McKinsey recently published a study in which it tried to understand the mindsets and practices of excellent CEOs. To help future CEOs achieve excellence, it identified six elements that these CEOs focus on, and three key practices within each to guide up-and-coming leaders. I thought I would share it the model with you. Are you sufficiently focusing on these six elements?
- Corporate Strategy
- Vision: reframe what winning means
- Strategy: Make bold moves early
- Resource Allocation: Stay Active
- Organizational Alignment
- Talent: Match talent to value
- Culture: Go beyond employee engagement
- Organizational Design: Combine speed with stability
- Team and Process
- Teamwork: Show resolve
- Decision making: Defend against biases
- Management processes: Ensure coherence
- Board Engagement
- Effectiveness: Promote a forward-looking agenda
- Relationships: Think beyond the meeting
- Capabilities: Seek balance and development
- External Stakeholders
- Social purpose: Look at the big picture
- Interactions: Prioritize and shape
- Moments of truth: Build resilience ahead of a crisis
- Personal Time and Energy
- Office: Manage time and energy
- Leadership model: Choose authenticity
- Perspective: Guard against hubris
Read the study article in its entirety to fully appreciate what they learned about the 18 mindsets and practices. If you have questions and comments, share them with us. If you’d like to experience a Vistage CEO Board meeting, especially in New York, where members resolve significant challenges with an Advisory Peer Board to get fresh perspectives, “brutal truths”, and lots of support so you can make necessary changes, contact me.