Did you grow up watching movie heroes like John Wayne, Steve McQueen, James Dean, Marlin Brando, Paul Newman, and Richard Roundtree? If those names aren't familiar, no worries.
Do you instead recognize Jason Statham, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel, Matt Daman or Daniel Craig? These actors all played roles that demonstrate tough, macho, badass characteristics that supposedly men mimic to some degree at some point in the lives. Would it be any surprise that some of the most successful and hard-nosed business CEOs mimic these same characteristics? For example, in the movie Wall Street, does the ruthless stock magnate, played by Michael Douglas, come to mind?
Regardless of how we may have been raised by our parents, our society, our media or our young professional career, the truth is that we all struggle with times of doubt, fear, and lack of self-confidence. Very few of us went to school for this stuff, and if we did, that doesn’t mean it prepared us for the realities of running a business when it comes to being an exceptional leader and handling adversity with ease!
Many years ago Fast Company magazine stated that less than 10% of leaders feel totally comfortable in the positions they are in. Less than 10%. And no wonder. The face of business and the pressure to be all things to all people seems only to increase. The truth is that in order to develop a high performing team, you must take a look at what we call, “What is SO.”
What is SO, is looking at the realities of areas to grow and improve, within yourself and within your team, and to be anxiously engaged in receiving and ACTING on honest feedback from your team.
And here’s one of our secrets: If your team ISN’T talking, something is really, really wrong. Evoking honest conversation is difficult, doing something about it, even more so, but the rewards are infinite!
Executive jobs are pretty lonely, but hey, you are NOT alone. We know you have issues, insecurities and vulnerabilities that you routinely mask throughout your life, we all do.
Years ago, someone told me, “How long do you intend to drag that dead cat around behind you?” Might as well own up to it, and get on with really seeing results as you make an impact on your team, right? High-level leaders have the same problems as the rest of us. Just because you make $1.6 M annually doesn't mean that you can always pay your bills every month. It's all relative.
Open up and get real about making changes in your life. Eliminate all the "yes men" from your surroundings. Find some trusted advisors who will be brutally honest. Solicit their candid feedback. Be prepared for a humbling experience that leads to liberation, and an improved attitude about your performance and that of your business. If your actions as CEO are perceived to be about you and not in the best interest of your business, your employees will not respect you. Make sure you have hired a strong leadership team, made up of individuals who are better than you in some areas, and get out of their way. Create an environment where authentic conversations are expected and ask team members for their point of view. Discuss strategy with your team and make them as accountable for results as you are.
A good way to avoid the pitfalls of the C-suite is to avoid building barriers to communication with your team; be inclusive, support and encourage your leadership team; act on their feedback and be approachable. For some tough CEOs, it may be awkward or it may be painful, and sometimes it's really difficult to hear the truth from a member of your team. Face the truth and move on to address changes that will help you be a better leader and improve your organization.
So unless you're the butt of tough guy Jack Nicholson's one-liner, and "You can't handle the truth," we suggest you show your toughness in new ways, like being able to encourage and embrace adversity, address your fears and make John Wayne proud of you.
Learn more about how you can improve your organization's leadership, contact Powerhouse Learning.