3.0 C-Suite Top Secrets: Transforming Your & Organizational Thinking
As I write this, 2015 is only 52 days old. To me, it seems like it’s been a thousand days since the ball dropped. But that’s good – really good actually.
Let me ask you this: Have there been times when you have experienced day after day turning into a week after week of high impact individual and / or team performance? And by the time you reflect and catch your breath, it feels that months have passed? Yes? Great feeling, right?
That is exactly what I am talking about. Just this past week, despite the snowstorms that seemed to follow me through my amazing conversations with brilliant executives in NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, Detroit (and not so snowy Dallas) all the way back to Denver…where it’s just starting to fall. The best part? Everyone I talked to and worked with had an incredible attitude in spite of multitudes of disruptions in their day-to-day lives caused by one of biggest snowstorms in recent memory.
Excellence is a process, not just an outcome. Sure, we have to hold out for high standards in the products or services we provide. The goods must be more than “good enough.” But so must our approach – you know, our methodology, the way we do business and deal with people. How could the ends be considered excellent if we can’t be proud of the means? “~ Price Pritchett, Ph.D.
When your days are consistently (right) action packed, with strategic planning and a high-impact structure approach, success just follows you – and that is very attractive, reflecting your expertise posture and overall confidence level. And before you know it, this affects everyone and everything around you!
How?
Let us explore the shifts and positive changes that have taken place in recent years within the C-Suite and how this change may be applicable to you:
1.0 C-Suite Era – “The Early Years” This may seem like a million years ago, but in reality I’m talking about the 1920’s. Long before the IBM and Microsoft era of technological innovations, small and then larger enterprises began to form centralized leadership groups. These teams (almost always comprised of men) managed resource allocation, critical thinking, performance monitoring and overall execution. Quite impressive for that time, don’t you think?
This may feel in 2015 like a million years ago, right? But in all a reality this was not long ago when formation and foundation of the leadership system were configured and replicated over the time across the globe. It was less than 100 years ago, dating back to early 1920s.
2.0 C-Suite Era – Also Known as “Divide and Conquer Era” reflected a new concept of globalization (many are still unclear what this is like). Beginning in the 1970’s, people began to believe that because of technology, the world was shrinking. Time also seemed to speed up, creating greater demands on the C-Suite due to rapid demands and increasingly visible roles in the organization and the outside world. (Think Chrysler’s CEO, Lee Iacocca).
“The next-generation C-suite must transcend functional boundaries to secure enhanced alignment and coherence, without defaulting back to the command-and-control arrangements of a bygone era” ~ Eamonn Kelly, Deloitte Consulting LLP
3.0 C-Suite Era – Or known to some as “ Holistic Leadership” era! Yes, it is happening right now. And if you are not paying close attention: your organization, including the board of the directors, and advisory teams in silos, will have a hard time on catching on. Why?
The gap between executive leadership teams in organizations is getting wider due to high demands of specialized and function-deep skill sets of newly formed roles. The C-Suite is also getting bigger (just look at the new CXO acronyms), organizational charts are more complex and the decision-making process is often taking too long and delaying an execution.
What is wrong with this picture and why?
The three main areas that 3.0 C-Suite is struggling with today, may surprise you:
#1: Get permission to execute – Yes, you heard me correctly! Through large or small nic