Praise for How to Be a CEO

“Being curious is a vital ingredient to succeed as CEO. Use this book

as a learning tool to accelerate your growth.”
Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International

“A proven approach for CEOs to help an organization thrive.”

Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and
Management, Harvard Business School

“There is no CEO school. Nothing can prepare you fully for the
­responsibility of leading an organization. However, reading How to
be a CEO will help you along the way.”
Andy Cosslett, CBE, Chair ITV plc and Kingfisher plc

“If I could go back and start again as a CEO, I would be more

­ambitious. Let this book remove your limits to achieve your potential.”
Andy Mitchell, CBE, CEO, Tideway

“It is the role of a CEO to lead the direction of an organization.

Let this book show you how.”
Chris Annetts, Chief Strategy Officer, Heathrow

“To be a great CEO, you need to read, learn, acquire knowledge and
try different things. How to be a CEO is exactly the sort of reading
that will accelerate your growth.”
Francesca Lanza Tans, CEO, The Alexander Partnership

“The most important thing to become a CEO is to make sure you

really, really, really want the role when you stare into the reality of it.
Use the lessons in How to be a CEO to test your commitment.”
Graham Alexander, Founder, The Alexander Partnership

“Ask yourself, How does everything I have done equip me to be a great

CEO. Let this book inspire you to close any gaps.”
Helen Tupper, CEO, Amazing If

“As CEO your role is to create the conditions for people to connect
passionately with the business. Read How to be a CEO to ignite your
own fire to succeed.”
Jamie Bunce, CEO, Inspired Villages

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 1 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 “As CEO it is essential to have absolute clarity about what you are
doing to deliver and how you are going to do it. Let How to be a CEO
help you clarify your plan.”
Jan Smits, CEO and Deputy Chair, APAC, Pro-invest Group

“No one is born a CEO. However, with the right preparation and
determination you can become a CEO. Let this book show you how.”
Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow

“There are many people who could make brilliant CEOs. Use this book
to unlock your potential and give yourself the best chance to succeed.”
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow

“To be a CEO it’s important to believe in your ability to succeed so that

you can lead in an authentic way. Let How to be a CEO strengthen
your authentic self and accelerate your success.”
John Murray, President and CEO, Sonesta International
Hotels Corporation

“The CEO is the figurehead of an organization. Use How to be a

CEO to challenge the example you want to set leading the business
and motivating people.”
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry

“Having an executive coach plays an important role in supporting a

CEO. Reading Ben’s book is similar to having him as your own coach
challenging your thinking and ability to build a high-performing
organization.”
Jonathan Mills, CEO, EMEA, Choice Hotels

“Leading as a CEO in today’s age of uncertainty and transformation

requires a real commitment to a meaningful mission both personally
and for the business. Let How to be a CEO help define what is most
meaningful for your leadership.”
Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore

“It is important to recognize that there are certain things only you can do
as CEO. At the top level this involves strategy, capability, talent and cul-
ture. How to be a CEO is a practical guide to discipline your approach.”
Keith Barr, CEO, IHG

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 2 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 “It is super important for CEOs today to make sure they are getting
the value out of business data. Reading How to be a CEO is another
valuable source of data. Read it!”
Laura Miller, CIO, Macy’s

“There is no such things as a perfect CEO. It takes different skills to be

highly relational and commercial. However, reading How to be a CEO
will make you better in building relationships and driving performance.”
Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor, founder and
former CEO, Cake

“A primary mission for a CEO is to find their replacement. How to be

a CEO is an insightful guide for CEOs wanting to develop others, or
for anyone aspiring to the top job.”
Paul Dupuis, CEO and Chairman, Randstad Japan

“A great CEO creates energy and enthusiasm about the future of an

organization. Let this book inspire you to translate your vision in reality.”
Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow

“As a CEO you need to be visionary and have the ambition to change
the world. This book shows you how.”
Phil Bayliss, Chairman, Inspired Villages and CEO, Infinium

“Nothing fully prepares you for the step up to CEO. It is a job like no
other. What will help your preparation is to read How to be a CEO
and apply the lessons to your own career journey.”
Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc

