A CEO who surrounds themselves with people who always agree is in trouble. Set a clear vision, delegate to senior staff, and actively invite challenge and debate. A culture where people feel safe disagreeing surfaces real obstacles and keeps the organization aligned.
Chapters
I think a lot of leaders will get involved in the minutia and micromanage things that they have no business micromanaging. Micromanagement, even of a chief of staff, is a difficult space because when a chief of staff is doing exemplary work, it's because they feel empowered and trusted. And I think the same thing goes for, you know, how CEOs run their organizations. It should be with trust. It should be not micromanaged. Set the vision, have people understand clearly and consistently what that vision is. And how you're going to get there. Is everybody aligned on the initiative? Is there anything that would jeopardize what we're trying to do? Are we armed to get those obstacles out of the way? Delegate effectively. Trust and verify, but delegate. Every CEO that I have worked with continues to deal with issues around time management. How am I using my time? Am I really focused on my big rocks? Does my calendar reflect that I'm focusing on the right things? I've seen work really well with CEOs is when they're creating cultures That cultures of inquiries. I want to be challenged. I don't want everybody to say yes when I come in the room because sometimes people are yes people around a CEO. They don't quite know how to challenge that CEO. And yet deep down inside, that CEO wants to be challenged. They want to invite that debate. And that doesn't happen unless you really consciously ask for it.
