One of the things I love about my job is that I am constantly learning (there is so much value in aging — yay!). There’s rarely a day without a conversation or a situation that doesn’t stick with me long after it’s ended. They may seem unrelated on the surface, but they often point to larger lessons about leadership, relationships, and career growth.
This month, rather than exploring a single topic in depth, I wanted to share three observations that have been on my mind recently, each offering its own reminder about what it takes to lead effectively and navigate a successful career.
#1. Who Wants to be a CEO?
Lately I’ve had a string of conversations with biotech CEOs and people who are interested in becoming one. Because I am a “safe” person for a sitting CEO to talk with, I often hear very unfiltered thoughts on the role and how the person is feeling.
It’s not infrequent that they are in pain and wondering why they wanted it in the first place. Often, it just seemed “the logical next step” in a very accomplished career. And their driven, competitive personality and ego needs made it seem obvious.
For those considering it, it’s worth contemplating that becoming CEO is not simply a promotion — it’s a fundamentally different role. It takes you from a position in which you are valued primarily for your functional expertise, into one in which you are now the general.
You no longer do the work and you don’t own anything. Yes, you have a huge amount of authority, but you are now responsible for everything, good or bad.
As CEO, your role is to assemble the best team possible, with the goal of hiring people who are smarter than you. My observation is that the happiest CEOs are those who get deep satisfaction from the energy of working with a collaborative team and the feeling of accomplishing something together. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when the CEO does not get energy from this, the teams are often dysfunctional.
So before you raise your hand, do the math: Does what you love to do align with the role? How do you want to spend your days? What are you willing to give up? Without the glamour and title, would you even want the job?
#2. Trust Underpins Everything
Recently, I learned of an important decision made by an organization with which I have had a significant long-term relationship. The decision was made without my knowledge, let alone my input. Letting me know it was happening — instead of my discovering it on my own — would have been super-easy. A ten-minute courtesy phone call.
The truth is, it wasn’t a decision that I could have (or should have) changed, nor was it a big thing. But my feelings about the person responsible — and, by extension, the organization overall — have been permanently changed. It has caused me to rethink the entire relationship.
It was an unfortunate reminder that even a long-established trust and all the positive value that comes with it can be lost in an instant. Don’t do that.
#3. Feedback Is Rocket Fuel
I was talking with a C-suite friend who told me a story about feedback she received as part of a 360-degree exercise. She had gone into the coaching relationship with an open mind, feeling good in general about what she would learn from the assessment.
And there was a lot of good in it. But she was completely blindsided by what she heard from her peers — she had zero idea how she was being perceived. It was so shocking, it took a five-hour walk around the city for her to recover and process it.
In the end, once she got through it, she took the feedback to heart and decided to lean into making changes. Not only did her personal job satisfaction improve, six months later, the next round of 360 results from her peers were exceptional.
This was her first C-level role. The degree of cross-company collaboration at that level is foreign, and she was thrust into a game she didn’t understand. This is especially common when moving to the C-suite, but can happen in any new situation. People are often oblivious to how things work and what may have changed from their previous experiences.
Candid feedback is one of the most valuable tools for any executive. Your degree of openness to the pain that may come with it can make or break your career — and definitely shorten your path to greatness. Do this. 😊
An Important Reminder
Success is rarely determined by expertise alone.
Especially at the highest levels, the choices we make about the roles we pursue, the trust we build with others, and our willingness to hear difficult feedback, often have a greater impact on a career than any technical skill.
The longer I work with executives and leadership teams, the more convinced I become that these are the things that separate good leaders from exceptional ones.