“Focus on determining your own sense of purpose and use this to

­motivate, guide and inspire you. Combining this with the wealth of
advice and experience to be found in this book will help you to ­establish
your own identity as a CEO and maximise your potential as a leader.”
Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy CEO, The Francis Crick Institute

“One of the main ways to make things happen as a CEO is communi-

cation. Use this book to develop your compelling CEO story to engage
others.”
Simon Baugh, Chief Executive, Government Communication Service

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 3 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 “Once you have made a conscious decision to become a CEO revisit
your original attributes and learn to make them better. Let this book
inspire you along the way.”
Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth

“About to move into a CEO role or aspiring to move into the position?
This book is the perfect primer. Read How to be a CEO to speed up
your readiness for the role.”
Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society

“Be intentional in developing your career towards becoming a CEO.

Let this book show you how.”
Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky NZ

“As a CEO you need to have a point! It is hard to build your presence
in a business unless you stand for something. Let this book develop your
core CEO identity.”
Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn

“How to be a CEO by Ben Renshaw provides the essential ‘runway’

for all those who aspire to C-Suite roles. The book is packed with real
world case studies and hard-won expert guidance. It skilfully balances
the challenge of the CEO role with the encouragement and practical
next steps leaders need to take. Highly recommended.”
Steven D’Souza, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry, author
of the award-winning Not Knowing trilogy

“Be open about your ambition to become a CEO. This book will help
translate your focus and put it into action.”
Viviane Paxinos, CEO, AllBright

“Be intentional about how you are going to become an excellent

CEO and create a plan to get there. Use How to be a CEO to
­accelerate your process.”
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK

“The role of a CEO is to be the guardian of the business and culture.

Your job is to leave it in a better place. How to be a CEO gives you
the framework to make this happen.”
Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 4 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 How to Be a CEO
Ben Renshaw

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 5 24/08/23 10:58 AM

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 6 24/08/23 10:58 AM
 How to Be a CEO
Purpose – People – Performance

Ben Renshaw

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 7 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 First published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2023
An imprint of John Murray Press

Copyright © Ben Renshaw 2023

The right of Ben Renshaw to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by
him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The acknowledgements and contributors on pages 253 and xi – xii are an extension of this
copyright page.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission
of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that
in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent
purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Hardback ISBN 978 1 39980 979 5

ebook ISBN 978 1 39980 980 1

Typeset by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.

John Murray Press policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products
and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing processes
are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

John Murray Press Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Carmelite House Hachette Book Group
50 Victoria Embankment Market Place, Center 53, State Street
London EC4Y 0DZ Boston, MA 02109, USA

[Link]

John Murray Press, part of Hodder & Stoughton Limited

An Hachette UK company

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 8 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 For my children, India, Ziggy and Zebedee, who inspire my passion
for Purpose, People and Performance.
May you (and the next generation of those who will enter the world
of leadership) discover your own sense of purpose and use it to fulfil
your potential.

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809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 10 24/08/23 10:58 AM
 Contributors

The following people gave their insight and time with incredible gen-
erosity, providing in-depth interviews or insightful quotes. They will
be referenced by name and title in the book:
Amber Asher, Chief Executive Officer, Standard International
Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and
Management, Harvard Business School
Andy Cosslett CBE, Chair ITV plc and Kingfisher plc
Andy Mitchell CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Tideway
Chris Annetts, Chief Strategy Officer, Heathrow
Emily Chang, Chief Executive Officer, Wunderman Thompson West
Emma Gilthorpe, Chief Operating Officer, Heathrow
Francesca Lanza Tans, Chief Executive Officer, The Alexander
Partnership
Graham Alexander, Founder, The Alexander Partnership
Helen Tupper, Chief Executive Officer, Amazing If
Jamie Bunce, Chief Executive Officer, Inspired Villages
Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chair, APAC,
Pro-invest Group
Javier Echave, Chief Financial Officer, Heathrow
Joel Burrows, Chief Executive Officer, Ghirardelli Chocolate
Company
John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive Officer, Heathrow
John Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Sonesta International
Hotels Corporation
Jonathan Akeroyd, Chief Executive Officer, Burberry
Jonathan Mills, Chief Executive Officer, EMEA, Choice Hotels
Justin Basini, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, ClearScore

