Want to be a better CEO?-Get a mentor

Having a mentor is increasingly seen as an important asset to CEO development in the not for profit sector. Yet can Mentoring lead to better decisions and better results?

As a CEO you are making  decisions all the time, but is your decision-making process being tested for it’s effectiveness?

As a mentor for CEOs, one of the significant ways I can support those in a leadership position is by testing their decision-making. We all have our own patterns of thinking and working so it is important to understand how we reach decisions and to consider the impact on business.

CEOs previously in operations management in the organisation tend towards a reactive and problem- solving approach. They may respond to external pressures without sufficient consideration of longer- term issues or miss exploring the potential of doing things differently. A more strategic and less ‘fixing things’ approach is vital for the organisation’s sustainability and this can be developed in a mentoring relationship. The safe environment established with a mentor allows you to consider options and approaches away from the glare of sorting things out immediately. It allows you to adapt your decision-making style to take a longer- term perspective.

For those CEOs  from a policy background, at times there is a need to disengage  from wider consideration of the issues. The risk is that your passion and extensive knowledge of the big picture and policy implications means  can lead to assumptions on what is best for the organisation, without deeper testing.

I support CEOs in this situation to reflect and then narrow their focus to reach the best decision for their organisation. Working through these types of dilemmas with an experienced mentor who is outside the business, challenging assumptions, and playing ‘devil’s advocate’, leads to fresh thinking and greater awareness for the CEO.

So, whether your is more operational or more strategic, it can be a lonely place. It can be challenging to be expected to always have the answer, not to show uncertainty and at the same time reassure staff and the board.

A recent Harvard Business review survey of CEOs who have formal mentoring arrangements, showed that 71% said they were certain that company performance had improved as a result and 69% reported that they were making better decisions. My experience of working not only with CEOs but with Chairs concurs with these results. Looking at the implications and the potential impact of decisions with someone who is not in the situation, but has the experience of having been there and done it is a rich resource for CEOs. Anyone in a leadership position making decisions should consider the value they would get from this type of input.

The CEOs and Chairs I meet are dedicated, hard- working and committed, but too many still think they have to go it alone. Sometimes there is a reluctance for CEOs to invest in themselves, either seeing it as a sign of weakness, or prioritising funding for other staff groups. Yet being in the best place to make the best decisions on behalf your organisation is a key role for a CEO. And having an external resource can support that effective decision-making process.

Having a mentor or trusted advisor is one of the best decisions you can make. It will lead to many more. So why not source a mentor today?

Brian Cavanagh

Where was the board? – a disaster avoidance strategy for the not for profit sector

“Where was the board? This has been a familiar refrain in corporate governance. Good governance is often aspired to, but not always achieved. Often It is sought after a crisis, or in response to a scandal.

Good governance is essential for a good reputation. It creates trust with funders; builds bonds with the public and attracts high calibre staff. The converse is also true, poor governance causes reputational damage that can result in terminal decline

Yet good board governance cannot be switched off and on. Highly functioning organisations have a strong board governance culture that is based on factors that are applied consistently and thoroughly. It also recognises that good governance takes time, attention and commitment from all parties on the board to make it happen. Good governance is both a principle and process. It gets better by its use.

Let me give you an example from my own experience working with a client. I was approached by a CEO of a financial organisation to support her with her board. She was concerned about the effectiveness of the board and the Chair, and that it was beginning to have an impact upon organisational performance. The Board audit committee was not consistently adhering to procedures on “risky” loans and that had an negative impact of the cash flow of the organisation.  In particular she was concerned that some board members were disengaged, and in light of new and stringent tests of competence for board members set by the financial regulator; that some board members might not pass that test thus bringing their continued membership of the board into question.

The CEO was also concerned that the Chair had become disengaged, and had allowed the board to “drift”. This observation had become a source of dispute between CEO and Chair who had both been in post for a long time, and the CEO was considering her future in the organisation.

So what did I do?

Firstly I needed to deal with the relationship between the CEO and the Chair which was at the heart of the problem. It was important that I was not seen to be taking sides- the advantage was that I was known to both individuals on a professional basis for many years.

My first step was to meet with them and identify what were the key issues. In discussion it became clear that the boundaries between their roles had become blurred, and that specific frustrations about the others performance/behaviours that had not been aired/ resolved. For example, the chairs reluctance to get board to agree actions and timeframes

From that I devised a mentoring approach that focussed on rebuilding trust between the CEO and Chair. This involved joint and separate mentoring sessions, establishing a shared way of working and using conflict resolution approaches  – in essence “the way we do things here”. Over the next 9 months I worked with the CEO and Chair and was successful in helping them to set a new leadership tone and behaviour that could be shared with the board. The outcome was better board meetings, clearer decision making and a tightening of rules and procedures.

