The Executive Coach

Are you ready to take the stage as a leader?

Recently I was hired to provide executive coaching to a senior executive. He hired me to help him understand why he was not chosen to lead an organization and what he can do to make sure the next time an opportunity comes up, he was ready and he would be considered the prime candidate.

My client was convinced that he was the best candidate for the CEO position. I asked him to walk me through the CEO job description, paying particular attention to the desired leadership qualities and competencies. After completing this exercise, he admitted that although he was strong on the technical skills and he could adequately perform the necessary tasks, he was not well rounded as a leader.

While we are both convinced that he is ‘CEO material’, he realized that he needed to build on his professional network and be seen more as a leader outside of his department. He had not invested the required resources to develop his personal brand.

Putting It Into Action:
Re-write your resume to emphasize your leadership skills and added value results. Develop or enhance your one page biography, once again highlighting your leadership and success outside of your division or company. Write articles or speak at conferences to enhance your network and build your personal brand. Attend conferences, events and join clubs/organizations outside of your usual comfort zones. Get appointed to boards that stretch your role beyond what you are currently doing. Lead projects that have wide scopes, high visibility, are international or are key strategic imperatives.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph

Do you want to fast track your career to the ‘C’ Suite?

The key to your success can be BRICK. Brick is an acronym for: Brazil, Russia, India, China and (South) Korea. These five countries make up the largest, wealthiest, quickest emerging and growing economies in the world. These five countries are beginning to change the fundamental dynamics around how your business and every business will compete for resources such as raw materials, talent and customers.

For decades the largest multinational corporations have had formal programs of assigning their high potential senior leaders into overseas placements in the interests of broadening their skills and perspectives. Whether or not your firm has such a program, it is imperative that your organization’s future executives have experience working in or working with the BRICK countries. Performing on the world stage, will signal to your leaders that you should be given a leading role.

Putting It Into Action:
Become very familiar with any products, projects or divisions that rely heavily on any of the BRICK countries. Lead projects that involve one or all of the BRICK countries. Travel to or be appointed for a short-term project in any of the BRICK countries. Research, attend conferences and conduct information interviews with anyone who has experience with one of the five countries.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph

Do you want to fast track your career to the C Suite?

Recently I wrote about one of my senior clients who got passed up for a CEO position. He spent a month upset at the organization, then upset at the world and then upset at himself. While reflection is healthy, you need to get over your setbacks much quicker. My client admitted to himself, and to me as his coach, that he had to begin to build his track record and profile that would lead him to the C Suite.

You need to communicate your successes and signal your intentions regularly.
When presenting to an audience you would:
-Tell them what you will talk about
-Present what your are taking about
-Summarize and remind them what you have told them about.
Why would your campaign to be the next leader be any different?

Putting It Into Action:
Take the initiative, take on more responsibility and lead projects that have a strategic imperative for your organization. Look for opportunities to play a lead role in a high profile project such as an acquisition or a global expansion. Report what you are doing, how you are doing and what the impact is to the organization to the most senior members of the executive team or any Board Members that you may know.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph

Do you want to fast track your career to the C Suite?

Recently, I wrote about one of my senior clients who got passed up for the CEO position. He is now building his track record that should lead him to the C Suite.

C Level positions are few and far between. When C Level positions do open up in your organization or in other organizations, you need to be a natural ‘fit’ for the position, hence the track record. Along with the track record, if you have been following my previous blogs, you will know that I am always encouraging you to expand your network and visibility outside of your department, division, company, industry or country.

Currently, my research and hundreds of interviews reveal that the ten best career stepping stones to help get you to the C Suite are to take the lead in:
1. Helping your organization expand globally (bonus points for BRICK – Brazil, Russia, India, China or S. Korea)
2. Supply chain (cost reduction, efficiency improvements and resource securing)
3. Global strategic alliances
4. Sustainability, Governance and Ethics
5. A merger, acquisition or major change initiative
6. Bold new initiatives with the potential to completely change the way that business is currently done
7. Beacon for top talent (recruit, retain and develop the stars)
8. Risk management (financial, reputation, liability, etc.)
9. Financial stewardship (SOX, Basil, etc.)
10. Any project that contributes the largest share of revenues

Putting It Into Action:
Pick one of the areas mentioned above and put together a strategic plan with weekly targets to ensure that you get to take a leadership role sooner rather than later. After you obtain a comfort level with the new role, report what you are doing, how you are doing and what the impact is to the organization to the most senior members of the executive team or any Board Members that you may know.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph

Do you want to fast track your career to the C Suite?

Recently, I wrote about one of my senior clients who got passed up for the CEO position. He is now building his track record that should lead him to the C Suite.

C Level positions are few and far between. When C Level positions do open up in your organization or in other organizations, you need to be a natural ‘fit’ for the position, hence the track record. Along with the track record, if you have been following my previous blogs, you will know that I am always encouraging you to expand your network and visibility outside of your department, division, company, industry or country.

Currently, my research and hundreds of interviews reveal that the ten best career stepping stones to help get you to the C Suite are to take the lead in:
1. Helping your organization expand globally (bonus points for BRICK – Brazil, Russia, India, China or S. Korea)
2. Supply chain (cost reduction, efficiency improvements and resource securing)
3. Global strategic alliances
4. Sustainability, Governance and Ethics
5. A merger, acquisition or major change initiative
6. Bold new initiatives with the potential to completely change the way that business is currently done
7. Beacon for top talent (recruit, retain and develop the stars)
8. Risk management (financial, reputation, liability, etc.)
9. Financial stewardship (SOX, Basil, etc.)
10. Any project that contributes the largest share of revenues

Putting It Into Action:
Pick one of the areas mentioned above and put together a strategic plan with weekly targets to ensure that you get to take a leadership role sooner rather than later. After you obtain a comfort level with the new role, report what you are doing, how you are doing and what the impact is to the organization to the most senior members of the executive team or any Board Members that you may know.

With you along the path towards success,
Joseph