809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 11 24/08/23 10:58 AM

 HOW TO BE A CEO

Justin Reese, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lindt &

Sprüngli Canada
Keith Barr, Chief Executive Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Laura Miller, Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer,
Macy’s
Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor and former founder
and Chief Executive Officer, Cake
Neil Jowsey, Chief Executive Officer, Cromwell
Paul Dupuis, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Randstad
Japan
Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow
Phil Bayliss, Chairman, Inspired Villages and Chief Executive
Officer, Infinium
Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc
Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, The Francis
Crick Institute
Simon Baugh, Chief Executive, Government Communication
Service
Sneh Khemka, former Chief Executive Officer, Simplyhealth
Sophie Devonshire, Chief Executive Officer, The Marketing
Society
Sophie Moloney, Chief Executive Officer, Sky New Zealand
Stephen McCall, Chief Executive Officer, edyn
Viviane Paxinos, Chief Executive Office, AllBright
Will Stratton-Morris, Chief Executive Officer, Caffè Nero UK
Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP

xii

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 Contents

Foreword xv

Introduction 1

STAGE I: Purpose 21
1 Be Skilled to be Yourself 23
Purpose Matters 23
Take a Stand 45
Play to Strengths 52
2 Be Inspired to Inspire Others 61
Clear Vision 61
Big Strategy 72
Energize the Organization 82
3 Be Equipped to Succeed 97
Preparation is Everything 97
Build Capability 106
Unlock Potential 113

STAGE II: People 123

4 Be Human 125
Psychological Safety 125
Belonging 132
Thrive 141
5 Be a Connoisseur of Talent 153
Teaming 153
Succession 162
Learning and Development 169

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

6 Be an Architect of Culture 179

Climate 179
Relationship 188
Influence 196

STAGE III: Performance 205

7 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth 207
Deliver Results 207
Lead Today 216
Develop Tomorrow 227

Epilogue 237

References 245

About the Author 251

Acknowledgements253

xiv

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 Foreword

The role of a CEO is to create the conditions for people to thrive

while working together to serve a worthy purpose in pursuit of per-
formance. In my book The Fearless Organization, I looked at how
organizations often fail to create sufficient psychological safety for
learning, innovation and growth – essential ingredients for organ-
izational performance in the modern economy. My research shows
that psychological safety is essential to help unlock an organization’s
potential to do great things, and that CEO leadership plays a vital
role in building psychological safety. With so much riding on people’s
ability to think differently, adapt to change and work in fast-paced,
challenging, uncertain contexts, a CEO’s approach is vital for setting
the right tone. In uncertain contexts, people must be willing to voice
half-finished thoughts, ask questions from left field and brainstorm
out loud. This creates a culture that supports a continuous influx of
new ideas and critical thought, and where the interpersonal climate
does not suppress, silence, ridicule or intimidate. Not every idea is
great; there are stupid questions, and dissent can indeed slow things
down. But having a voice and talking things through is an essential
part of the creative process. Sometimes, it’s vital to slow a conversa-
tion down to prevent avoidable costly failures. And any time a com-
pany faces uncertainty and high stakes, the quality of information
and reasoning matters for effective decision making.
An effective CEO understands that building a psychologically
safe environment does not mean people will always agree with one
another for the sake of being nice. In fact, quite the opposite. It also
does not mean that people offer unequivocal praise or unconditional
support for everything said. Psychological safety is not an ‘anything
goes’ environment where people are not expected to adhere to high

