As dedicated Executive Leadership Coaches to CEOs & Executive Leaders across the business world we are constantly gathering transformative insights from our interactions from the last quarter, to share these themes to support you being an Impactful Executive Leader to your organization. 

Here are three themes from the Q4 of 2023 that are showing up consistently in our conversations with the Executive Leaders we support:

Strategic Planning is Important and Strategic Execution is Critical for the Strategic Planning to be Successful!

• More and more CEOs we work with are realizing that to become successful at executing a Strategic Plan such that the results that are promised are delivered, comes down to everyone being aligned and accountable in the organization to using one operating system.
• A couple of Operating Systems that our clients are using with success to execute their Strategic Plans are:
  • The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4Dx System) by the Franklin Covey organization
  • The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS System) by EOS Worldwide
• One other insight here is that CEOs are realizing to ensure that the execution of their Strategic Plan is realized is by being a “Impactful Storyteller”. A couple of examples of CEOs who have a consistent and simple message they share weekly in their various mediums of communication from townhalls to one-on-ones are:
  • “Focus & Finish”
  • “Results Matter” to keep this important story alive to completion.

Unlocking Leadership Potential in Others is a Commitment

• One of our clients had a “light-bulb moment” as he was completing his Performance Reviews for his 5 leaders. His comment was, “If I truly believe that my leaders are key to the success of our business, then I need to shift my mindset about Performance Review from Compliance (tick a box and get this task done) to Commitment (To Unlocking Leadership Potential).”
• “I began to realize that the reason why I was investing 6 to 8 hours of my time to complete a Performance Reviews for each of my Leaders was from a Commitment I have made to support their Leadership Development by identifying areas of “Leadership Potential” that I see that each of them have, and we can unlock and use in 2024.”
• “When I slowed down and took the time to be thoughtful about their Performance Review, I began to recognize their Leadership Potential!”

Focus on What you can Control!

• With all the uncertainty about the economy in the media, it is easy for CEO’s and their staff to become distracted, allowing a “Scarcity Mindset” to infiltrate a company’s culture and impact performance. Here are 3 ways that CEOs are managing to key their teams “Focused on What we can Control”:
  • Support leaders to be in a Possibility/Inquiry Mindset when issues arise by asking a simple question, “What is missing for us to move forward?” vs “What is wrong?”
  • Get Perspective in the Moment by leveraging the Power of the Pause and asking the question in the moment of “Is this situation we are in a Threat to our business or an Opportunity for our Business?”
  • Focus the Team on being in intentional and collaborative conversations that can generating actions that will move them forward to achieve their goal. Remember when leaders are scared, they tend to become “Lone Wolves and go it alone”. Creativity is a Team Conversation!

We challenge you to pick one insight that grabs you and implement it! Remember the power of making small and deliberate changes to your leadership can and will have huge impact over time if you are consistent!

Question: What is one Insight that you are willing to share with other Executive Leaders to support them in building a successful organization? To achieve this, share your insight and sign up for our Quarterly CEO Insights.

CEO Toolbox Recommendations:

1. Podcast – SMARTLESS with “Arnold Schwarzenegger”
2. Video – CEO of the Year – Chief Executive Magazine of Ed Bastian & Marc Benioff At CEO of the Year Gala, Bastian, and Benioff Share Secrets of Building Resilience (chiefexecutive.net)
3. Article – Storytelling That Drives Bold Change by Frances X. Frie and Anne Morris – HBR