As CEO, there’s a pivotal question you must be able to answer: Why were you chosen to lead your organization? And more importantly, where can you uniquely lead your company that no other CEO can?
If you’re unable to answer these questions, you may be under-leading your organization.
Understanding Your Unique Value as CEO
CEOs are chosen for a reason—there is something about you that convinced the board you were the right choice. It could be your ability to inspire and build confidence among external stakeholders, your specialized industry knowledge, or your talent for bringing alignment and structure to a fragmented executive leadership team (ELT).
These are not hypothetical reasons. These examples are drawn from real CEOs we’ve worked with. Discovering the real reason you were chosen may take time, but rest assured, there was a compelling reason you were selected.
The Responsibility of CEO Leadership
Becoming CEO grants you a unique opportunity and responsibility. Effective leadership demands the courage to develop a vision and strategy in consultation with your board and ELT, and then execute relentlessly. Establishing this vision is not a consensus exercise—it’s about your willingness to take the organization where only you can lead it, leveraging your personality, experience, and judgment.
Avoid the Trap of Under-Leading
Many CEOs struggle with this fundamental aspect of leadership. Some mistakenly believe that the only way to gain buy-in is through consensus, leading to indecision. In reality, your team often expects you to make a decisive choice, so the organization can move forward with clarity and purpose.
Others hesitate to act due to a lack of perfect knowledge, particularly when addressing underperforming ELT members. By delaying action, CEOs risk losing respect, enabling damaging behavior, and missing opportunities for a fresh start.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Reflect on where you want to lead your organization, write it down, and share it with your team. Seek input, but remember, it’s your role to make the final decision and start executing.
At The Bailey Group, we help CEOs ensure they aren’t under-leading. If you think this might be an issue for you, let’s grab a coffee and talk about it.