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

standards or meet deadlines. It is not about being ‘comfortable’ at

work. Learning is rarely entirely comfortable, and learning is more
vital than ever in a fast-changing world. Psychological safety enables
candour and openness, which thrive in an environment of mutual
respect. All organizations today want to attract and retain quality
talent – but hiring talent when no one feels able to speak up doesn’t
help. The traditional culture of ‘fitting in’ and ‘going along’ spells
doom in the knowledge economy.
To be clear, psychological safety is not the fuel that powers the car.
That, I believe, comes from a worth purpose and from the intrinsic
motivation to excel that talented people bring to your organization.
To continue with the metaphor, psychological safety is what takes off
the brakes that otherwise keep people from achieving what is possi-
ble. And so, in any challenging industry setting, CEOs have two vital
tasks: one, they must build an organization of psychological safety
to enable learning and avoid preventable failures; two, they must
emphasize a worthy purpose and set high standards to inspire and
enable people to feel excited about pursuing excellence.
Are CEOs born with an ability to lead a fearless organization? In
a word: no. Leadership consists of a set of skills and mindsets that
must be learned. And in my role as Novartis Professor of Leadership
and Management at the Harvard Business School, I have found that
CEOs and other leaders can indeed learn how to create the environ-
ment where people can thrive – as is essential to sustained organiza-
tional performance. Ben Renshaw’s book, How to Be a CEO, aligns
with my work and offers a powerful methodology for taking steps
to develop your leadership potential. Its seven formative ideas pro-
vide a roadmap for achieving a senior leadership role. Whatever the
outcome of your CEO journey, what matters is getting started with
adopting the growth mindset that allows you to stretch yourself to
become smarter and better. The combination of challenging yourself
to improve while developing a deep interest in other people and what
they bring is how you make progress towards ambitious goals that
may have been previously cited as impossible.
In today’s complex and ambiguous world, continuous learning
and agility are vital to your success. The best leaders are those who are
aware of their limitations, have the humility to admit their mistakes,

xvi

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 Foreword

accept when they are wrong, and place more importance in under-
standing reality than in being right. Their courage and curiosity ena-
ble them to create meaningful and open connections with others.
They build inclusive team climates where everyone has a sense of
belonging and can do their best work. Perhaps the most important
aspect of learning how to be a CEO is to practise self-reflection. This
book will help you do just that.
Amy C. Edmondson
Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management,
Harvard Business School
January 2023

There is no CEO school. Nothing can prepare you fully for the
responsibility of leading an organization. Attending a business course
won’t get you there and whatever discipline you excelled in on the
way up, whether it be operations, marketing or finance, the majority
of organizations are not set up, even at the most senior level, to give
you the necessary exposure to hit the ground running.
The horizon of a CEO is far reaching and continues to broaden
and deepen all of the time. There is an extraordinary level of detail
you need to learn in an unfamiliar environment with people who
assume your expertise. Knowing the language of the boardroom,
navigating its various committees and being the lead spokesper-
son for the business are all new challenges that will hit you at
the same time. On top of this you need to review the company
strategy within six months, build your leadership team and set
up the company to perform. The net outcome will be a steep and
fast learning curve as soon as you step up. One way to acceler-
ate your CEO preparation is to join a public company board as
a non-executive. This will help you understand the breadth of
what a board director deals with in the modern world and gets
you tuned in to the often arcane language of the boardroom and
various committees.
There are multiple factors expanding the CEO role, including
technology and complex stakeholder requirements. Change is con-
stant, but the speed of change now is dramatic. Sitting down with
Ben on a cold December day in London to discuss his new book,

xvii

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

I remarked on how few people were around. Traditionally the crowds

are out in the run-up to Christmas. Working from home is just one of
the many new developments in our society which have emerged post
Covid. CEOs need to be on top of them all; however, the changes
taking place in less familiar areas such as corporate governance and
reporting are likely to create the biggest challenges. Public companies
in the UK have strict regulation in place governed by bodies like the
Financial Reporting Council and the Financial Conduct Authority.
As politicians seek to move into the arena of corporations to ensure
they are ‘good citizens’, the power and reach of these regulatory
authorities are growing all the time. The demands placed on business
today are blurring the previous distinctions between the role of the
Board and executive team. To fulfil their responsibilities, boards and
chairs need to be all over the detail on multiple areas as companies
are required to disclose and report in a granular way on their govern-
ance, risk profile and key social issues. Equality, diversity, inclusion,
purpose and sustainability are examples of this change. At the same
time, technology and the advance of social media are creating a com-
pression within businesses to bring the front line of operations more
closely in touch with the leadership population. This has the power
to align organizations; however, it requires the CEO to make sure all
stakeholders are receiving the right messages in a consistent way. As
a result, internal and external communications are essential skills for
CEOs to master.
Given the varied agendas CEOs face, they need to combine
adaptability with focus. For example, moving into a CEO role in
private equity will require a very different prioritization of needs and
demands than with a large corporate monolith. The ownership of
these companies is entirely different and therefore the time horizons
and expectations of the CEO will be equally different. Your approach
as CEO depends on ‘the gig’. When assessing opportunities, it is
important to fully understand the organizational and owner require-
ments. Some CEOs are better suited to the world of private equity,
while others prosper better in corporate environments with larger,
slower-moving, heavily governed companies with the weight of their
structure, decision making and reporting. As a CEO you need to be
clear about the difference and where you fit best.

