The Power of the CEO
Thank you for your commitment to continued growth and focus on leaping ahead of your competition. This month's CEO Powerhouse Tips and Insights deals with why the CEO needs to know how to calibrate the performance threshold of his or her team.
You no doubt have what it takes to achieve greatness, near the top of your game, leading a successful and growing company - but is your team engaged? How do you know? Why will your team support you, and not your competitor? What makes a team reach for the greatness factor, and win over and over again?
…Never Forget the Power of the CEO
If you need to move from mere performance to powerhouse performance, achieve outstanding profitability and growth – you, no doubt, are looking at your financial position, your competition, and your team to determine if you have what it takes.
As a CEO, whether you're running a $5 million company or $50 billion company you are pulled in many directions with many responsibilities, it's critical that you mobilize your team for greatness, and have confidence they will move forward in accordance with your vision and values. “If you lead and no one follows it's just a nice walk,” Ben Franklin
As CEO you often don't have time to meet with and know every team member. You have to rely on the filters, the senior executives surrounding you, to provide you with the right information about your company’s performance - and often performance measurement boils down to numbers, who is making them who's not. But why aren't all of them making their numbers …and could they all do more? Analytically and emotionally, you know the answer is yes.
How do you know have blight in your midst? You're gung ho systematically executing your vision - and it might even look pretty good, maybe financially on paper you look terrific are growing fast - you're on the top of the world. But according to the Wall Street Journal an enormous 70% of US employees said they feel either not engaged or actively disengaged at work1. That is incredible! Is your team the elite 30% fully engaged in the possibilities, looking for opportunities to push the company to a higher level of success? If so contact me, and I'll feature your company and share your magic in the CEO’s Corner. Or is your team shopping on eBay, or captivated by some small detail of failure that steals energy, motivation and limits the ability to focus on the possibilities and the opportunities for greatness? Imagine the possibilities if just 20% more of your team was engaged…what if it was 100% - unlimited potential - that's what.
How does your company stack up? If your company is in the lead with blue skies and smooth sailing - so far ahead of the rest - you are a sure win, you may not need to know how to develop the powerhouse factor within your team. If you're not sure your team is prepared when prevailing winds change, adapt accordingly and focus to win – or if you believe your company could accomplish much more if you engaged more of your team - then read ahead.
1 The Wall Street Journal “Managers lose talent when they neglect to coach their staffs” March 19, 2007.
 Get passionate - one of the most important things a leader can do is have passion - know your core strengths and weaknesses, know in your gut what's great about your company and convey it.
Focus on the opportunities that make your company great - learn how to harness changes to your advantage. Every team in the America's Cup has passion, but only one will win. It's the one has a solid strategy, keeps the focus, masters the dynamics of change and brings together the power of the team that wins. Oh yes, sometimes technology plays a factor as well, but it's only a tool. It's not the driver for success. Get your team conditioned to focus on the opportunities and win - and win consistently.
Connect with your team - never underestimate your power as the CEO to influence your team - take the time to walk through your company and talk with some your team members at every level every day, take the time to connect with your team. Make sure you vary the walk and walk slowly to fully engage and respect your team members, share your vision, ask a key question about the company, find their greatness factor and listen - I mean really listen - you might want to carry with you, a small notepad to jot down great insights from your team.
If you feel a suggestion is terrific – act on it and give credit. Build a team of leaders - leading leaders.
Connect with your clients - make sure you as the CEO engage and listen to as many of your clients as possible - get the reputation for dropping in for short - 20 minute visits and listen to their needs and their requirements - make sure you respect their time and keep it in the 20 minute window - if something is pressing, longer visits can be scheduled later.
Find the core greatness factor in everyone you meet - whether it's your clients, your team members or the staff at Starbucks. You'll find an amazing transformation, and take notice of how many people migrate to your vision and your ideas.
Move out with confidence and competence, and importantly have some fun - enjoy the process, smile and embrace the idea that you're learning more and more, every day you are growing and being enriched by the people around you - your clients - your team. If you give this a try for 2 weeks - I can assure you, your position as the CEO will become more enriched, more powerful and your company will be more successful as a result. Learn how to connect with your team in your vision and your passion and then, stand back and marvel at the results.
Never forget the power of the CEO to change a company into a consistent winner and powerhouse.
Nancy Curtis is the founder and CEO of Market Powerhouse, LLC. She focuses on great companies and works one-on-one with CEOs to move their company from industry performer to market powerhouse..
If you wish to contact Nancy her email is ncurtis@marketpowerhouse.com or you may call at 704-962-1791.
…Until next month enjoy the journey of success | 