Who Are Your Company Sherpas?

Do You Have a Company Sherpa?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how the c-suite develops a vision for company growth. I’m not in these meetings. I’m not in their heads. But I often see the opportunities and wonder how to best influence c-suite thinking and action. ?

I often play the role of strategist and consultant. We develop informed opinions on how to stand out and win. It’s a role that requires experience, acumen, and trust. It also requires clear and concise communication.

But are these the type of people, or roles, that the c-suite look to identify company-wide opportunities for growth and innovation?

I feel that the chief technology and innovation officers could play this role, but they often have backgrounds anchored in technology. Is that broad enough to connect the different dots across a company? Maybe, maybe not.

Is there a role that sits below the c-suite, a cast of growing and emerging talent that has both wide and deep experience, where they aren’t disconnected from the trenches quite yet. Individuals that you trust, that have strong relationships across the company, that have the passion and ability to craft a vision of the future?

Are they your Sherpas? People you have enough trust in that you believe what they are seeing. People that you can coach enough, to help them craft a vision that aligns with the c-suite without sacrificing innovation. People that you have a little blind faith in.

If you’re at the top of a company or an agency, who do you trust? Who do you look to for new ideas? Who helps you craft opportunities you don’t fully understand? Who do you consult to check your own biases?

I can’t imagine the pressure the c-suite are under to guide the current vision of a company while also outlining the future. There is a lot of human and financial capital to consider. But selfishly, I wonder how I can more often be used in these capacities to be that Sherpa for others.

Hmmm... just some musings on a random Thursday over lunch.

#growth #innovation #technology #experience #leadership