xviii

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 Foreword

As a chair looking at executive leaders there are some truths that

remain. The need for CEOs to be great leaders is timeless. Attributes
such as humility, courage, integrity and judgement are always at the
top of my list. Without these key characteristics it doesn’t matter how
good you are at managing tasks, everyone who becomes a CEO will
be tested. It’s difficult to anticipate or predict the nature of the test;
however, when it comes, these enduring elements of leadership dif-
ferentiate companies that navigate adversity successfully from those
that do not.
Upon reflection, one of the hardest things about being a CEO
is to understand the relationship between authenticity and visible
leadership. It has been well documented that the best leaders have
a large degree of humility. However, when taken to an extreme this
can cause CEOs to stay in the shadows, to let others dominate the
floor and to shun the limelight. This is not the right thing for the
organization. Like it or not, a CEO is the figurehead of the busi-
ness. They are the leader to whom everybody looks for vision and
hope as the chief communications officer. I have learned that one
of the true tests of a CEO is to be humble and visible. I wish you
well on your CEO journey and I am sure this book will help you
along the way.
Andy Cosslett CBE
Chair ITV plc and Kingfisher plc
January 2023

There are many people who could make brilliant CEOs but never
get the chance. You might have the right mindset, skills, knowledge,
experience and network to be a highly effective CEO, but the oppor-
tunity to land the position has not yet arisen. You can try to create
your own luck – if you aspire to be a CEO in three years, don’t go
to work for a company which has just appointed a new CEO – but
there are multiple factors involved in landing the role.
Different circumstances require different types of CEO. In a
financial crisis, a Board will look for a different skillset than when
they are planning for growth. The broader the skillset you can develop
early on in your career, the more chance you will have. If you are a
finance specialist, you may have the right skills to become CEO in

xix

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

a company with a portfolio of investments or one in financial crisis,

but to increase your chances, you might want to broaden your expe-
rience and leadership skills by taking on a big operational role.
I started my career in strategy consulting and after a few years
realized that I enjoyed making things happen more than advising.
I went to work at Bass plc, a FTSE25 international hotel, leisure
and brewing business which had a brilliant management develop-
ment programme. Bass gave me big operational responsibilities and
I was soon managing a sales and marketing team with £1 billion of
revenues. That was when I started to think that I might have a chance
of becoming a CEO. In my next company, Taylor Wimpey, I took
on roles that broadened my experience, such as HR, procurement,
investor relations, operations and finance. These were not my areas of
expertise, but they helped to develop my general management skills
and understanding of how a company worked.
While being a generalist is a great background for a CEO, it can
be hard to find the right opportunities earlier in your career, when
companies often want functional expertise. I was fortunate when I
joined Heathrow as commercial director that they were looking for
someone with experience in retail and property who could also be
effective in a matrix organization which requires an understanding of
how other functions work. After a few years I was asked to lead the
Development team responsible for delivering the new Terminal 2 on
time and on budget. Having been successful in two of the three main
functions in the organization made me a credible candidate for CEO
when the opportunity came up.
I am often asked how to be a CEO. I can now give people Ben
Renshaw’s book. The three stages he has mapped out on Purpose,
People and Performance fit with my leadership approach. On a per-
sonal note, my purpose is to make things better – today. I have a deep
sense of urgency to make change happen, which you really need as
a CEO. Your time in the role can feel very short, and you need to
deliver improvements for your stakeholders.
From an organizational perspective, Heathrow’s purpose is
Making every journey better. We have partnered with Ben over
many years where he has coached my executive committee, as
well as delivering our major leadership development and cultural

xx

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 Foreword

programmes such as Leading with Purpose and Values and Leading

Sustainable Growth. The insight and practical steps in How to Be a
CEO will help individuals and organizations unlock their potential
and make every outcome better.
John Holland-Kaye
CEO, Heathrow
January 2023

xxi

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809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 22 24/08/23 10:58 AM
 INTRODUCTION

One of the first times I encountered a CEO I had high anxiety.

