Issuu

Learn Faster. Lead Further. Executive Retreat Guide for CEOs

Empower Your Leadership By Growing Your Team

RETREAT ROADMAP Kingdom Impact: The Pyramid of Personal Growth

Business Principle: Improve Your Team to Improve Your Company

The Five Factors of a Firm Foundation Projects

The Four Beliefs of a Team Building Leader 15 Every #1 Leader Needs a #2, then a #3, #4, and so on.

You May Be Stopping Yourself from Finding Your Second

Endnotes 23 Next Level Leader: How to Gain Your Leader’s Confidence

Bonus: The Five Abilities Every Employee Must Have For Your Company to Succeed.

Additional Resources

CEO Tools

Kingdom Impact

ceoexperience.com

Kingdom Impact: The Pyramid of Personal Growth

The best investment a person can make is an investment in self. The person who sets themselves on the path of personal progress is poised for prosperity. Those who improve themselves are quickly identified and recognized. Famed Irish playwright and political activist George Bernard Shaw once wrote that “life isn’t about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.” 1

One helpful tool for determining where and how to grow as a leader is the pyramid of personal growth. With an outside layer and inside layer, this pyramid can help leaders see where to build and how to grow. The external layer of the triangle is also known as the Triangle of Success.2 The outer portion of the triangle enables each leader to focus on and enhance one of the three critical characteristics of personal development. Each side of the triangle represents an essential area to master for individuals who wish to improve themselves. Although the three key areas can seem simple to understand, they provide a plethora of applications for leaders who evaluate opportunities in each area. Many leaders would testify that when a person can improve in any or all of these critical areas, they will grow in every area of their life and business.

The Triangle of Success KNOWLEDGE The left side of the triangle represents knowledge, which is essential to growth. Many people don’t grow because they don’t know where to grow. Legendary inventor, writer, and statesman Benjamin Franklin once wrote that “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”3 Lack of knowledge is not an excuse in today’s knowledge-based economy. The world wide web has brought knowledge to the fingertips of any leader who wishes to seek it. A growing person is a person who expands their knowledge frequently and consistently.

Kingdom Impact: The Pyramid of Personal Growth Experience Question: What is the most important thing you have learned in the last 3 months that has improved your life or business?

The person

SKILLS Just as knowledge is essential, so are the skills that a leader uses to display that knowledge. Dale Carnegie once wrote that “knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.”4 Therefore, the person who wishes to make progress must do so in both knowledge and skills. Skill speaks to mastery in the application of knowledge. The first aspect of any job or task is to learn about the task and what experience is essential to completing that task. Skill speaks to how the person does the work, and how they improve to complete the work more efficiently. Knowledge is useful for opening a door or an opportunity, but skill is what keeps the door open. The development of skills is where people can expand to new heights. Every leader should be looking to improve their skillset.

who sets themselves on the path of personal progress is poised for prosperity.

ATTITUDE The bottom of the Triangle represents the most critical area of personal growth—attitude. Attitude can be more important than knowledge and skills combined. As legendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote: “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”5 Your attitude makes a difference in how you approach your work, your relationships, and yourself.

The Levels of Learning Lasting leaders are learning leaders. Those who can lead for long periods of time continue to stay fresh through placing a premium on personal development and growth. When leaders

ceoexperience.com 5

Improve Your Team To Improve Your Company

BUSINESS PRINCIPLE: WHEN YOUR TEAM GETS BETTER, YOUR ORGANIZATION GETS BETTER

The Five Factors of a Firm Foundation

Leaders who wish to succeed in today’s changing marketplace will not only establish a firm foundation for their business; they will continue to inspect the foundation to ensure that any wear and tear caused by shifting, ever-changing conditions is quickly repaired and remedied. Every successful business is built on five critical factors that ensure success. These five factors are valid for every size business or organization. The truly successful business will learn how to master each of the five factors.

FIND THE RIGHT AND BEST PEOPLE TO BRING AROUND YOU. MAKE PEOPLE YOUR TOP PRIORITY. LEARN FROM EVERYONE. SPEND TIME WITH A WISE TEAM OF MENTORS. LEARN FASTER BY LEARNING FROM OTHERS. ASK QUESTIONS AND LISTEN. SEEK COUNSEL. HELP PEOPLE TO DISCOVER THEIR GIFTS AND TALENTS.

