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Full Potential

Published February 2010

It’s Showtime

 

  Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D.

Mary is one of the greatest CEOs I have ever met. Assuming your successor has at least some work to do and is motivated to change, you might be able to learn something from her interaction with Rob, her potential successor.

I had been asked to coach Rob, who was then a division president. As part of our coaching process, Rob was asked to seek feedback from all of his stakeholders, including Mary.

Mary was giving Rob feedback on his recent behavior in a team meeting — behavior that was viewed by some colleagues as inappropriate for a division president. Overall, Rob was seen as a strategic genius with an amazing business mind who was also rough around the edges in his dealings with people. He was viewed as sometimes making off-the-cuff comments that could be very hurtful to others. Rob's reaction to this feedback indicated that he believed some of the stakeholder comments were a little picky — and that some of his colleagues were being unduly critical.

"Does this mean that I have to watch what I say and worry about how I act in every meeting for the rest of my career?" Rob grumbled.

"Welcome to my world!" Mary sighed. "If you ever want to become a CEO, get used to it. People are going to be listening to what you say — and watching how you act — in every meeting for the rest of your career. You should be thankful that you are getting this honest feedback and that you are being given the opportunity to learn from it!"

Mary's advice was so true. As you know better than I, the higher up you go in an organization, the more people will be listening to your every word — and interpreting your every action.

As the world has changed, the role of the CEO has changed. The good news for chief executives is that you make a lot more money. The bad news is that you are under far more scrutiny — and face much more pressure — than ever before. In the old days, the business press was much more likely to give big executives a pass on modest displays of inappropriate behavior. Those days are over. With the advent of the Internet, the slightest faux pas can be recorded — or even videotaped by an unseen cell phone — and sent to thousands of people around the world in minutes.

As an example, consider the way the White House press treated presidents before Richard Nixon, as opposed to the way they have treated modern presidents such as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. A president's personal behavior is no longer considered off-limits. It is now being constantly viewed under a microscope, with hopes of finding any blemish. Even normal human reactions in meetings, such as yawning, can be photographed and become fodder for late-night comedians.

Although the press has become increasingly critical, the most important reason for your successor to worry about the impact of her behavior is not the media; it is the potential impact of that behavior on the people she is leading.