Characteristics of the ideal C-Suite leader
Does finding people with the right characteristics in your leadership team seem like picking paint colors? In my very first meeting with my business partner, Jenn, the conversation was really about exploring what each of us wanted and the kinds of valuable experiences each of us had – it was easy and interesting that left me eager for the next conversation. I wanted to contribute, and Jenn was open and trusting. From that meeting, I was hopeful that our backgrounds and common purpose to help people develop their leadership skills would grow into a partnership. As we had more meetings, I learned more about how Jenn thinks and her personality style. To be honest, I also felt some doubt – we are very different. Jenn tends to be quicker to decide, while I like to understand and have options. I also began to understand that these differences are a strength when we take time to value them. What she would tell you about our interactions is similar – it was easy and interesting. She also felt optimistic especially when I was clear about how I wanted to contribute. She’d also tell you that she felt a clear sense of my contribution, vulnerability and trust from our very first meeting.
Having the right people in your leadership team is one of the most impactful choices we make as CEOs. People with the right leadership characteristics not only bring successful results to your organization they also contribute to our personal sense of fulfilment, success and happiness. Just like choosing paint chips, choosing a member for your executive team with limited information can leave you feeling unsure sure how it works in the full context. With paint chips we get greater clarity spending a little more time by painting a test patch and reviewing the patch in the light over the span of a few days. Gut feel is important as is testing that gut feel over a few meetings to really get to know a potential addition to your executive.
Understanding how someone thinks brings up a gut feel question for me “Does this person have the characteristics that I want?” Here are 5 things to bring awareness to that gut feeling and help make a better choice. It’s certainly no formula but hopefully useful ideas to stimulate your thinking.
Intrinsically motivated – we all want self-starters in senior level roles. This happens when leaders are intrinsically motivated – passionate about their mission and motivated from within to build something better. They are driven by purpose rather than rules, policies, or guidelines. When I met Jenn, I noticed the conversation was about vision and her commitment to values. She readily shared her knowledge from her remarkable experience and at the same time wanted to learn from me. She was also ready to make important decisions to move forward in our partnership and stop things that weren’t easy or adding value. All signs of someone with high intrinsic motivation. Beware of behaviours that show a need to be liked, place importance on being right or an excessive need to be in control. These are signs of extrinsic motivation that eventually require your energy to manage these blindspots.
Easy – stop and reflect how easy it is to work with this person. Are you having conversations where they understand you easily and add something more? People that are easy to work with have a balance between listening and talking, asking questions and giving answers. People that are easy to work with find ways to adapt while keeping high integrity to their own needs.
Contribute – The right people want to contribute, be in service to others, humble in their approach and ready to exchange ideas. They bring an energy that feels like you get more than you give. You find they contribute in small or big ways in every interaction.
You feel a little vulnerable – check-in on your level of vulnerability. People you want on your team should know more than you or have some personal characteristics that could make them a better leader than you. It might make you a bit uncomfortable at first and test your own leadership capabilities. Let it be a challenge for you to grow yourself.
You like them and value their differences – I have had people in my teams that were very different to me – different personality profiles, different childhood experiences, different emphasis on relationships vs process, different energy levels and different risk tolerance. Being aware of these differences and making a choice to like and value them makes for a stronger relationship. Take some time to check-in that you truly like this person.
At some point you are faced with making a choice to select someone for your leadership team. It’s a point where you have answered the gut feeling question and decided you are ready to trust and accommodate. Every relationship is formed on a foundation of trust and for sure some accommodation to allow them to contribute their gifts and strengths. When you make eye contact, do you have a sense of trust? Do you sense they have an inner motivation, want to contribute, will make things easier and possibly be better than you? Have you decided their differences are valuable and you are energized to have them on your team?
Selecting people for your top team requires your highest judgement, its not only an enormous decision for your team but the organization as a whole. Get it wrong and its disruptive, get it right and you’ll enhance the effectiveness and fulfillment of your entire executive. While you evaluate skills, knowledge and gather perspective with others, keep checking-in on your own mindset – it has a perspective too and its helpful in selecting the right talent for your team.