FACTOR #1: PURPOSE Great businesses are founded and focused on a purpose that matters. Every founder had a reason for starting the business. Great companies learn how to transfer the founder’s purpose and passion throughout the organization. Every person on the team should know and embrace the “why” of the company. While every company has a purpose, many employees never fully understand it and the key reasons behind the company’s formation. Purpose is essential to success because it steers the ship through the stormy waters of change and uncertainty in the marketplace. Business consultant Peter Drucker wrote that “business purpose and business mission are so rarely given adequate thought are perhaps the most important cause of business frustration and failure.” 1 Companies with a big enough purpose can withstand the changes that occur over time and market fluctuations.

FIND PASSIONATE AND RELIABLE PEOPLE. 10

Improve Your Team To Improve Your Company Experience Question: What is the purpose of your organization? How well does everyone in your organization relate to and embrace its purpose?

“

Business

purpose and business

mission are so

FACTOR #2: PROFIT Businesses that make a difference develop a model for profitability and use those profits for a purpose that makes a difference. A firm foundation for a business is built on robust reserves and the right model for new resources entering the business. Great companies pay attention to all aspects of profitability, including pricing, margins, inventory, cost of goods, rework, customer retention, and effective use of labor. Ineffective leadership and poor stewardship of operations can erode the profitability of even the best companies. FACTOR #3: PEOPLE A business will only succeed when it has the right people in place to serve the right people who purchase products. A company can have the right product for the right customer but can be hampered by the wrong people acting with the wrong attitude.2 When you lose your culture; you lose your company. Companies built on a firm foundation pay attention to hiring and training people to serve their customers in a way that engenders loyalty. These businesses understand the axiom that “when the organization’s people get better the organization gets better.”

rarely given adequate thought is perhaps the most important cause of business frustration and failure.” PETER DRUCKER

”

Improve Your Team To Improve Your Company

Just as a building will not stand without a foundation, so a business that is not built on a firm foundation cannot hope to stand the test of time. Leaders who plan to continue to grow their businesses should become experts at inspecting their foundations. Specifically, these leaders should focus on purpose, profits, people, products, and processes.

The Law of Attraction: You Don’t Attract What You Want, You Attract What You Are.

ceoexperience.com 14

PEOPLE IMPACT ALL FIVE FACTORS OF BUSINESS Leaders often enjoy finding people that look and act exactly like them. Motivation author Bob Proctor conveys the concept of the law of attraction. “The law of attraction is this: You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.”5 This law is why many organizations can only reach a certain level before they stop progressing and then plateau. In those organizations, the leaders have attracted a group of people that only function at the highest level of the leader. So, if a leader has the vision, insight, and people skills of a six out of ten leader, then everyone in the organization will only function at a six-level or below. Too many organizations fail to achieve their full potential because the leader has attracted people to the organization that lead like the leader leads. Growing businesses understand that to grow their business; they must focus on developing their team. Every person is essential because each person has a different set of skills, abilities, and gifts. This principle encourages leaders to recognize that every person on their team has gifts and abilities and to understand that organizations function better when the gifts and skills of their people are released to be used to their full potential. Each individual in your organization has something unique and special to offer the world and your company. Every leader would be wise to embrace the idea that to achieve your peak organizational performance the organization must “find and utilize the abilities of your team.” Leaders employ good vision when they recognize and utilize the many gifts that your organization has at its disposal through the talents, gifts, and abilities, of the team. <<< CEO Experience © All Rights Reserved 2019 >>>

Improve Your Team To Improve Your Company

The Four Beliefs of a Team Building Leader

Empowering leaders believe that every person has a gift or talent. Team focused leaders can embrace that every person on their team has unique abilities and talents that can help the organization to accomplish more. A leader who can see and call out the gifts of others is a leader who has an extraordinary impact. John Maxwell states that “Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”6 When a leader believes that every person has a gift, the leader focuses their attention on helping the people use and maximize their gifts.

Experience Question: How have you discovered the gifts and talents of the people on your team? What one action could you take to discover and utilize the gifts of the people on your team?

