset to think like a CEO and then you’ll be perceived for those roles. 

How successful people lead ( a classic by John C. Maxwell) 

Creating the High-Performance Team – I actually taught some of this book as part of a project to build a team that worked with Pepsi. 

Team Secrets of the Navy Seals – I remember learning about a high degree of personal accountability. 

The Motivation Myth – I know the author and interviewed him. A great resource on how to motivate teams; different than traditional business. 

The Leaders Mindset – I’ve wanted to interview the author, but doesn’t respond. I will someday. Very forward thinking in leadership mindset. 

Good to Great – this is a classic. I should probably interview the author someday. This was really really good for me as I was setting up my strategy for the long game vs. short term thinking. 

The only Leaders Worth Following – I know the author and he was on my podcast. Really, really good about what makes a leader worth following. 

The Trusted Leader – I know the author and interviewed them on my podcast. Really good about trust and the making of great leaders that people will follow. 

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Three Reasons Why Leaders Need a “PAUSE” Button

I’ll get to the point and if this resonates with you, I implore you to read on:

  1. Leaders need to STOP what they’re doing and confirm if they’re still on the the right track
  2. Leaders need to assess their energy and if they’re dreading certain activities, it’s a sign you’re applying it in the wrong way.
  3. Leaders need to check in with themselves to see if they’re still passionate about the work they’re doing and if they’re still up for the challenge…it’s okay, because sometimes you might need a change.

Having spent so many years trying to support others and giving them the tools for success, I have to be honest and transparent with you…I have hit the PAUSE button. No one likes to admit that, especially to my community of supporters and who I support willingly and with all my passion. But I too occasionally have to evaluate my strategy, goals and objectives. It’s what leaders do and I’m no exception. Today I am pausing for the reasons above and I simply wanted to share a bit with you in hopes it inspires you to also PAUSE if and when it makes sense. 

Fractional Leadership & Crisis Management

There are so many small & medium size businesses that are going through rapid change and may exceed capacity & capability to keep up with the changes. That’s where I drop in. Every client I’ve served has become so much more. We have become fans of each other’s work for which we sustain long term partnerships. What I’m seeing is that companies are still facing many crisis in supply chain, stable operations and finding talent that they don’t have the appetite for reach out for additional support. I’m okay with that, but as a business owner, that too presents challenges. So, then I ask the question is Fractional Leadership what these businesses need or is it something else? I’m open for suggestions and your thoughts. Great leaders leverage the collective input of their teams and I consider you part of the team!

Leadership & Skills Development

You’ve heard me say over and over again, there is a demographic of aspiring C-Suite Leaders who don’t have a support system and also are overwhelmed with work and commitments and don’t have the time to invest in themselves. I then wonder if I should pause on reaching out to this group of people and try to reach those leaders or HR business partners who realize they want to develop their people, but don’t have the capacity, capability or have the courage to bring on additional resources to help. I know in my gut, this is an underserved market, yet I’m struggling to find a way to connect. Again, as a leader I know I’m stuck and realize my community may have the answers. 

How do I find the people who have the ability to invest? Who do I need to connect with that may want to invest in their people? What kind of offers should I offer that would be more attractive or consumable for this group of leaders I so care about? I’d love to hear your thoughts and again, please respond to this email or message me at deborah@coviellocm.com 

What have I missed?

Many of you consume my content and I’m grateful for those who have shared how much they enjoy it. But as someone once said to me, I’m inside the cookie jar and may not see what is outside. Where else can I be of service? What skills do you see that could be used in a different way? What role can I play in order to impact more than I can imagine? I turn my attention to you and value your feedback!

As I return to the three reasons to pause, I feel I’m on the right track, but need your input to make any course corrections. I love the work I do and invest a lot of time, but at times I feel drained and wish to take back some of that energy and invest in myself, my family and in the community I serve in the best way. I am also open to any new possibilities of support you or others. 

While this article was about asking for some feedback from my community, it is also meant to serve you. Ask yourself – do you need to hit the PAUSE button? And if so, what are you seeking? If you have hit the PAUSE button in the past, I’d be eternally grateful to hear your story and perhaps bring it forward to inspire others. 

If this article resonated with you, I’d love to share other resources with you:

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I’m excited to share that The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track is getting into the hands of many C-Suite Leaders of Today and Tomorrow. This valuable resource asks you challenging questions about your leadership and why you lead. It then takes you on a journey around different compass points with practical advice on where you can make small but impactful course corrections. If this is you, consider getting your copy of the book and then schedule a complementary conversation to discuss what resonated with you and how to evolve your journey. 

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Recently we offered the Drop In C-Suite Academy to our C-Suite Leaders of tomorrow. We heard from many of you that work and personal commitments keep you busy and make it challenging for personal development. I hear you and I know it’s hard to keep it all together.

