What CEOs are looking for
One of the biggest challenges I see with new leaders is that, up to that point, they have relied on the specialist skills required for their zone of genius. Suddenly, stepping into a more senior role means a broadening of their skill set, which can be pretty daunting.
But that scrutiny of skills can also happen when a new CEO starts in post. Fairly quickly, they focus on building their senior team.
Why? Well, as CEO, their role is to set and operationalise the strategic direction of the business. They also become the benchmark for the tone and behaviour of the company's culture.
The CEO needs to make sure their team will reflect and represent the vision and strategy they are trying to execute.
And they are not so much interested in your specialist knowledge - they take that for granted and expect you to have the right people in place too - but more about the other things that you can bring to the table.
Here are the five skills every CEO is looking for in their modern-day leadership team:
representing as an organisational leader, not just a leader in their profession
commitment to continual learning, beyond their technical expertise
ability to translate strategic priorities into clear actions that all levels of the organisation can understand
highly visible, with strong listening and communication skills
working as part of a team, reflecting a united front
How would you rate yourself against these five areas? Which gives you the biggest challenge right now?