Need High Performers? Start Here.

"Hey Lisa, I hope you can help me....

I just took this new role as a software CEO. I inherited a team and we have a lot of work ahead of us. We're constantly in firefighting mode, our product portfolio is a mess, and we have never invested in any marketing. We need to align this team and create a new growth roadmap. That's the only way we will exceed investor expectations."

I remember this "high stakes moment" call like it was yesterday. That CEO signed up for a big job--to the tune of an incremental $20M in net new revenue that year. They had a very limited time to score points with stakeholders.

Curious where what I recommended? My answer might surprise you. Keep reading.

I did not recommend that they "build a better org chart." Nor "schedule a ropes course or cool offsite." I did not even suggest they conduct personality assessments. Those are episodic, output focused, and impossible to measure.

I started by ensuring that the leader was prepared and open to coaching--then willing to model what they were learning with their teams.

This "aha" took me many years to discover. And this list of 10 Questions to Assess Coachability helps to shrink "leadership time to impact."

Here's the hard truth: when a leader is unwilling to prioritize their own continuous personal development, they can not expect high performance from others. I have yet to find a magic pill to build high performing teams.

If you find yourself constantly filling your time with busy work, or cancelling your Office Hours/Coaching sessions, then self-reflection gets short shrift. You are not creating the conditions to be coached.

If that describes you, welcome the teaching moment. Then consider these options:

a) Reset the high expectations you initially set for your teams.

b) Work with a coach to identify the ways you are self-sabotaging, and create a plan to break through them.

c) Take a soul-battical to take stock in what you truly value. Head out to the beach, the woods, or a mountain to reflect. Capture ideas. Allow yourself to wallow in confusion and indecision. Liminality is part of transformation. (Need more ideas? Check out Episode 74 with Eric Kaufmann and my "WTF? Planning for the Future" podcast with Kira Hug in our library.)

We have science on our side. According to a New York Times profile featuring stem cell biologist Jonas Frisen of Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, most of our body's tissues are under constant renewal. Our average cell age ranges from 7 to 10 years.

In addition, neuroscientists continue to make discoveries around how our neural pathways can be redirected. In any case, renewal is our birth right!

If new cells help our bodies stay healthy and repair, why not explore ways you can repair old patterns of living, loving and leading?

Here's one more suggestion.

Take a moment to assess how coachable you are today. Then ask, "what may be calling me to redesign the next stage of my career and renew my leadership style? What's at risk if I ignore the call?"

You don't have to do this alone. Several of us are gathering October 17-20 in Santa Fe, New Mexico to answer these questions, and more. You can learn more about "The Midlife Innovator" Retreat on my blog here.

Clients like that software CEO revels in a continuous cycle of learning, curiosity, and flexibility. They know how to combine years of experience with knowledge to improve their stakeholders' condition.

In a nutshell, that's wisdom. And high performing teams get fueled by wisdom more than information or knowledge.

The world doesn't need more busy workers. It needs more wisdom workers. Where shall we begin?

P.S. A hearty thanks to Brandon James Mergard - Marshall Goldsmith Coaching (SCC) for this excellent list. I am a certified SCC coach. If this article resonated with you, and you're open to exploring executive coaching, please reach out: [email protected].

copyright 2024, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

This article was written without any assistance from generative AI and is 100% original content.