Empowering leaders believe that everyone can develop his or her abilities. Every person on the team should believe that it is not sufficient to know that they have gifts, but they should instead believe that gifts are given to be used. Kevin Hall, the author of the book Aspire, writes, “Your gifts are not about you. Leadership is not about you. Your purpose is not about you. A life of significance is about serving those who need your gifts, your leadership, your purpose.” 7 An

Improve Your Team To Improve Your Company Win Activity Think about the benefits that you and your organization could receive from recognizing and utilizing the gifts of those on your team. List those benefits below. #1

Experience Question: When do you feel the loneliest in your leadership?

Although leaders internally know that they should lead with others, leading with others can be hard and frustrating. It may seem so much easier to lead alone than to invest time trying to build a team around you. However, part of the design for great leadership is for the empowering leader to invest, influence, and engage with others. It is wise for leaders to discern whether they are trying to lead alone. Leaders who can develop the next level of leaders in their company can find several considerable benefits in growing their people.

A key benefit from a leadership partnership is the deeper friendship that will likely evolve between the two partners. Leaders grow in their impact when they move from leading employees to leading friends.11 In one of the most poignant moments for the disciples, Jesus relates his personal feelings when he says “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15). Managing a business is challenging work. Leading a company can be extremely stressful. Sometimes a leader needs a friend to listen to their thoughts, their ideas, and their dreams. Leaders who find an up-and-coming, next-level leader will be able to share the vicissitudes of running a business or a department. Every leader benefits from a trusted friend. Another compelling benefit of having a second in command is that the leader can take breaks and achieve balance. Leaders benefit when they have responsible people in their lives and organizations. By nature, most leaders have a deep drive to create a better company but are often frustrated by a lack of time, a lack

Improve Your Team To Improve Your Company of people, or a lack of resources to help make their plans a reality. Leaders who lead at the highest level find people who will be at their side to help them to think intentionally about the next steps that they are taking. When leaders have people that they trust to make decisions and to lead well, it enables the top leader to spend their time working “on” their business and not just “in” their business. Many leaders find the benefits of receiving inspiration and encouragement from a second chair leader. Leaders have a better ability to stay positive when they have people around them who will and can encourage them. Every person needs encouragement. Leaders often invest time and energy in supporting their team and often find that they have no one to encourage them. When a leader has a second person who walks with them at a high level, that person can speak encouraging words at just the right time to help the leader to keep going. Lastly, accountability for the leader enhances and deepens when the leader develops a real relationship with a key person on their leadership team. Even top leaders need a person to hold them accountable. CEO’s have a temptation to become isolated in position and in action. When no one holds the leader accountable, the leader can be tempted to make decisions that will hurt the organization, or be tempted to make no decisions at all. Leaders lead better when they have people on their team who are willing to challenge them and who always speak the truth. When a leader has a number 2 leader, more and better work is accomplished.

A Better You Will Attract a Better Next. UNKNOWN

Every #1 leader needs a #2 leader. A question that leaders might consider is: Do you have a person that you can count on at all times?

Experience Question: What have you found to be the best benefits to having a person on your team that you can count on and trust?

Next Level Leader

ceoexperience.com 19

Next Level Leader: How To Gain Your Leader’s Confidence

Leaders receive a great benefit when they have team members whom they can trust and rely on to have a business owner’s mentality. Dependability and reliability are two essential traits that every leader looks for in key employees. When a leader knows that they can trust their team, it enables the leader to focus on the most important tasks of the business that will help the business to grow and thrive in the future.1 Therefore, it should be a high priority for every employee to build and gain the trust of the leader.

4 Steps to Gaining Your Leader’s Confidence: 1. Think As Your Leader Thinks Most leaders enjoy a diversity of ideas. Good leaders work diligently to bring people with a variety of thoughts and ideas into their organizations. Many leaders welcome robust discussions on how to do things differently and better. However, every leader also wants its teams to consider how the leader thinks and makes decisions. Employees gain the leader’s confidence when they display a propensity to think the thoughts the leader has and act how they think the leader would have acted. When leaders know that their people are thinking like them, they become confident in their employees. 2. Make Decisions Like the Leader Would Make Decisions A second key way that people can win the confidence of their leaders is to make decisions that will please the leader. When a team member makes a decision that is in the best interest of the entire

Experience Question: How do I get to know the values of my leader so I can make decisions with which they would be happy?