I’d love to hear from you about what kind of investment in your personal development makes sense. Reply to this email or send a note to deborah@coviellocm.com with a note about any of the following options:

  • Drop In Mastermind – drop in when time permits and glean new insights from topics presented and the opportunity to engage in conversation with others to solve real issues
  • Drop in C-Suite Academy Self Paced – consume the content when you have time.  No instruction needed
  • Drop in C-Suite Academy Self Paced + -consume the content when you have time but would like some coaching midway or at the end to evolve the skills
  • Drop In Conversations – I just need someone to align with periodically to coach through challenging situations, no packages, but spot support when needed.
  • None of the above – here’s what I need…. 
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Why Authoritative Leadership is Killing Employee Retention

It pains me to realize that Authoritative Leadership still exists in corporate culture; I once experienced this and it absolutely suffocated my creativity. However, taking the high road, I am grateful for having the opportunity to feel it first hand and now share my insights with you. While I seek to help C-Suite Leaders of tomorrow and give you tools to navigate such challenges, today I turn my focus to the C-Suite Leaders of today who may be in such an environment and have the power to make a difference. 

Seek to understand why Authoritative Leadership exists in your organization.

Whenever I’m befuddled to understand a situation that is misaligned with my values, I seek to understand why it existed in the first place. We can’t change the future unless we study history and understand the past. In my situation, the industry was highly regulated and risk averse. The business had been burnt many times for which strict adherence to protocol was imperative to survival. Given this insight, I ask you – how you can maintain strict protocols while maintaining employee engagement and creativity?

Educate and guide when to stay in the lines and when to go outside.

When I came to the new opportunity, I was full of ideas on how to improve the situation. My enthusiasm was quickly dampened when I was told to “stay within the lines.” I was shocked and dismayed to know I could not bring my creativity to the situation. I was simply a warm body to execute a transaction. This is frustrating to an employee and may quickly lead to their exit. Consider instead to share where there is freedom to bring new ideas. This helps people to understand the important protocols for business survivability, but also those where people can contribute to growth. The heavy fist should be replaced by education and guidance for the employee.

Feedback, Feedback, Feedback

Did I mention feedback is important? When I was in meetings, I constantly heard people present proposals, but with a tone of uncertainty in their delivery. It was as if, individuals were afraid to voice their opinion for fear of being taken off line and admonished. If they presented everything as a question, they would be safe. Instead, I propose that we provide feedback to individuals on how to present information in a way that is positive and how they can improve while staying within the guidelines that keep the company safe. Employees will grow to respect the company because they cared and will protect it in how they navigate the landscape.

So I turn to you if you are a leader in a highly regulated or authoritative organization; do you provide a safe environment for people to thrive and contribute? Your behavior can make the difference between stability or high turn-over. If your leadership is not authoritative, but you see it in your peers, could you have a conversation with them to evolve the culture to one that is not authoritative. Are you ready to make a difference in the company culture to make a lasting impact on the company and on individuals in your care?

I’ve shared my story with you, now I ask you, will you share your story? I’m here to listen. 

My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me. 

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Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:

P.S. The C-Suite academy enrollment is open. This experience starts August 22nd. Enrollment ends August 15th. 

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3 Essential Skills for the Opportunistic Leader

Being the optimist that I am, I like to focus on the positive vs. the “pain” or “crisis” of the moment. And while sensationalism “sells” I always felt a pit in my stomach when having to market my capabilities to the crisis that leaders are feeling. What if we elevated the Opportunistic Leaders who embrace every challenge they are faced with as an opportunity to stand out and make a difference in their businesses and in the people they lead? I love partnering with these leaders and these are their stories:  

Invest when others are retreating

A leader needs to see the opportunity to invest in the business, invest in your brand messaging and invest in people development. This CEO that I know (and I might add myself as well) has invested heavily in having the right people in their business. They know that when others are retreating and cutting back their budgets, these leaders see the writing on the wall and choose to spend money to secure a front position when the economy opens up. They call these leaders “crazy” or “poor business leaders,” however, by not investing consistently, they will actually spend more money in the long run. 

The same philosophy goes for career advancement; the best time to look for a job is when you don’t need one. Same for business loans; when cash flow is good, this is the best time to secure loans. No one wants to lend you money when you don’t have it. So I ask you, do you follow the pack and retract or invest in the opportunity?

Focus on your core competencies and outsource the rest

Outsourcing can look very different for every organization, but fractional leadership and professional services that compliment your core competencies are always the most effective. Mid-size companies try to do without a resource for as long as possible before they’re in crisis and then have to pay more to get back on track. Gone are the days of trying to do it yourself or having internal resources for every functional area. Why not have highly experienced fractional leadership when you need it and at the rate you need it? 

