First Time CEO » Leadership

CEO’s – Getting it Right the First Time

Jim Crocker — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:42:07 +0000

Here’s a good post that isn’t necessarily about being a first time CEO – but it could apply.

It’s about getting it right as the CEO – the first time. Because with more pressure on performance, there may not be a second time.

Here are the four tips for a CEO to get it right the first time:

First, “do only what the CEO can do”. I couldn’t agree more. CEO’s can’t and shouldn’t do it all – though many try – a classic first time CEO mistake. The job of the CEO is to lead, not do.

Second, treat your Board of Directors as a strategic partner. I like the advice here – remember how you would like to be treated by one of your divisions or business units. There is a level of engagement that you will want and feel comfortable with. Less than that level and who knows what your discomfort might lead to. Same for your Board of Directors.

Third, “align the culture behind a clear business strategy”. Huh?? I wasn’t sure what that meant either. Here’s the key point – vision and mission are nice but tapping informal interactions and networks is vital to rapid, lasting change and organizational buy-in.

Fourth, set the pace for change. Sign me up 100% for this one. If the CEO is dogging it, don’t look for rapid movement elsewhere in the organization. There is a balance though, between moving too fast, making mistakes and creating setbacks vs. moving too slowly and creating complacency. The CEO needs to get it right.

Bottom line from the post – the CEO needs to be strategic and a team player. Strategic because with so many pressures, defining direction and priorities isn’t straightforward. Team player because no one can do it themselves.

Good advice for the first time CEO or the CEO who needs to get it right the first time.

People Buy What You Believe

Jim Crocker — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:13:51 +0000

People buy what you believe, not what you do.

That’s the essence of a thought-provoking book by Simon Sinek called ‘Start with Why’.

You can skip reading the book by watching this TedTalk by Sinek here.

Inspired by the book, Jim Crocker of Boardroom Metrics posted a video highlighting the ‘why’ and ‘what I believe’ of Boardroom Metrics here.

You’re not a Leader

Jim Crocker — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:51:36 +0000

You’re not a leader if you don’t have any followers.

Do you get that?

They can give you every title in the book – CEO, COO, CFO, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer – it DOESN’T MATTER. If the people you’re supposed to be leading think you’re a dick – you’re not they’re leader.

You’re their whipping boy.

You see, this isn’t about you.

This is about them.

This is about them trusting you. Them respecting you. Them looking up to you.

This is about them feeling like you listen. Them feeling like you care. Them feeling like you think they are capable. And smart.

Important.

And human.

This is about them thinking you are good at your job. Them seeing you take your role as seriously as they take theirs. Them knowing you care about the organization.

Not just about yourself.

So.

Dude!

You need to change.

Drop the ego and stop talking.

Stop being so f’ing smart.

Start learning. Start listening.

Start being nice.

Go for a beer. A lunch. Grab a coffee.

Ask about the kids. The gym. The vacation.

And start doing your job. Otherwise. You’re not their leader.

Role of the Chief Executive Officer CEO

Jim Crocker — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:40:43 +0000

Jim Crocker, CEO of Boardroom Metrics has started posting some helpful insight on management and leadership on YouTube. His first post on this topic is describes the 5 key elements of the role of the CEO. According to Crocker, they are:

defining the vision for the organization
assembling (and leading, managing) the management team
leading the planning process
monitoring progress and reporting to stakeholders
articulating the vision to employees, customer, suppliers and investors to engage them in the success of the business.

Obviously, Crocker is simplifying for affect and brevity – the role seems much more complicated than that – but when you think about it, if more CEO’s stuck to what he’s suggesting, they might do a better job.

The YouTube video is here.

Consultant Pricing Options

Jim Crocker — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:42:29 +0000

A key question when engaging a consultant is their fee and how the project will be priced. In another of his YouTube videos to help manager’s use consultants effectively, Jim Crocker of Boardroom Metrics has posted a video on consulting pricing options. He lists three options to consider for pricing a consulting project:

hourly basis
project basis
performance basis

The third, involves giving the consultants a share of the upside created by their work. This is a very effective incentive.

The video is posted here.

When Do You Need a Consultant?

Jim Crocker — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:56:08 +0000

Jim Crocker, CEO of Boardroom Metrics posted this helpful video on YouTube ‘When to Hire a Consultant’. Crocker, who has been a consultant for 25 years, keeps it simple. From his perspective, there are 4 key times for hiring a consultant:

when you need an answer
when you have the answer but need help selling it
when you have the answer, but it’s bad news and it’s better for someone else to deliver it
when you need help implementing change

Crocker points out that based on his experience, hiring a consultant to help with necessary change has a much greater chance of succeeding than hiring a consultant for ‘nice to do’ change.