C-Suite Executives Must Unlearn Doing to Be Successful – Behind the Scenes
You are likely where you are today because you have executed consistently at a high level. This is how you rise to the ranks of the C-Suite executives. To perform at the level you are expected to, you have to change how you approach work. We look at the details of less doing and more thinking in this behind-the-scenes episode. When you join the c-suite executives, you are expected to think much more than before. This will be a challenge because part of your identity has been in the act of doing. The executive leadership team has to learn to let go of doing work and spend more time on strategy and developing others. Discover why thinking for C-suite executives is so essential to the growth of the company.
Don't miss an episode. Subscribe to Growth Think Tank.
Behind the Scenes: The Transcript
Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Disclaimer: This transcript was created using YouTube’s translator tool and that may mean that some of the words, grammar, and typos come from a misinterpretation of the video.
This message is for C-suite executives. So if you’re a founder, CEO of a fast-growing company, you’ve been listening to my content for years. You might want to share this with those that you are leading. Those C-suite executives really do need to understand this one corporate. When you become a C-suite executive it’s because you have executed at a high level consistently, you have done this over and over and over. Over years of experience, you have created value.
[00:00:31] You have innovated, you have pushed through challenges. You have been the person that they could give you the project. And they would know that it got done, which is awesome. But here’s what happens when you become a C-suite executive, when you become any high-level leader, then you’ve got to learn to let go of the doing and become more of a thinker. And really create more space for others to be doing the doing. What I mean by that is a lot of C-suite executives don’t understand that their job is not just about the execution of the work.
[00:01:10] The milestones, the metrics, their job is about developing others. And it’s about thinking through the risk they’re in front of the company, thinking through how all of the departments work together, how we innovate, how we meet market challenges, how we must adapt, how we must understand the data that’s in front of us.
[00:01:30] All of this is thinking time and you don’t realize that you’ve got to let go of some of that doing to be able to do that. It’s not just adding more time in the day. You want to make sure that you are unlearning the doing, if you will, and becoming more of a thinker. Now I say this because a lot of the founders and CEOs, I work with want their C-suite executives to be more strategic, be more visionary.
[00:01:58] And this isn’t mean they’re driving the entire vision for the company, but they’re driving vision for their group and they’re connecting to the vision of the overall company. And that takes thinking time. And you’ve gotta be prepared for thinking time because a lot of the stuff that gets in the way of your thinking time is your email.
[00:02:16] The organization of your calendar, the things on your to-do list, most of that stuff is the doing of your job. You’ll still have to do those things, but you’ll have to spend a lot more time thinking than you’re used to, or even comfortable with. All of this is to help you be a stronger leader, help you stay at this place of C-suite executives.
[00:02:39] One of the biggest problems behind this is you have to learn to let go of their identity of being a doer. What this looks like is… you have this identity that you’ve worked really hard to develop. You have gotten things done. This identity is deep inside. They know that if they give you the project, that it will get done, no matter what you’ve taken ownership of that, here’s the thing, as you’ve risen up to the ranks that you are now. Being a C-suite executive, for example, you have to make sure that you have space for more thinking and not just more doing so when you get to this place, you want to make sure that you are protecting the time that you do your best thinking.
[00:03:24] What that looks like is if you are an early riser, then you want to make sure that your first moments of work during the period, that was, you do your best thinking. You are doing the thinking work, not the busy work, not the emails and all the to-dos. You were doing the thinking work that drives the company in a big way.
[00:03:44] Now thinking may not seem like real work because it could look like you’re taking over. It could look like you’re reading something outside your industry. It could look like you are looking at data and seeing what the connection is across many different groups or whatever it is your business is. It looks very different than the doing. The doing is how you spend time on a spreadsheet, how you know, really sit down and talk to someone about what we’re doing next in this project and where we are and working through challenges.
[00:04:17] So as a C-suite executive, you need to spend more time thinking and less time doing. I bring this to you because I want to make sure that we create content for you to be the best leader. Possible. Founders may share this with their C-suite executives, or you may be that C-suite executive that just wants to figure out how do I get the edge?
[00:04:37] We’ll keep tuning in here to Grow Think Tank, where we interview founder CEOs of fast-growth companies to help you understand how they think about leadership and culture. These little videos about behind the scenes will help you become the best leader in a very short fashion. And all you have to do is keep tuning in.
[00:04:55] If you want to subscribe, we appreciate you doing that or refer this to someone you think would be a benefit of it. But the bottom line is if you want to become a better leader, spend more time. My name is Gene Hammett. I work with fast growth founders, CEOs, and their teams to help them grow beyond where they are today.
[00:05:11] Do the impossible. All you have to do is reach out to me. I’d love to help you in any way I can. When you think of leadership and you think of growth, think of “Growth Think Tank”. As always lead with courage. We’ll see you next time.
Disclaimer: This transcript was created using YouTube’s translator tool and that may mean that some of the words, grammar, and typos come from a misinterpretation of the video.
Resources
A QUICK FAVOR
And lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Growth Think Tank on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!
If you want more from us check out more interviews:
Transformational Leadership Productivity Tips Best Selling Author Interviews
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | https://www.youtube.com/user/leadersinthetrenches
