ONE TRAIT EVERY CEO NEEDS IN RECESSION
now more than ever given the fact that what brought results for our organizations and CEO’s in the past may not function anymore. Conversing with leaders during an executive management program I attended, one will easily decipher how unease most leaders feel when it comes to receiving "OPPOSING AND CONTRARY VIEWS" from the lower rung of the hierarchy.
This is why most CEO's and managers often find it difficult to gather candid advice from their people as they have been made to always tell the CEO's what they want to hear and not what will make a difference and ultimately stir a turnaround for the organization.
The unusual trait every CEO and senior management should have in these challenging times that will set him or her apart is "THE ABILITY TO HOLD CONTRADICTIONS". This means having an uncanny predisposition, ability or capacity to hold in their heads two opposing views or ideas at once without hounding any. I deliberately referred to it as an unusual trait because most CEO's and senior management are not used to having people hold contrary views or oppose their views and ideas. They often see it to mean that their powers, expertise and intelligence are being undermined and not recognized. GENUINE REQUEST FOR CONTRARY AND OPPOSING VIEWS. Come to think of it, CEO's are hardly told the truth even when they genuinely request for one, let alone getting them to see that their views and ideas are not seen to be superlative.
My mentor (David Daniel Abiye) told me when firing me up with TOP BUSINESS SECRETS FOR SUCCESS THAT ARE HIDDEN “that as the CHIEF RESULTS OFFICER which we call CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) of my company BIG DADDY EMPIRE WORLDWIDE, I have been known to be a PROPONENT of don’t tell me what I said makes sense rather, what do you have to say? So with this, my associates at work will always come up with their views and most at times, opposing or contrary views. He advised that I must have a large heart to accommodate all their views”. Years back, I asked someone a question during a retreat I attended in an OIL AND GAS Company. The young man said "I support what the young man (Me- Daniel Onyekachi) has just said". I insisted he aired his own idea. Lo and behold, his views were better than mine. With that culture, everyone sees himself or herself as a superstar. No CEO, Executive or Manager will be a superstar without employees that are superstars.
One way to make them superstars is to allow them to come up with their ideas and often opposing views on how best to make things work.
Few months back, I had a discussion with a newly appointed CEO in Nigeria, and I deliberately said to him, you are not made the CEO because you are the smartest or brightest. That applies to every CEO or senior management. Having in mind that you were not chosen because you were the smartest goes a long way to tell us that smart ideas reside in everyone. Of a truth, CEO's and Managers should be adept in harvesting their people’s ideas and views. Yes, I understand in time past we have been told to categorize people's views or ideas to be bad or good, triggering the mind to hold just one idea or view. Anyone that goes outside what we believe or our way of thinking is termed contradictory or at worse opposing. CEO’s should hold dear those that will always come up with views that are quite different from yours.
What you know might not be enough to drive your organization to the desired destination. Interestingly, what others know are also required. So encourage your people to come up with their views and you will see amazing results. During meetings, tell your people that you are the CEO and not the CUSTODIAN of WISDOM.
Encourage them to be free and always come up with ideas and suggestions that will give your company a competitive edge. In this present time, a good trait that will stand-out great leaders from the rest is his or her ability to CREATIVELY APPREHEND two or more opposing ideas or views, coming up with a superior one containing elements drawn from others. These unique CEO’s or Leaders know that all views matter.
With this, employees are eager to come up with ideas that can transform the organization. The CEO must be weary of apple shining sycophants who want to appear loyal out of their selfish reasons, not possessing any mind of their own.