Concurrently I also worked with the board. I observed board meetings where I identified mission creep, some disengagement, too much attention to detail and poor chairing. This provided the basis for a series of actions.

I designed a series of away days to enable the board to redefine the mission statement of the organisation; assisted board members to shift their balance towards strategic direction; and did a series of 1-2-1sessions to improve chairing skills of Chair. I got board members to self assess their performance. As a result of that process, three long established board members resigned.

In total over a 12 month period I helped the CEO and Chair re-establish a strong working relationship that resulted in the CEO deciding to stay with the organisation. Through the mentoring Board meetings are now well chaired and the and the appointment of fresh blood has re-energised the board. Above all the mission of the organisation is now clear, and board members have a clear sense of purpose. It is performing well and is in a better place

From that experience and others, I believe that good governance, and by that I mean what goes on around the board table, is predicated on what I term are five critical factors. So when I begin to work with an organisation on board development this my starting place to begin to assess effectiveness or otherwise

The Mission – a clear and compelling purpose that unites and motivates the board and staff to achieve results. It provides the basis for all decisions on development and direction. It is the organisational “North Star”

Leadership of Board and Organisation – a highly performing organisation is led by a Board Chair and Ceo with a good working and constructive relationship. This relationship is built on a shared understanding of roles, mission and values of the organisation. It is based on mutual  respect and should be an exemplar of leadership behaviour.

The board sets the tone and behaviours of the organisation. It is  the “keeper of flame” with regard to the mission and purpose. Board members understand their responsibilities stretch beyond the “board and committee meeting”

The Composition of the Board and Staff-  Getting the right people in the right position, both board members and staff in concert with the mission and purpose of the organisaton. Respecting roles and recognising differing responsibilities. Whilst need to understand how the organisation operates, it is not their job to interfere in operational matters, but to set the processes, and policies to ensure effective oversight of performance and risk

Strategic Planning – a clear planning process that lays out  the future course for the organisation. It should shape the board structures, and ensure that committee activities are aligned with the strategic objectives of  the organisation.

Board Meetings –  focussed, well planned agendas that enable clear and effective decision making. The formal place where the board acts on its authority, sets the direction and tone of behaviours, performance and actions. It well balanced between the need to look back, ie scrutiny role, and projecting forward, ie strategy role.

Getting them all operating in concert takes time, energy and focus. It requires the whole board exercising leadership -working “in” the board and working “on” the board. I am passionate about mentoring  boards and their organisations  to make a difference. Getting your board to focus on these 5 factors will improve your board.

So why not do this exercise for yourself with your board?  Call me for a free consultation to run this for your board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Top Tips For New Leaders

In preparing for mentoring clients last week, I was reflecting on a question that has been troubling me of late. Why is it that there are more books on leadership than ever, yet good examples of leadership in practice can be hard to find?

Opinion formers bemoan the lack of strong leadership across Europe, dusting off the biographies of leaders from the past, and sighing for a golden age that never really existed. So a torrent of words, but little clarity about what being a leader is all about.

Many business biographies are glorified hagiographies, a retrospective rewriting of personal perspectives that often fail to discuss the nuances and subtleties that are essential to mature leadership. They demonstrate what I would call a transactional leadership – the nuts and bolts of process and whilst they have value, do not constitute the essential elements of leadership. At a glance, many organisations highlight the need for transformational not transactional leadership.

This question reminded me of an experience with a new client. An accomplished professional, he has just been appointed CEO for the first time, and was excited and anxious in equal measure about the role.

As he peppered me with questions about what type of leader he should be and what was the best type of leader – servant or adaptive, I realised that for all the volumes, leadership is becoming reduced to a process, a formula that is applied from outwith – rather than a philosophy that applies to oneself.

I suggested that he ask himself why he wanted to become CEO and what he wanted to do – to discover his WHY. His WHY has now become his leadership motivation – and he made it his own – essentially a bespoke leadership that fits him and that he is comfortable with.

So if you are a new leader, whatever the organisation is, let me share with you the three key things to do in 100 days to become a transformational rather than a transactional leader.

These are proven, tested and timeless.

1. Self leadership. You need to take the decision to commit to lead. That begins with knowing what you want to do, and to know yourself. To know your strengths and been open enough to recognise your weaknesses – showing your vulnerability is the key to building trusting relationships. And trust is the basis on which all leadership is founded.

2. Team leadership. Use trust to build a community in whatever sphere you operate, acknowledge the power of team work and encourage autonomy, ask how you can serve your organisation, not how it can serve you.

3. Organisational leadership. The key to leading an effective organisation is an approach that values relationships and results. Leaders set the tone, so be clear about what tone you want to set, and your tone and behaviours must be aligned and allow others to manage. Recognise the distinction and create the space to make it happen.

