CEO Series: Amplify Your Effectiveness
“Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.” - David Ogilvy
Learning from the demands of a CEO role can better prepare us to be leaders in the roles we are in today, no matter our level or span of control.
This week on Learning to Lead Live we continued our CEO series focusing on amplifying effectiveness, including mindset, intentionality, and increasing focus. Here are a few key highlights:
Intentionality: Multi-tasking kills productivity. It leads to the illusion we can juggle more tasks at once, but in reality, it splits our attention and distracts us. CEOs need to be incredibly efficient with their focus, and this is a practice we can all start now, leading us to be more effective in our roles and enhance our decision-making.
Try the Intention Reset Technique to move through procrastination, overthinking, or feeling overwhelmed. Take 30-90 seconds to visualize what needs to be done, mentally walk through the actions (start to finish), how tasks need to be approached, and the challenges that may occur.
The Power of Visualization: Visualization is a scientifically proven concept and an incredibly powerful tool. The brain has a network of neurons called the “Reticular Activating System” (RAS), a filtering system that allows certain information in while blocking out other information. It is influenced by your subconscious which is programmed from a young age through environments, events, people, circumstances, and situations. This system brings awareness to support what beliefs we have (positive or negative).
Visualization allows intentionality and reprogramming of the RAS, shifting our focus to what we want to support, and moving from a reactive to a proactive state of response.
“Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation…. There are going to be priorities and dimensions of your life, how you integrate them is how you find true happiness.” - Denise Morrison
Controlling the Controllable: Despite the best planning and preparation, things will go wrong, even for a CEO. This requires doubling down on focusing on mindset and emotional control:
Remain composed and armed with the right psychology, tools, and support to quickly bounce back
Choose how to respond to unpredictable situations
Avoid focusing on what went wrong and focus instead on what needs to be done
Mindset Matters: CEOs have a lot of demands on their time, a lot of potential stressors, and a job that never ends. Therefore, it is critical to get into the right mindset to start the day. Consider how you prepare yourself for the day. What are your morning habits and routines? What are your non-negotiable practices to ensure you make time for yourself? Start now, because as you rise in your career it does not get easier!
4 Principles that capture The Reality of the CEO Life:
Toughest Role: this is one of the toughest jobs, and it is not for the faint of heart. There is often no getting away from it and it requires work-life balance to be worked out in advance.
Responsibility at a Higher Level: A CEO will need to work on the business aspects of the job, promote the company, and work with leaders on strategy. It’s a multifaceted job that requires efficiency, but also provides a diverse day.
Projecting Self and Instilling Belief in Others: sharing ideas and strategies is critical. A CEO needs to be naturally persuasive and charismatic. This is a role that requires the highest level of leadership, showing up as a confident leader who can make timely decisions, handle stress and inspire those around them.
a CEO Does not own the Company: Shareholders and investors often own the company and hire the CEO to run their company. This means a CEO won’t have complete control of what’s going on, and often deals with the political element of the job and the demands on the best course of action.
CLOSING:
The CEO role is tough and often relentless. It requires focus and intentionality. The rigor of healthy practices and remembering that you are not on your job is critical, especially when you rise to this level. Spend time and do the work to identify who you are, and who you want to become to create the life you want.
“If you want a CEO role, you have to be prepared for it with a vengeance.” - Denise Morrison
Learning to Lead Live Replay
Learning to Lead will be on break for the holiday week. We will return on December 3 for a Leadership Journey interview with one of our community members.
Resources
Leadership development workshop - Iconic Identity Workshop - Dec 5-7, 2022: This is a workshop for leaders to explore what gives them a leadership edge by exploring their identity.
R.O.I: The Millionaire Summit - January 2023 in Puerto Rico: Three days of business education, networking, and action-inspiring speakers
DO Lectures in Wales - July 2023: Each year some of the world’s most amazing minds join us on our small farm in west Wales. They are at the heart of DO Wales. But the magic here comes from everyone.
Newsletters I read daily to stay informed and get inspired: The Hustle, Morning Brew, Seth Godin’s Blog, Atlas Obscura, Oprah Daily, Newsette
Networking & Job Openings
I have been a member of Chief for a little over a year and just recently visited their Los Angeles clubhouse and was so impressed and inspired by the environment. This is a powerful network and I’ve really enjoyed the content they continually create, as well as how engaged the community is. Reach out if you’d like to learn more.
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