Next Level Leader: How To Gain Your Leader’s Confidence organization and not just a specific area of the organization, the leader’s confidence in that individual grows. The leader cannot be everywhere in the organization. He or she needs to trust that the team is making the right decisions according to the values of the organization and the leader. Any leader would be happy if his or her team made a decision he or she would have made.2 3. Take Action on Tasks You Know the Leader Wants Done Before the Leader Has to Ask You To Do It. Many leaders have a plethora of tasks on their plate. They focus on an area and do not have time to follow up on other tasks they have delegated. Leaders have an uncanny ability to see many of the things that need to be done in and throughout the organization. When tasks, issues, or complaints rise to the top of the priority list, the leader will respond by asking someone in the organization to take care of it. Team members who the gain confidence of their leaders are individuals who do what needs to be done before anyone asks them to do it. 4. Improve Intentionally so that the Leader Knows You Are Getting Better. Professionals are individuals who continue to grow and develop their skills and abilities throughout their careers. Leaders appreciate people who focus on self-improvement. When a person takes responsibility for his or her own selfgrowth, he or she enables the leader to trust that he or she will work to improve his or her areas of weakness. Every person has areas in need of improvement. The wise follower will let his or her leader know where he or she is trying to improve his or her performance and knowledge.3 He or she will express his or her desire and drive for professional improvement and development and will do so in a respectful manner. He or she will see personal development as a personal goal and not as a career entitlement. The improving employee gains the confidence of his or her leader.

Do What Needs To Be Done Before Anyone Asks You

To Do It.

KEN GOSNELL

ceoexperience.com 26

Next Level Leader: How To Gain Your Leader’s Confidence

Experience Question: Is it more important to improve in areas in which you know you have a weakness or in an area in which your leader would like to see you improve professionally?

Gaining the confidence of the leader may be the most important work of any follower. Leaders are always looking for trusted employees to make wise decisions and take intentional actions. A primary role of every team member is to gain the confidence of his or her leader.

1. Frederick E. Allen, “The Leadership Joy of Being a Great No. 2,” Forbes, June 18, 2014 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ frederickallen/2014/06/18/the-leadership-glory-of-being-a-great-no-2/#7de4dde833e2 2. Richard Hytner, “Why Second In Command Can Have More Influence Than The CEO,” Fast Company, April 25, 2015, https://www. fastcompany.com/3045190/why-second-in-command-can-have-more-influence-than-the-ceo 3. Patrick Lencioni, “Ideal Team Player Assessment,” Table Group, https://www.tablegroup.com/imo/media/doc/ IdealTeamPlayerSelfAsssesment(11)NEW.pdf

The Best Leaders Set Aside Time To Get Away To Learn And Improve Themselves Because They Understand The Leader They Were Yesterday Will Not Be Able To Lead Effectively If They Improve.

Executive Retreat Guide for CEOs

Accountability and Application Action Steps:

Learn Faster. Lead Further. #1 Which area of your business do you know you must improve in order for your business to become more successful? What do you think would be the first step in improving that area of the business?

#2 What belief or attitude is holding you back from growing your team? What benefits do you think you would receive from adding the right person to your organization?

#3 The truth that “no great leader ever led alone” is both challenging and inspiring. When do you feel the loneliest in your leadership? What actions could you take to ensure that you don’t lead alone?

#4 What ability do you think is the most important to consider when adding a person to your team? Why do you think that ability is essential?

Progress Made on the Most Critical Projects:

When your people get better, your organization gets better. KEN GOSNELL

Executive Retreat Guide for CEOs

Business Update YEARLY VISION

Learn Faster. Lead Further.

GOAL 1 -

MONTHLY DASHBOARD

Steps taken this month to complete the goal:

ACTION PLAN:

Define what actions need to be taken in the next 30 days to keep the business moving forward.

1. GOAL 2 -

Steps taken this month to complete the goal:

3. GOAL 3 -

Steps taken this month to complete the goal:

Ken Gosnell 240.396.7671 â€˘ kengosnell@ceoexperience.com

ceoexperience.com

CXP CEO Executive Retreat Guide for CEOs - Empower Your Organization by Growing Your Team