YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THIS! GO BACK TO WORK

YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THIS and I know it.
And I still want you to.
Because as a top executive leader you can look so dumb and be so ineffective and do so much harm if  you are not checking your blindspots.
Here's the deal.
I'll try to be blunt first.
Then I'll say more so you know I'm not nuts.
I just want you to take five minutes every Monday  to turn around fast and try to catch a glimpse of  your leadership shadow/ blindspot, so you don't make so many messes that you don't know about.

Deal?

BE WORLD CLASS AT THE BORING STUFF TOO

GRANDIOSE, PUFFED UP COMPANIES

There are so many grandiose, puffed up aspirations for companies today.
As a  counter balance, let's hear it for the boring stuff that keeps your organization running.
One of my favorite CEO'S came into my office and caught me pissing and moaning about my boring stuff--budget preparation,  painstaking plans, reports on what I had done when I wanted to be working on what I was going to do.  Schedules, outside vendors, community speeches.  I looked up and asked him if he had as much gunk in his job as I did.   He said, "Forty percent of my job is gunk but my sixty per-cent is the best in all the company."  He then said, "Do that forty percent well and your sixty percent will get better and better."

As Ceo you set the strategy, the vision, the culture, the long range plans.  You search for talent and manage the outside world and the Board of Directors.  Don't forget to honor your gunk.  The day to day discipline of the business.  Being on time, not rescheduling unless under real duress, meeting with your admin person to keep him or her appraised of what's going on, constant review of your calendar to align it with what matters most.  And honor the daily stuff of everyone you bump into.  Ask about it.  Thank people for it.
Most people don't think the CEO has any gunk to do. Just the glamorous big picture creative stuff.  Right.  Let people know that you have daily irritating stuff and that it matters. Make Standard Operating Procedures worthy of attention. And let people  know that their sixty percent can get better and better in direct relationship to bringing excellence to the boring--the 40 percent gunk.  Don't be blind to the value of the gunk.

If you are a jerk, you'd better be brilliant

IF YOU ARE A JERK (and you know what I really mean) THEN YOU'D BETTER BE BRILLIANT


If you are not the smartest person in your company
If you don't have a vision for what could be that is embedded in detail in your DNA
If you don't have the fortitude to bring your vision to fruition no matter what
If you can't live, eat and breathe what it is you want to create
Then you can't afford to be an asshole.

You need to get nice.
Learn how to include
Learn how to celebrate
Learn how to share the limelight
Learn how to guard your integrity
Learn how to ask for help
Learn how much you don't know

Because if you aren't a brilliant jerk, you won't be forgiven

Everybody Raise Your Hand

EVERYBODY--RAISE YOU HAND!

Hand raising is a very healthy exercise for your company.  Volunteering, taking initiative, starting a project, raising an objection, developing a new idea.   Hand raising shows the willingness to expend energy, to give, to say "yes".

 You as the CEO or top leader always have your hand raised.  "Hey Board,  Call on me. Listen to me.  Here's what we will do, have to do, can do , are doing.  Here's an answer."" Hey EC  How about we, let's settle this, let's create that."  You are always in a state of raising your hand.  Great.  But do you have a hand raising organization? Do you create access to important work?  Posting is a wonderful hand raising tool.  Even at the executive level.  Raising your hand says, "I want this, I'll expose my flaws to have a chance to do it.  I have energy for this."  Passive talent planning systems that move talent like pawns can induce a subtle passivity and lack of tangential intitiative.  Does your organization post for important projects?  Can people drop into your office to share a thought?  Do people pull others together to create opportunity.  Is their an eager even irritating energy to say "Look at me, call on me, let me do this?"

 Hand raising means, "Yes I want to and I think I can".   So check to see if you are numb from having your hand raised all the time.  Maybe not raised as much as yanked.  Ask yourself as CEO, "Do I have a hand raising organization AND more importanty, ask yourself at this stage of your career and power  "What do I actually want to  raise my hand for?"