A chemistry meeting had been scheduled to test if I would be the
right fit to coach this FTSE 100 leader. I couldn’t find an availa-
ble parking space in the company office parking lot so I tentatively
parked in a reserved bay to announce my arrival on time. It was an
unusual ­initial meeting as we were going to play a game of tennis
at the CEO’s health club as part of getting to know each other. The
CEO, who I shall call William, came out to meet me ready for our
game. I had been referred to him through a mutual acquaintance. As
we were about to depart, one of the security guards approached us
about my car being parked in the wrong bay. I explained the reason
for doing so and was asked to move. I had a modest car and felt
embarrassed driving it in front of the CEO. When I got back into the
passenger seat of William’s luxury SUV he commented on the small
size of my car. It didn’t seem like a great start, both in terms of having
aligned values and creating a favourable first impression.
Thankfully, on the tennis court I was able to hold my own. Tennis
is a big passion of mine and although I’m not a great player, I never
give up. The harder William hit the ball, the more I was able to get
it back in. The game broke the ice. Over lunch I asked introductory
questions to understand William’s background, current reality and
future aspirations. It was a compelling story. He had grown up with
a modest background, attending state education in the UK, without
any of the trappings of a privileged upbringing of private school-
ing or an Oxbridge education. His family struggled financially and
William had seen the effect of money worries, as well as both parents

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

being at the beck and call of others. This had planted seeds about
desiring autonomy, as well as wanting to help others succeed.
As is the case with many of the CEOs I interviewed for How to Be
a CEO, mapping out a deliberate plan to become CEO had not been
on William’s agenda. He started his career journey in sales and mar-
keting. William’s drive and negotiation skills had led him to become
top salesperson in his company, enabling him to move into a chief
commercial role early in his tenure. It was a steep learning curve,
requiring him to contribute to the company strategy, ensure the right
commercial capability to deliver the plan, develop talent and navigate
the organizational culture. The experience ignited a spark to become
a CEO. William stepped back to seek counsel about the mindset
and skillset required to become a CEO and how best to go about
it. He had initial conversations with his own CEO, who was highly
supportive. Together they mapped out a pathway, which included
taking on projects outside William’s area to broaden his experience,
attending an accelerator programme for leadership development at
Harvard Business School, acquiring an external CEO mentor and
gaining increased exposure to the Board. One of the primary gaps
identified for William’s progression was strategic thinking. Although
at full capacity in his role, the opportunity to become Chief Strategy
Officer emerged at the right time. The serendipity of being in the
right place at the right time meant that he could take on a dual role.
This forced him to reorganize his commercial team so that he had the
bandwidth to dedicate to strategy as well. William quickly learned
one of the most important lessons to succeed as CEO – do what only
you can do.
It was a steep learning curve to let go of the day-to-day running
of the commercial function and to act as the enabler for others
to perform. But it was the vital leadership development required
in preparing William for the next step to CEO. Once again this
happened sooner than expected. Following a Christmas break, the
existing CEO took William into his confidence. After seven years
in role it was time to move on and they wanted to know if William
would like to be put forward for the CEO role. William was aware
of the enormity of the task so asked for time to speak with his family
and mentor to ensure clarity and alignment. William described the

