Its Tough at the Top – Blog Series Intro

If you’re new to this series, be sure to read our brief intro on what this series is about.

Welcome to the first in a series of articles for executives and business owners who have primary P&L responsibility and thereby share the unique and awesome burden of deciding on consequential matters, often without the benefit of complete information. Each post seeks to go beyond textbook advice, be written for easy readability, and will hopefully provide not only a small amount of catharsis but some tactics you can add to your leadership toolbox.

Let’s first look at why it’s indeed so tough at the top:

You have certainly worked hard, and smart, to reach the level of P&L accountability you have. No “B” school can teach a leader about “how to feel” when you manage the precarious balance between the demand of improving your business’ performance (P&L improvement) and the “messy” awesome responsibility of having the authority to profoundly change a human being’s livelihood. It’s never in a job description, and rarely, if ever, discussed.
It’s not only tough, it’s lonely because while you receive no shortage of opinions and advice, evaluating situations with imperfect information and the corresponding accountability for those decisions ultimately rests on your shoulders.
It often feels as if you are flying blind because many of the tactical or strategic decisions you make have unforeseen, unknown, ignored, or buried outcomes, even when they affect the company’s P&L statement or Balance sheet.

With this grounding, let’s move forward with lessons we’ve learned through experience, and admittedly some trial and error. Next In this Series: It’s Tough at the Top Lesson #1: Find those who speak truth to your power

So what’s a viable solution?

Consulting staff with formulated questions, who speak

“We’ve tested, and repeatedly proven, that identifying and consulting staff with formulated questions, who speak knowledgeably and who are forthcoming is a potent tactic for improving business decision-making, improving morale, and delivering superior outcomes.”

Let’s look more closely at the three essential elements to success that are underlined above:

The use of formulated questions. Take a moment to consider your pending decisions, informational blind spots, and to formulate what open-ended questions might yield fruitful insight.
Consulting staff who speak knowledgeably. Opinions and complaints have a place, but fail to add value in decision making. Seek out individuals who respond concretely, and with preparation and facts, when you ask what led them to their point of view.
Individuals who are forthcoming. Yes, it’s a simple reality that employees rely on your judgements and biases for their livelihood and that of their families. At the same time there is alot of research that reveals people’s real motivation to work is actually in your favor. I subscribe to Dan Pink’s finding that Purpose, Autonomy, and Mastery are what we seek from work (after our financial needs are met). What better way to allow them to flex those muscles than through a substantive conversation with an executive such as yourself?

In closing, I’ll confess there are two main barriers to successfully applying these tactics: overcoming your personal hubris as an executive and overcoming a fear that you will only create an employee complaint box. Fortunately, with a bit of introspection on the leadership traits you would like to
exhibit and some well-tuned questions, you can overcome these barriers and cultivate an organizational culture of speaking truth to power…making it just a tad bit easier for you, at the top.

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