Thinking Like a CEO
The behavior of leaders
A while back I made a tongue-in-cheek post about rules for how to look the part of being a boss. Here I'd like to make a more serious appraisal of good executive leadership qualities.
Trust but verify: They don't take anything at face value. They always double check the math.1
Do your homework: They come prepared never wanting to get caught flat footed.
Build and nurture a great base: They hire the best they can knowing this doesn't just make them look good—it truly makes them good.
Set them free: They allow their hires to do their thing—no micromanagement.
Really, set them free: They are only reluctant to hire those they confidently suspect would be seeking a quick exit. Otherwise they know that losing great people who leave for great opportunities is an inconvenient feature of having hired great people. Better to have a strong pipeline than a moat. The best pipelines have smooth exits and entries. The best moats limit both.
Put everyone in a position to win: They seek opportunistic positions for the good of the mission which importantly includes giving their people the resources needed to succeed.
Praise be: They seek opportunities to praise including leading with praise not just because it sets the right tone and helps cushion harder news but because it is the right thing to do.
Listen then speak: They rarely will offer verbal acknowledgement while someone else is speaking—no "right", "uh huh", or "yeah" responses, a.k.a. back-channel cues. And often they will pause slightly before speaking in response. Presumably and probably often they are gathering their thoughts, but additionally this gives some sense of gravity to what they say.
Seek and accept constructive criticism: They don't pay lip service to critique. They may not agree much less take action for change, but they will sincerely take this under true advisement.
How many of these qualities are embodied in you? How well does your organization and its leadership map onto this list?
From the Russian proverb doveryay, no proveryay and popularized by President Reagan. In style always and in policy generally, he was the very image of leadership.