THE BOTTOM LINE
If You’re Not Doing
the Thinking Around
Here … Who Is?
Adapting and big-picture thinking are hallmarks of
innovative companies and individuals
You’re never too big or too small, too old or too young
for a second or a dispassionate opinion. That’s why even
presidents and prime ministers have “special” advisors
– to get another perspective.
By definition, the leader of an organization has no peer within
that group. Sure, we have a team that we rely upon to provide advice
or recommendations, but they can’t understand one key thing
– the loneliness of being the ultimate boss. This is because the buck
doesn’t stop on their desk. A growing awareness of this reality has
led to an explosion in fields such as coaching or peer-based roundtables
such as TEC Canada and The Entrepreneurs’ Organization
(EO), where a CEO or business owner can find kindred spirits who
also live the lonely life at the top.
The critical factor here, however, is one step further. This is also
about being strategic.
Elliot Jacques, the famed Canadian psychoanalyst who came up
with the concept of a mid-life crisis, also developed what he called
the requisite organization. His work, considered required reading
in many undergrad management classes, suggested that the higher
you are in an organization, the longer the time frame you should
be thinking in. For front-line workers, deadlines and quotas are usually
daily, weekly or monthly. Their managers might think in terms
of quarterly timelines. When you get to the CEO strata, three to five
years is the horizon that should be under consideration.
But wait – we have fires burning at the office today. How can we
worry about five years out?
Alas, such is the dilemma of today’s CEO. Of course we should be
thinking about five years out. After all, if the owner is not looking
ahead that far, who is? If not you, then who?
As the boss, you owe it to your customers, your employees and
indeed, your shareholders to be taking at least a little time to focus
on what lies around the next corner of the road ahead. It is, in fact,
your job.
And perhaps the best way to do that job is to ensure you’re taking
time to think strategically. Even a few hours are better than nothing
at all.
Here are a couple tips on how to do it:
1. Book a meeting with yourself. This is the simplest
approach and will yield modest but measurable
results. Set aside an hour or two every week and put
it in your calendar. If you have an administrative
assistant, encourage them to make you “honour”
the time by not using it as “flex” time or a catch-up
window. Thinking is important – it is not lollygagging.
Keep the three-to-five year window in mind.
2. Get a sounding board. Join a peer-based
roundtable group or hire a business coach to
ask the challenging questions you know you
need to answer but don’t get around to.
3. Remember this is a selfish experience. This is about
you, the CEO, and dealing with the loneliness of
leadership. And if you’re the owner of the business, this
carries even more weight, as you will also enjoy the
monetary benefit of conceiving and then deploying
strategy more effectively than your competitor.
It’s tough to be the person at the top of the ladder. But you’re up
there for a reason. Make time to do your best thinking and work.
Business commentator Paul Martin is the Saskatchewan Chair
of The Executive Committee (TEC) Canada Ltd. and is heard
on more than a dozen Saskatchewan radio stations daily.
BY PAUL MARTIN
KMLMTZ66/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 56 Think BIG | Quarter 1 2016 | saskheavy.ca
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