5 Lessons I learned working with executives

The first time I was promoted from manager to director it felt both exciting and scary at the same time. I knew that it would require stepping out of my comfort zone and learning new skills, to move from managing a team to leading a strategy.

Our responsibility as leaders when building a strategy is to make sure that it is aligned and in support of the business objectives, mission and vision, and this is only possible in partnership with the executive team at your organization.?

I still remember the first time I had to present in front of a large number of executives...that was hard and intimidating! That is why I decided I would share some of the things I wish I knew and I learned the hard way.

1. Put yourself in their shoes

As a senior leader, you will have to present proposals, plans or ideas to the executive team in order to get their approval, buy-in, etc.

If you have an ask for the executive team,? don't focus the conversation around why this is important for your team, but rather on the impact that the investment will make: could be an increase in productivity, reducing costs, accelerating x,y,z. It's easy to talk about how what you are proposing will benefit your team and how great your team is because it is what feels comfortable and you want to impress them with your achievements.

Instead, demonstrate how the information you are sharing, the request you are making or the proposal you are presenting can make a difference for the organization.

2. When presenting information to them, have a clear objective before going into the room

It's important to think about your presentations from the audience's point of view — especially with executive audiences. Before you start putting your slides together, reflect on what are the main outcomes you want them to take from this meeting.

When I was invited to present to the executive team, I reviewed the presentation 100.000 times and I prepared for any possible questions. And you know what? They ended up asking me something that I didn't include in the presentation but they were curious about. That taught me that you don't have to have all the answers. It's ok to pause, thank them for their question and feedback, and just say "let me get back to you on that".

Make sure you are ready to pivot as needed and if they have interest in something you are working on but it wasn't the objective of the conversation, you can give them a brief and suggest a follow-up conversation when you have all the information. I would avoid brainstorming without having the right information or data in front of you, because it can turn the conversation into something completely different from what you wanted it to be.

3. The best way to feel prepared is by getting to know them

Create a space to discuss their concerns and focus areas, to understand what is in their mind. Ask them about what challenges their teams are facing, and what is important to them and have a conversation about how your team can be a trusted partner to support.

It can happen that you don't get to meet them as often as you would like because they are busy. My recommendation would be to use other resources you have available such as the intranet, company meetings (global and functional) or earning calls (from your company and even your competitors). You could also ask for a summary of the board meetings, to understand what is happening at that level. This helps you understand where the focus is and connect the dots.

4. Data is your best friend

Something I learned is that they like to see data, trends and a high-level summary to get the full picture before making any decision. Make sure you have that handy when sharing information to back it up.

Also, you need to present the data in a way that aligns with how the business is structured. For instance, in Talent Acquisition you may look at time in stage, conversion rates between interview stages, etc. but what the executive team wants to know is if we will achieve our hiring goals to deliver on objective A. Make sure your data answers that question and tells a story.

5. It is important to share wins and progress, but also any potential red flags

It is vital to track progress and share achievements, to ensure they are always informed if things are on track or if there is a potential red flag.?

We all want to share positive stories and get recognition for our great work, but something I learned is that where the executive team will appreciate your leadership more is when there is something that is off track.

If there is a red flag that is blocking your objectives (and therefore the company objectives) make sure they know about it, but most importantly, how you are proactively solving for that.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I hope sharing my lessons is helpful to any would-be senior leaders out there. And, for those of you who are already there, I’d love to hear about the lessons you learned along the way and your thoughts on what I shared!