This past week, I shared the results of a CEO’s 360 review with the board of a large, well-respected company. This senior executive was praised for successfully advancing a new comprehensive strategic plan from original inception through extensive consultation and engagement with key stakeholders. The next step will be implementation, which will alter the company’s trajectory towards anticipated major growth and improved revenues.
Despite this good news, most feedback respondents wanted something more – a solid sense of the personal vision from the CEO of the company. While the company’s strategic direction was perceived as well-crafted and effective, stakeholders wanted to understand what will motivate greater commitment and excellence from their top leader.
Despite this good news, most feedback respondents wanted something more – a solid sense of the personal vision from the CEO of the company. While the company’s strategic direction was perceived as well-crafted and effective, stakeholders wanted to understand what will motivate greater commitment and excellence from their top leader.Far too many leaders, in my experience, default to their company’s party line as the ‘go to’ in terms of both short and long-term success. Certainly, it’s a safe response, since it’s likely been thoroughly vetted and approved through consultation and engagement with investors, board members and other major stakeholders. But staff, in particular, want a keen sense of what drives their top leader beyond the official version that’s widely shared. And, for too many leaders, this personal slice of the corporate strategy is often elusive and difficult to articulate.
Here are some suggestions to identify and articulate your own piece of the strategy, something that’s complementary and aligned with your organization’s direction but also unique and personalized to you:
- Pick One Element: To realize your organization’s strategy, several key goals be articulated to ensure progress and eventual success. Grab ahold of one of these goals and define how you plan to make it part of your signature presence during your tenure. Share your commitment to, and passion for, the realization of this particular goal and how you’re going to actively contribute to its attainment.
- Provide Something Bigger: An even bolder approach is to articulate something you’d like to realize, above and beyond what the organizational strategy proposes. This might involve taking advantage of unique business opportunities, entering potentially profitable yet challenging markets or doing business in new ways within your industry. This shouldn’t contradict what you’re already working towards, rather, it expands on that mission.
- Go Deeper: Define a specific subset of your organizational strategic direction that has potential for real profile and significant impact on fundamental performance metrics. This slice of the broader company strategy can be a key focal point for your efforts and attention. For example, entry into a new but unproven market for your company’s products and/or services may be viewed as experimental by most stakeholders, so your task is to make it a strong focus for your own agenda.
- Shift the Emphasis: Take active ownership around a significant aspect of your organization that supports the broader corporate strategy but remains under the radar in terms of profile and attention. If, for example, your organization identifies that it wants to recruit younger and more diverse staff in specific areas, then reinforcing, adjusting or even shifting your company culture will be a natural focal point for your time and attention.
- Try Different but Aligned: Step outside of your company’s articulated strategic direction with a commitment and course of action that complements and supports the identified company strategy but looks and feels somewhat different. While expanding existing lines of business may be on your company’s agenda for the way forward, you may decide to advance a new product line or service offering that could realize big potential payoffs in the future.
Go Deeper: Define a specific subset of your organizational strategic direction that has potential for real profile and significant impact on fundamental performance metrics. This slice of the broader company strategy can be a key focal point for your efforts and attention. For example, entry into a new but unproven market for your company’s products and/or services may be viewed as experimental by most stakeholders, so your task is to make it a strong focus for your own agenda.It’s not enough to lead and drive the implementation of your organization’s strategy, you’ve got to claim key elements or aspects to pursue with uniquely focused passion and commitment. That way, everyone will know and feel that you have your skin in the game!
User Comments
There are no comments yet - be the first to comment!