5 Phrases a Senior Leader Should NEVER Use If They Want to Advance to the C-Suite:

Becoming a member of the prestigious? C-Suite is a goal for many leaders.?

The C-Suite is the pinnacle of success to those leaders, and is a sign and acknowledgement that they are the ultimate leader in their expertise, judgment, inspiring leadership and value creation for their companies.? ?

When serving as a junior analyst, or manager, and climbing one’s way to the top, it isn’t always obvious how to think and speak like someone in the?C-Suite.???

My previous newsletters have shown ways to advance in your career by demonstrating? Executive Presence (Appearance,? Behavior, Communications), or understanding the power of PIE (Performance, Image, and Exposure).????Now, it’s time to (think and) speak like a C-Suite executive.

Every quarter or every year, your boss, and leaders assess your performance (how well did you deliver on your targets?) and your potential (how high and how quickly will you reach the top?)? The combination of great performance & high potential says you are probably headed to the C-Suite.???

But, there are many leaders whose journey to the top gets cut short simply because of what , when and how they speak.

Check yourself and those C-Suite leaders around you and see how often (hopefully never) these phrases are used.?

DON’T SAY THIS

"That's not my job."

Why Not?? Saying this will show you are not willing to go beyond your role, even if you see an opportunity to contribute beyond the confines of your department or region.?Senior leaders are expected to take ownership and demonstrate a proactive attitude.?

Making observations, making suggestions, and offering to be of assistance to someone who may benefit from your wisdom or experience shows that you not only are a vertical leader (you have depth working in your own domain), but you are also a horizontal leader (you have breadth of contribution as well).?In the C-Suite leadership meeting, you do not only speak when there is a topic that is inside of your lane. ?

The combination of vertical (|) and the horizontal (-), actually makes you into a “T shaped leader”-one of the highest regarded type of leader that will do well in the C-Suite.??

"We've always done it this way."

Why Not?? If you say this, it is a red flag that shows you will be resistant to change, and are not likely to drive innovation.? In my book I talk about the things we can learn from products.?

The key thing a product does is it satisfies the needs of the market, so the market will always want to buy the product.? And it modifies & continually improves itself to meet the ever changing needs of the market (even if the market has never thought about the changes it needs).? ?

The iPhone is currently at IOS 17.? Where would Apple be today if their leadership said ‘IOS has always been at level 1 – let’s stay right there’??? Like a product,? C-Suite leaders demonstrate they are open to new ideas and adaptable to evolving business environments.

"I don't know."

Why Not? So let’s be clear, there were many times in my career, when I simply didn’t know the answer to issues regarding employee turnover, or how to integrate certain value streams together,? or how to get more aggressive in managing technical debt.?

No leader knows everything—but saying this phrase without any other words around it —you will come across as? unprepared or uninformed.?

Instead, you will want to offer to find the information or suggest that you work together with the team to have a collaborative approach to understand the root cause, and/or find a solution.??

"It's not my fault."

Why Not? ? While it may be true that you or your department was negatively impacted from someone else’s work or decision, eliminating yourself from being at fault is not the point.? C-Suite leaders take accountability, and seek to understand how we got here, and will use the word ‘we’ in looking for solutions, not ‘I or my’.?

When you blame others, or shift responsibility away from yourself, that can undermine trust and credibility.?

IF you want to be at the top of the company, you have to think like a leader at the top of the company should think, and not turn your back on issues, but take ownership, focusing? on solutions rather than assigning blame.?

Trust me, if it is really not your fault, that will become evident. ? What will also be evident is that you helped to resolve the issue even when you really didn’t have to.??

"I don't have time for this."

Why Not? ?When you say this, you will appear to be dismissive and unapproachable. Effective leaders prioritize and manage their time to address important issues and support their team. They FIND THE TIME to get to the root cause of challenges, help the team with next steps planning, and root for the team as they cross the finish line.?They will not want to take up time in failure mode.

