I pride myself in thinking differently. Like you, I have clients and team members that depend on my insights and leadership skills.
But when the buck stops with you, it can often make decision-making an isolating task. The stress this imposes on C-Suite leadership is one of the main causes of burnout.
So how do we mitigate the stress of constant decision-making and the responsibility that comes with it? Just as a construction crew builds a foundation to support skyscrapers, CEOs should be building a solid foundation of support figures to allow for future growth.
As leaders we need a safe space to think and ask better questions. I want to awaken leaders to the support systems and advisors you need to invest in today to be better prepared for tomorrow.
You need a Public Relations / Media expert on your team
Now why would I say media is important to your business? You have a Marketing Manager, a social media team and if you’re big enough, someone adept at corporate communications. Leaders feel that they have all the bases covered when communicating their message both internally and to the external ecosystem.
The problem with this logic is that you have the systems in place only for when things are going well. This lacks risk based decision making and leaders are caught off guard when things go south.
Having a media expert will enable you to build relationships in the community, in the media, trends in the market place and have visibility to risks in your industry and human perception of what you do. You need to proactively be building trust and education amongst consumers of your products, services or those simply watching you. When a competitor has issues or the industry is getting unwanted attention, you have already created a mitigation strategy to manage the viral nature of information.
Having someone who understands the industry and the position your company is in will allow you to stay ahead of any issues and act quickly in the event you need to adjust your public messaging.
You need a Human Capital Strategist
The “great resignation” is not a surprise. The symptoms of people wanting a different way to pursue their careers has always been there; we’ve simply not seen it as a risk. When the pandemic accelerated our ways of working, we now have a new issue that needs to be cured like it’s a disease worse than the pandemic itself.
The real problem is leaders either don’t know what is simmering below the surface of their human investments or choose to ignore it for the more tactical work in their day to day. When leaders take the time to ask better questions like how will I protect my investments in my human intellectual property and capacity, we might be better prepared for the future.
We start to ask questions about the characteristics of the generation coming into the workforce preparing to attract and retain that talent. What if we had a military escalation and lost both men and women from the workforce, have we evolved our successors to step in sooner than later? If there was a world-wide outage of infrastructure and loss of connection with our employees, how would we communicate with them to assure business continuity?
While bleak, asking these questions while things are going well allow us to make decisions with confidence proactively, rather than pivoting at the last moment. The foresight of an expert in this field allows you a window into the future and the ability to create a plan before it’s needed.
A Chief Mindset Officer replaces the 800 lb gorilla in your boardroom
When we say things like ‘that person is difficult’ or ‘that person doesn’t have the skills needed for the next level’ or even the infamous ‘we’ve always done it that way’, the mindset of an 800 lb gorilla in the room is your biggest risk for unleashing potential and sustainability.
There is an infinite amount of research and strategy based on mindset and how to help our people achieve one that aligns with our organizational goals. However, too often we see problems with team mindset and we accept it as is. If leaders have some short-term consciousness, they may choose to mentor someone or send them out for training to ‘fix people’ and their mindset.
But how often does a leader take the time to understand their own mindset, that of the individuals they lead and the collective mindset or culture created by the leader?
We waste so much time and money when we fail to address our own mindsets in our daily leadership. When we ask people what they think, how they see themselves, how they see others and what they’re capable of (or not), we start to see the great divide in what is possible and unleashing human potential.
What would it look like if you had a resource on your team that partnered with you to evolve the collective mindset of your people? Would people have more confidence? Would teams perform at a higher level? Would your problems move from managing poor performance to everyone is a high performer and how to keep feeding the engine of exceeding expectations?
How to create your own support system
Before you immediately dismiss the idea of adding three more people to your payroll, consider your immediate needs and a few creative ways to slowly add to your circle:
- Rather than keeping a media expert on staff full time, you could hire a consultant to come in regularly and discuss trends, competitive messaging, and audit your current communication efforts to catch mistakes before they become habits
- Determine the area of leadership you feel is most challenging and join a mastermind of peers that focuses on that topic. This is a great opportunity to find trusted resources, discuss problems and exercise your own credibility as an expert in your space.
- Ask your high performers who they trust for personal development and consider hosting an event or workshop. Some lessons are better heard from different voices. Create relationships with thought leaders that can help you support your team while you focus on the growth goals of your organization.
If you disagree with what I propose, then let’s engage in a conversation that promotes future thinking and better preparation for tomorrow.
If you agree with what I propose, how do you move one step forward to being the leader everyone else wishes they could be? If this is you, let’s book a call.
The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track – If you’re that leader who feels in their gut something is off track, this could be the resource for you.
Resources
Good Reads
Speak Inside the Box: On-screen Presentation Tips for Speakers, Trainers, and Leaders, by Dave Bricker This book was enlightening when my entire world was confined to a computer screen and learning how to technically and strategically continue to make a connection with your audience. Dave Bricker has also become a trusted partner of The Drop in CEO Brand and you should check out his profile
Good Music
When Leaves Dance by Shoshana Michel As the season starts to change in the northern hemisphere so does the music to inspire me when I think or I write. This piece is so full of playfulness of the leaves falling, the wind swirling bringing in cooler air and also a sense of wonderment of what lies ahead. That is the phase I am in right now as I prepare for the next season of my business and immense possibilities.
Good People
“As leaders, we need to know what our personal mission, vision and values are so that we can use those as a competence to help us in times of difficult decision-making.” –Chuck Cooper
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