The Learning CEO
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
“The Learning CEO” is a phrase I coined a number of years back to help my clients understand the high correlation between knowledge and success. As a CEO Coach there is little doubt that I’m passionate about CEO development, and there is one simple reason why…it works. Great CEOs are like a sponge when it comes to the acquisition of knowledge, the development of new skill sets, and the constant refinement of existing competencies. In today’s post I’ll examine the benefits of being a Learning CEO.
Are You A Hero Leader?
Thursday, November 13th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Are you a “hero leader?” Do you like to swoop-in and save the day? Do you see yourself as the white knight who can solve any problem or challenge? If you do, you have what I refer to as ”hero leader syndrome.” Any leader’s belief that he or she can do everything better than anyone else (even if it’s true) is a root cause of inhibiting workforce productivity. Creating unnecessary dependencies between leaders and team members, while often unintentional and/or well-intended, is nonetheless a far too common practice for the “hero leader.” In today’s post we’ll take a look at the myth of the hero leader…
When Passion Impedes Purpose
Monday, November 10th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
When passion impedes purpose…an interesting title, but is it really possible for passion to impede purpose? Isn’t passion a good thing? Sure, in most cases passion is an asset that will carry you though tough times, sharpen your perspective, and help you succeed in the face of overwhelming odds. That being said, I’ve also witnessed passion run-a-muck and cause untold harm. It has been my experience that passion only becomes a barrier to success when it is misunderstood and/or misapplied. So, in today’s post I’ll examine the downside of unbridled passion, so that passion can remain an asset, and not end-up becoming a liability for you or your company….
Transitioning the CEO
Monday, November 3rd, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Today’s Myatt on Monday’s question comes from a board member who asks: ”Our current CEO is underperforming against expectations…How does the board know when it is time to transition the CEO?” While it is refreshing to hear a board member paying attention to CEO performance, the decision to replace a CEO not only requires a complex analysis, but the wrong decision will have far reaching consequences. In today’s post I’ll share my thoughts on the right reasons to transition the CEO…
Bill Clinton Gets It Wrong
Thursday, October 30th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Bill Clinton gets it wrong again…During a campaign rally in Orlando last night in which Bill Clinton was introducing Barack Obama, he built his warm-up speech around what he called “the four things that really matter in a president.” According to Bill Clinton, the four things it takes to be a great president are: 1) Philosophy; 2) Policies; 3) Ability to make a Decision, and; 4) The ability to Execute on Decisions. Wow…What about Character, Integrity, Track Record, Service Above Self, etc. (see “Leadership DNA“).
Leadership vs. Management
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
As a top CEO Coach I can tell you without any doubt that Leadership is different than Management. While there seems to be a never ending stream of politically correct pontificating in corporate circles about the differences between managers and leaders, most of it misses the mark. Leaders and managers play different roles, and have different purposes. They both are unique in their value, and in their contribution. While most of the commentary I have read on Leadership vs. Management attempts to please all constituencies, those of you who have read my work in the past know that I am rarely politically correct, nor do I ever seek to try and please all the people all the time.
CEO Success…It’s not Random
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Success is not random…
CEOs need to realize that neither their success nor failure is a random act. CEOs also can rarely blame their victories and losses on anyone other than themselves. Top CEOs exhibit the right combination of skill sets, competencies, leadership aptitude, and decisioning ability. Failed CEOs simply do not. Having success as a CEO is little more than a matter of understanding where and when to apply leverage to highest and best use activities. In today’s post we’re going back to “CEO 101″ to get a bit of a refresher course on things you should already know, but that you most probably not applying correctly on a day-to-day basis…
Resourcing 101 for CEOs
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
All great CEOs understand in the concept of creating leverage via proper resource allocation. Top CEOs know how to create resources where none exist, and to deploy and redeploy resources to maximize opportunities and to minimize risk. So my question to you is this…are you over-resourced, under-resourced, resource aligned, or do you even know? In today’s post I’ll look at the topic of resourcing as a key success metric for CEOs…
Who Do You Trust?
Friday, October 10th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
Who do you trust? This is a simple enough question, but nonetheless, one worthy of consideration. The realty is that trust leads to respect, and it is impossible to thrive as a leader absent establishing trust and respect with those under your charge. One of the hallmarks of great CEOs is their ability to create highly productive executive teams. However it also goes without saying that getting senior executives to “play nicely” with one another can also be one of the greatest challenges for CEOs. In today’s post I’ll briefly examine one of the obvious, but often overlooked tenants of team building…establishing trust and respect.
Timing Is Everything
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth
If you don’t think timing is everything, think again. If you’ve learned anything as a result of the events of recent weeks, it should be that timing matters…We’ve all recently witnessed that it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a politician, investment banker, CEO, or just an average citizen, when it comes to making a simple decision, managing a crisis, or attempting to exploit an opportunity, timing is everything. I’ve often heard people quip that they would rather be lucky than smart. While intelligence and good fortune are certainly both valuable traits to possess, neither of these traits holds a candle to having a great sense of timing…Luck is a hit or miss proposition, and we’ve all known many a brilliant underachiever. However it has been my observation that you will rarely come across someone who possesses a great sense of timing that is anything other than successful. In today’s post I’ll take a look at timing as key success metric…