For example, you may not need a full time Quality Leader, but when there is a need to grow the capability in that area, bring in someone for the time you need them. It may look like a large short term expense, but a savvy leader sees the cost benefit of not having a full time resource year round. One such client only brought me in when they needed several 3 month projects. They saved a significant amount of money, but received high value results in return. It was only when the business grew significantly did they finally evolve the role into a full-time position. 

When supplies are scarce and money is tight, invest in people development

People development may seem counterintuitive when the business is stressed and people are working long hours. But investing shows the team that leadership still care enough to allocate time for development. These are the times where people need to be agile, learn new skills in order to manage the complexity. Think about the capability of your people once you come out of challenging times if they manage difficult situations and you’ve developed their competencies at the same time. Investing sets your business up to thrive during the challenges. Your people will serve you better because you invested in them.

One such leader I worked with saw an opportunity to invest in the problem-solving capability of their people. They realized that time is their most precious commodity and if they could help their people solve problems more effectively, they’d get time back to do the work needed to expand the business. When the training was done, the capability was realized and also the teams came together as one; the greater outcome of investing in their development. 

Do you have the courage to be the Opportunist in your organization? 

One of the hardest things for a leader to do is to have the courage to do something that may be unpopular. What I find is that we’ve not given them the framework to influence others. I’ve shared this framework many times, as it’s my best tool to help you get what you need to invest in the future:

  • Describe the current state and the gap
  • Show how the trend is increasing or decreasing
  • Make the proposal for the change needed to close the gap
  • Describe the opportunity of making the change or the risk of doing nothing
  • Show the result or impact it will have on the organization

When we practice these skills, you become the leader others will follow by seeing the opportunity and influencing the change needed for long term success.

If you need more convincing that this is a better approach to being an Opportunistic Leader, Harvard Business Review discusses the Tactics of Strategic Opportunism which you may find interesting (originally written in 1987.) My recent blog post about What Peanut Butter Can Tell You About Your Business also shares about pressure testing systems to avoid a crisis. 

My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complementary conversation, please reach out to me. 

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Three Warning Signs Your Team Needs Emotional Support

It pains me to see talented people succumb to the challenges of dynamic work environments without a support system. I was once one of those people for which there was no support in my environment except my poor husband who listened for hours.  I know everyone reading this article knows at least 1 or 2 people who are distressed and need some level of emotional support. However, leaders don’t always see the signs. If not dealt with early, they become potentially performance issues as shared by my recent podcast guest Anthony Casablanca.

The early signs may manifest in the individual: 

  • Pulling away from engaging
  • Having low or no energy or
  • Having unexplained delays or deflection

I implore you to not turn away and say it’s not your problem, because we rise and fall together. One weak link may not affect you today, but perhaps tomorrow when the person does not show up for work… ever.

Emotional support is becoming a conversation to have at the table and not behind closed doors. If you can help your team with their emotional support, more than likely a few individuals will highly benefit from simply starting the conversation. It all starts with you as a leader simply asking how people are feeling. Ask deep open ended questions about what challenges are they having and what is the impact. I often find that with increasing pressures, people don’t have good prioritization skills. In my article How to make better decisions we give our team better tools to prioritize their work and navigate complexity with confidence. 

If you see that the team collectively is in need of support, there is good advice from Brittney-Nichole Connor-Savarda, editor of in Emotional Intelligence Magazine and also a past guest on my podcast, The Drop In CEO. She shares insights from the work of Laurence Lee in How to Release Built-up Emotional Energy  we need to engage in more: 

  • Physical activity, like running, going to the gym, dancing, etc.
  • Creative release, like writing, painting, playing, or listening to music.
  • Time in nature: nature walks, grounding, time outside
  • Surrounding yourself with positive people
  • Meditation or prayer

Consider these leadership changes to get people more emotionally engaged vs. drained:

  • Change the work environment for a meeting to standing in a new location or taking walks while meeting.
  • Do something creative like having fidget toys or arts & crafts for people to use during ideation sessions. 
  • Consider changing the environment of where you meet 
  • Bring in guest speakers 
  • Engage people in thinking time before starting some meeting with a question prompt. 

My wish is for every C-Suite Leader of today and tomorrow to navigate their careers with confidence. If this insight was helpful, share this article with others. If you have a unique challenge and wish to have a complimentary conversation, please reach out to me. 

Your time is valuable, so I wanted to share a few quick links so I can be of service:

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P.S. The C-Suite Academy enrollment is now open. This experience starts August 22nd. Enrollment ends August 15th. Message me for more information.

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