By all means read, and read widely but change comes from within. And the first act of transformational leadership takes place in you. Namely to commit to lead – and as Gandhi put “we must become the change we want to see in the world”.

So what are your experiences as a new leader, and what has worked for you?

Want to prioritise better? Develop your own ‘stop-doing’ list – 5 top tips

Whether you are the CEO or someone who is in a middle management position, it’s how and what you do with your scarcest resource and time, that will determine the effectiveness of your leadership and success in the workplace.

It seems everyone wants a piece of you!

Your colleagues want your input on projects that are not your responsibility, your team want you to oversee every piece of work, your Team Leaders want to talk over every last thing with you, your boss wants you to attend a range of meetings you have no idea what for and Head Office seem to think you’re just waiting around for their call to tell you about the next big idea and what you have to do about it! Sound familiar?

We suffer from overload at work—taking on more than we can comfortably deliver in an unconscious desire to impress others, get ahead, and keep up with others’ expectations. Meanwhile our top priorities go unaddressed.

So ask yourself this question?

How much time do you waste with projects and activities that you really don’t want to do simply because you are uncomfortable saying no?

Success depends on getting good at saying NO without feeling guilty. You cannot get ahead with your own goals if you are always saying yes to someone else’s projects. You can only get ahead with your work and targets if you are focused on the things that will produce the results.

You will have to structure your work so that you are focusing your time, effort, energies, and resources mainly on projects, plans, and people that are essential to your work priorities. You are going to have to create stronger boundaries about what you will and won’t do.

Most of us are busy, but undisciplined. We are active, but not focused. We are moving, but not always in the right direction. By creating a ‘stop-doing’ list as well as a to-do list, you will bring more discipline and focus into your work.

Start by creating a stop-doing list as soon as possible! Then make the things on your list “POLICIES.” People respond to policies. They understand a policy as a boundary. They will respect you more for being clear about what you won’t do.

So my 5 top “don’t do” policies are:

• I don’t give an immediate ‘yes’ response to attending meetings.
• I don’t fill the diary – have a policy of having two meeting free undisturbed mornings every week.
• I don’t schedule more than 3 external meetings in one week.
• I don’t do individual supervision or crisis meetings without setting a finish time.
• I don’t chair all internal meetings I attend.

It is very easy to say what your policies are, and you don’t even have to use the word no!

People respect policies. And it’s likely that no one will take your policy personally, they’ll realise it’s a boundary you have set for all occasions.  

Be brave in saying no, stay focused on your goals and priorities and let people know that you are committed to those goals and that it is for the overall benefit of the organisation.

People will respect your clarity and drive. And you will see the difference in your leadership and your performance. So why not give it a go and chart the difference!

CEO-Board Relationships

I have yet to meet a CEO who at some point in time hasn’t been frustrated by their Board – it goes with the territory. That said, it should be an exception and not become the norm. As a CEO you need to understand that your Board can be your greatest ally and to ensure that it is, you need to invest your time in it.

What I find interesting is that of all the groups that CEOs must deal with, the relationship with their Board of directors should be among the easiest to manage and be the most valuable to them and yet the reality is often far from that.

To make the CEO/Board relationship a success, there must be mutual respect. CEOs need to commit to leading in the relationship, it is up to the Chief Executive to take the first step and to show respect for those who have joined the organisation wanting to contribute. The members want to add value so how you use their expertise is crucial.

1. The Relationship with the Chair is the key

Number one priority is establishing a good working relationship with the Chair.   You don’t need to like each other and certainly not to agree on everything; however it is vital that there is a clear understanding of the respective roles.

The boundary between Chair and CEO can become blurred at times so it is essential that this is managed through regular contact, ongoing dialogue to negotiate the different responsibilities and a policy of ‘no surprises’.

2. Boards Must Be Led

CEOs deserve the boards they develop – a failure to lead at any level, especially at board level, will have significant consequences. Smart CEOs develop a framework from which to effectively lead the board.

The board is required to hold the CEO accountable to a set of standards and behaviours, and the CEO must be prepared to require the same of their board. Communicate clearly to members what is needed and then set the expectations that they need to do more than just show up for the meetings. Presenteeism is the death knell of effective governance.

3. Be Proactive

The number one rule of board management is that the business of the board does not happen only at the board meeting. As the CEO, your role in board management is that of executive, and influencer.

Having established relationships with Board members you need to be in contact with them outside of Board meetings. When you are aware which issues are of most importance for members you keep them updated and informed. Let them know your thinking and seek their input and advice.

Having a pre-meeting process is essential – issuing a draft of the agenda or papers out to the lead director or committee chairs well in advance of the meeting creates opportunities for feedback. Using a range of proactive steps allows you to seek alignment on key issues and positions. Never hold a board meeting when you are unsure where your board stands on key issues.

An unprepared CEO is a CEO who will not last the test of time.

