From Ordinary To Extraordinary: How Can CEOs Develop Stars In The Organization ?

Do you have stars in your organization ?

Stars in an organization are the exceptional contributors, consistently delivering value for the organization. The business environment is volatile and it’s gradually becoming challenging. 70% of CEOs worry that the employees lack the skills for the future.

The real opportunity a leader has in the current context is to get the opportunity to lead in challenging times. The best performers showcase their abilities during the most toughest times and environments at all times. These high performers are well known among their colleagues, they deliver exceeding expectations going above and beyond.

There are several reasons why teams struggle to perform and it’s a real challenge for the executive leadership to cope up with situations of this nature. One reason is the lack of cohesiveness; the executive leadership is more focused on the challenges they face and during this situation there is a tendency that you miss out on focusing on the problems the team members are facing. Due to this reason, trust is not being built among the team members and the executive leadership. The solution for this is teamwork; this is where the trust is built among each other, and the cohesiveness will bring in a sense of belonging and ultimately the executive leadership would work hand in hand with the team members and start supporting each other and carry the team in the right direction as the other teams across the company.

Lack of clarity and alignment is another challenge. It’s quite difficult move forward when there is lack of clarity as to how plan should be executed. The misalignment would cause burnout and would not show a clear path as to how trends would change in the future. The solution is commitment; the executive leadership must have clarity about the goals and ensure that they are committed in a manner in which you approach to reach the goals in a way that it practically happens.

How many meetings do you have in a single day ? It’s not about the quantity of the meetings, it’s about the quality of them because they make an impact on productivity. Too many unproductive meetings result in not being able to disseminate proper metrics and it will result in improper decision making. Therefore, the solution is accountability; the executive leadership implements operations that support the priorities and provide clarity on governance and roles, developing an environment of accountability.

When developing stars or high performers within an organizations, CEOs face dire challenges. A mindset shift and a shift in thinking needs to take place to turn things around.

Here’s the real problem;

Nearly 70% of the training offered isn’t tailored to their needs or to their learning styles. It is vital to identify the need and learning styles have changed drastically. People learn in diverse ways nowadays. It’s not like the way we developed skills 15-20 years ago. There is a tendency towards micro-learning where employees can learn through bite-sized content which is quite effective.

However, if you are moulding a community of stars or high performers, it’s essential that you focus on providing specialised training to the potential stars and persuading others too to become stars. It is also important to evaluate whether the specialised training provided, meets the needs of the organization too.

Why does training miss the mark ? One main reason is difference of perspective. In a rapidly changing world, dynamics of a business change fast. Therefore, employees need to be on e step ahead and possess foresight to anticipate what’s coming next. As a CEO, it’s essential that you encourage your employees to think whether you can engage in the same job in 5-10 years and provide them the relevant training and guidance to make them future-proof.

In 3 years from now, soft skills would be increasingly important, artificial intelligence would replace routine tasks, employees are going to create value in ways that are uniquely human.

Even the high performers will have to embrace soft skills, be collaborative and communicate effectively.

Becoming a CEO is a great career achievement. You are excited and at the same time you realise that you are at the helm of the organisation and think of accountability. However, once the eco-system is created to enable the team to achieve success. It would be a more pleasurable experience.

For a one-of-a-kind career, you have to be one-of-a-kind.

Wish You Success !

Sasanka Dias