Transcript excerpt of a speaker describing how an effective COO challenges a CEO constructively: listen first, record ideas, privately analyze risks and positives, then present a framed proposal that demonstrates understanding of the CEO’s thinking and emphasizes teamwork rather than conflict. The speaker also references married leadership pairs and learning the CEO’s reactions over time.
Chapters
I don't know how many marriage leadership couples are out there too, but I think if you're having a great time, you're going to build a beautiful company, because we are just fully invested and we're just having a blast with all the challenges. So when he comes with these crazy ideas that seem crazy to him and some are pretty obvious, but I don't see it quite yet, just listen, write everything down and okay, okay, I hear you fine, no problem. I've already got 10 things in my head that are like, this is nuts, this going to work. I already see problems with this. I already see that's not the moment to bring it up. Then I will have my own session and think, okay, what are the positives? What is he thinking? What can work really well? And then let me write down a list. I'm a bullet point person, so let me bullet point all the other risks. But then I have to say, okay, what are realistic? And over the years, I've developed of like, well, he would say this to that point. Over time, you end up learning how the CEO thinks and you kind of have your discussion while you're almost kind of putting a proposal of how I think this is going to play out and all the risks. And then once everything is done, you say, okay, I put some thought into this. Here's my list. Here are the points that I thought. But I know you're going to react this way, but I'm just going to verbalize it because I want you to recognize that I'm thinking about how you think. And I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to make this work. And I'm here to give you the other side of the reality check because we're on the same team.