4. The Agenda

Encouraging the board to have a balance between looking forward and looking back can be managed through the agenda and structure of the meeting. There are required reports, however the agenda must not be laden with items that keep boards members looking back or get overcrowded with detail. The key is to ensure the board exercise the strategic as much as the scrutiny functions.

Remember that directors will want to demonstrate their presence and reassure themselves that they are adding value. If they are not offered the opportunity to do this it can often present as the ‘memory test’, a series of questions on the detail of a particular issue. This has little strategic value, drains energy from meetings and causes frustration all around.

Structure the agenda to allow for greater depth on specific topics, so the board is engaged and members know they are making a useful contribution.

5. Be Firm

Smart CEOs respect their board and value the role the members hold, but will not allow themselves to be overrun by the board.

The board’s main role is governance, not management, and it may be necessary to remind, and guide the Board to good practice in this regard.   Don’t go to the wall over less significant concerns. Be willing to compromise where prudent, but stand your ground and successfully make your case on business critical issues.

CEOs who make a habit of too easily acquiescing have in essence surrendered to the board. They will have lost the respect of the board and may render themselves ineffective as CEO.

A CEO who commits to leadership, takes care to build a great board and develop the relationship to strengthen the organisation. A well managed board is the basis of a highly performing organisation.

 

 

The Challenge of a CEO – Commit to Lead

In these fast changing and uncertain times, in order to lead their organisation effectively, CEOs need to be bold and focussed. One of the greatest challenges facing CEOs in any organisation is standing back from the fray and resisting the temptation to get involved in what I call “engine room” activities. This can be an issue for founder CEOs or those who have previously held a senior position within their organisation. Whilst it may have a sense of logic in response to a crisis, it sends the wrong message. It sets a tone of reactive not proactive behaviours, of an organisation that focuses on the day to day, rather than making an impact and making its mark. You need to commit to lead – and your focus needs to be on building a thriving organisation with a clear purpose.

CEOs need to set the example to the rest of their organisation. This post is one that needs to focus on the important and not the urgent, so that means planning ahead, focusing on the strategic direction of the organisation. It means valuing your time and valuing what you invest it in. And whilst others in the organisation may have more immediate operational concerns, it is your role to ensure that the rest of the organisation stays focussed on making an impact. In smaller organisations, CEOs can be tempted to “get in the engine room”.

However, in order to change their focus, CEOs must be willing to do a number of things differently and to do them regularly and consistently – in times of crisis and pressure they become more important rather than less so.

Firstly, CEOs must carve out thinking time in their work schedule – this is the time to reflect, to ask questions, to set direction, and to check actions against direction. This doesn’t have to be huge chunks of time but it’s essential to take regular time out – at least a half day quarterly to focus on strategy and goals. A weekly check-in ensures staying on track. Asking, and answering these key questions when looking at their schedule, help CEOs focus on where they are spending valuable time:

• Do the events and meetings lined up for me bring this organisation closer or further away from where we want to be?
• Am I the only person who can take these actions?
• What am I not doing that could make more of an impact?

These questions ensure that CEOs are not falling into the trap of doing the things they do well and can be seen to do, that comfort trap of doing what’s immediate.  The CEO needs to do the important roles that only the CEO can do.

CEOs also need to have at least 20 minutes every day where they shut the door (literally and also close down phones and email) and ensure that time is being spent on true priorities and where their efforts will have most impact.

Secondly, CEOs need to assess if they are getting the right balance between time spent inside the organisation and outside. The reality is that most CEOs need to do more outside but the key thing here is to do it differently.

This is not about going to more meetings – it’s about who the connections are with, if they are the right ones, and at the right level to grow the influence of the organisation.

Mapping out the CEO connections and also those of the management team and Board is a useful way to gauge where the connections lie and what value they are to the organisation.

It may be that there are some dormant connections which need to be re-engaged or that Board members know people of influence who need to know more about the organisation.

Taking the following steps will help to get the balance right:

• Map out who is talking to who and why – we get too used to talking to the same people and having the same conversations. Check the value of where you are spending your internal time.
• Identify who would be helpful for you to connect with – make it your work to begin developing those relationships.
• Committees and working parties – are the ones you’re involved in include the decision makers? Are you the most senior person in the room? If you are there’s no value for you – you need to make impact with those who have more influence.
  

Finally, CEOs who commit to lead recognise that they cannot achieve success on their own. As the most successful people have external support, shifting your leadership emphasis as a CEO often benefits from external support.

A recent study highlighted by Harvard Business Review highlighted that up to 60% of CEOs feel isolated, irrespective of the quality of their relationships with their Board. The reality is at times there are issues that you do not wish to raise with the Chair/Board in the first instance, and it may be that you require a fresh perspective in order to provide better leadership for the organisation.

So focus, value your time, get an external support and commit to lead.