The executive dilemma!
18. October 2021
Around six million workers don’t believe in their company. The leaders themselves are to blame
18. October 2021
What distinguishes successful C-suite managers and how do you manage a successful and sustainable entry into a new C-level position?
The 7 biggest challenges to a CEO in an executive transition.
Read the key findings of a recent McKinsey global survey on executives here:
1. Business vision
The creation of a shared vision and alignment of strategic direction across the entire organisation is considered extremely important by 44% of CEOs and very important by 43%
2. Team mobilisation
Mobilisation of the team as an effective group based on trust and efficiency ranked at almost the same level of urgency, with 40% and 46% respectively.
3. Business opportunities
Identification of the business opportunities with the greatest impact while focusing on what to do and what not to do. Relevant, with 37% and 45% respectively.
4. Team make-up
Timely and appropriate make-up of the pool of direct reports out of the right team members is also very high on the ranking list, with 30% and 46% respectively.
5. Cultural change
Implementation of significant changes in the corporate culture as needed. Two-thirds of CEOs rate this as relevant, with 23% finding it extremely important and 43% very important.
6. Corporate culture
Understanding and measuring corporate culture is perceived as equally important by two thirds of CEOs, at 21% and 46% respectively.
7. Ego
Understanding and self-reflection on your leadership role, including the recognition and development of skills relevant to the role, round off the picture with 19% and 47% respectively.
What is remarkable when looking at the CEOs retrospectively is that they would have significantly increased the speed of change in all four areas:
Team takes the largest share with 72%, followed by Business with 69% and Culture with 68%. Even with self-reflection of their own ego, 61 % would develop significantly faster to acquire the relevant skills.
On the issue of culture, all the CEOs were in agreement: 79% found it extremely difficult to implement significant changes in the corporate culture and 65% found it difficult to understand and measure the corporate culture.
From the perspective of an executive profiler, I believe it’s imperative to render the corporate culture and personal value systems of all board members as transparent as possible through a cultural due diligence process.
In a nutshell, the essential factors that guarantee a successful start are: communicating clear priorities to peers, assessing and assembling the right team, taking time to understand and absorb the company’s culture, anchoring and sustainably exemplifying the associated value systems, and understanding and reflecting on your unique leadership role.
Dirk Aaron Bohl / Executive Profiler