When you look at these?DO NOT SAY Statements, you will see they tend to be focused on it being about you!?As a senior leader, it is not about you.? It should always be about your team, your division, your customers, your suppliers, etc.?

And when they win, you will win.?Show a mindset that is at a level higher than where you currently may operate.?When you think, speak (and then act) like a company leader, and show you are T shaped, your climb to the C-Suite will be more assured.??

SAY THIS!

No matter whether you are a Director, Senior Director, VP or higher, you can think about and use the following? top 4 leadership characteristics?to help move your organization along. Included?with each are some applicable phrases that help you with your? mastery of these 4 leadership characteristics.??

1. Strategic Thinking and Leadership

• "We need to align our strategy with emerging market trends." – When you speak this way, it will show that you look beyond the present time, and are looking to anticipate future market changes, which shows foresight.???
• "I'm committed to fostering a culture of innovation and disruption." - This shows that you have a proactive (and not merely reactive)? approach to business challenges, and you are willing to take appropriate risks to help advance the company with innovation in people, processes, and technologies—all of which are essential for long term growth.??
• "Let's create a clear, compelling vision for the future." - This showcases that you are desiring to inspire and?guide an organization towards a shared goal, a critical skill for C-suite leadership.

2. Emphasizing Your Financial Acumen and Results Orientation

• "We must optimize our financial performance while investing in growth." – Your financial savvy shows when you are able to understand the delicate balance between quarterly profitability (especially if you are part of a publicly traded company) and future expansion, essential for sustainable success.??
• "I'm focused on delivering measurable results and maximizing shareholder value." - This clearly communicates a results-oriented mindset and alignment with the primary goal of the business. Even if you are in a shared services organization, and may not be set up to focus your team on the external customer, you should focus on how to maximize & measure your internal client’s success.?

3. Highlighting an Emphasis on People and Culture

• "Talent development is our competitive advantage." – We are nothing without our people, and they are one of the top stakeholders for any company.? When you show your company is winning because of your team’s talent (demonstrated in how you motivate, measure, compensate, develop them), you are showing the staff that they matter, and that will pay itself back through employee engagement & loyalty—crucial for organizational success. The C-Suite focuses greatly on talent to win in the market.?
• "We need to create a diverse and inclusive workplace." - This demonstrates a commitment to building a strong company culture and leveraging the strengths of a diverse workforce. Although DEI is being weaponized today, there is much truth to the notion that having homogeneity and exclusivity in an organization’s workforce does not foster innovation or market place success.??
• "Employee engagement is essential to our success." –? When a leader realizes this, they understand that it is a motivated and engaged workforce that will drive performance and productivity.

4. Demonstrating Strong Execution and Problem-Solving

• "I'm results-oriented and have a proven track record of execution." - This directly states that you are able and willing to deliver on commitments and achieve goals.
• "Let's develop a data-driven approach to decision-making." - More leaders are talking about the power of data driven decision-making. When you show that you rely mainly on analytics to make decisions, you show that you will not use your feelings, which are often misaligned with reality, but will stand on the data to guide your business forward.
• "I'm skilled at building consensus and driving change." - when you demonstrate that you can build consensus, that is a major win for how you are perceived. Collaboration, silo bridging, inspiring change, and driving opposing forces to alignment is a rare talent and is required in the C-Suite and the board room.

By avoiding negative phrases and embracing positive, empowering language, you, as a senior leader can enhance your leadership effectiveness and increase your chances of advancing to the C-Suite.?

C-suite leaders set the tone for an organization. Their language should inspire, motivate, and drive results .? Since language is a powerful tool, choosing your words carefully will help you significantly impact your leadership effectiveness and career progression.

Be mindful, however, that whatever you say MUST be backed up with behavior that matches the promise you are making.

Ready to bring transformative insights to your team or conference? Book me for your next conference or event and let's pave the way to the C-Suite together! See you in the Winners Circle!

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