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 INTRODUCTION

complexity of the decision making because although his aspiration

to become a CEO had grown over the years, the actual reality of
it happening was new and potentially now. However, the selection
process for CEO is not straightforward for a public limited com-
pany. There is stringent governance, as well as internal and external
selection. William committed fully to each step of the journey and
eventually achieved a successful outcome. Having started in role, he
now wanted an executive coach to help him fulfil the manifesto he
had promised the business.
I loved working with William. It was an extraordinary experience
not only to observe the varied opportunities, challenges and respon-
sibilities of a CEO but to have the privilege of helping a CEO deliver
on their complex agenda. Delving into the world of CEOs became
the initial catalyst for writing How to Be a CEO. I was surprised to
see that there was no book by the same title and although there are
various executive education courses focused on leadership, the route
to becoming a CEO is such a unique journey. I committed to doing
my own research and to creating a practical framework to accelerate
the learning and development of future CEOs. How to Be a CEO is
not an A–Z encyclopedia of every insight, competence or technical
skill to become a CEO. However, the seven steps that sit within the
three stages of Purpose, People and Performance are universal to
all CEOs and relevant to small-, medium- or large-scale organiza-
tions. When I thought about the best way of writing the book and
evidencing my ideas, I realized there was no better way than drawing
upon the insight and experience of people who live and breathe the
reality of being a CEO every day. Therefore, each idea is brought to
life through the authentic voice of CEOs, C-suite leaders supporting
CEOs, and supported by Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor
of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School, who was
ranked the number one management thinker in 2021 by the bian-
nual Thinkers50 global ranking.
In Amy’s words: ‘There are variables which will have a major
impact for becoming a CEO, such as sector, size, public, private.
However, at the highest level being a great CEO blends humility
and determination together. Determination is essential because there
will be setbacks, challenges and sometimes devastation, which will

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

require your deepest endurance. You will need to be dedicated to a

greater cause which impacts humanity. Focusing on your own bank
account will not get you to where you want to go. Your contribution
must add value to customers’ lives and to society as a whole. Your
drive and dedication will need to be married to humility. As CEO
you won’t have all the answers. It is important to take a stance of not
knowing as this enables others to step up and contribute. The role of
CEO requires you to create the conditions where others are willing
to take the risk of doing what is needed for the company to succeed.’
Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc, shared his
experience: ‘What prepares you to become a CEO is to get a ground-
ing in the business. When I became CEO at IHG I am sure that I was
the right person at the time because I had a detailed understanding
of the company. I had never set out to be CEO. However, I did want
to help the business and made sure I got the relevant experience. My
background was in finance, but at one point I stepped in to take
an interim role as COO of the Americas. Operations was not my
strength, however I learned a lot on the ground which helped me to
understand the mechanics of the business. I then also looked after
strategy, which informed what needed to be done in the organization.’
It was great to reconnect with my co-author of LoveWork, Sophie
Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society. We had our conversation
as Sophie was taking a much-needed walk to get some air. Reflecting
upon her experience stepping into a CEO role, Sophie shared: ‘There
are different flavours as CEO. In preparation to become a CEO,
think about what type of CEO is required for the particular organi-
zation and shareholders you are focused on and compare it with the
type of CEO you want to be. In order to define a sweet spot it is vital
to understand what the organization needs from the CEO, what the
leadership team needs, and to combine it with what you are best at.’
Sophie went on to say: ‘Know what you can do and where you
will need support. The buck stops with the CEO. You are the ulti-
mate decision maker and therefore you must know how your Board
will support you. If you are fortunate enough to secure a CEO role,
spend time soaking up and understanding the context. Make sure
you have a strategic pause before jumping into action. As with any
leadership role, success is often a question of timing. When I started,

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 INTRODUCTION

people were constantly asking me for my vision and what I was going
to make happen. For somebody who loves speed, I made sure that
I didn’t rush. I took time to not jump in with my vision before get-
ting the team on board.’
Helen Tupper is a fellow author of the brilliant book The Squiggly
Career and transitioned into the CEO of Amazing If. She shared:
‘Being an effective CEO is a culmination of collecting great experi-
ences from other roles. I learned how to create a compelling company
vision from my marketing background. My ability to drive perfor-
mance came from sales. My future focus was derived from a role in
innovation. To be a CEO you need to connect the dots from your
collection of knowledge, skills and experience to maximize the role.
Ask yourself, “How does everything I have done equip me to be a
great CEO?”’
Helen is also a big advocate of learning from others: ‘I have a
strong network of people with diverse skills. When I started in role,
I met a different CEO each month for a mentoring conversation
to understand what they did in a day, what advice they had for me,
what challenges they faced and who they turned to for guidance.
This helped me curate a CEO mindset.’ She also challenges aspiring
CEOs to seize the moment: ‘CEOs lead people, projects and organi-
zations into the future. However, you don’t have to wait to be a CEO
to put it into action. You can exercise these muscles in multiple ways.
If you need to become more strategic, think about the future. If you
want to develop others, stop having all the answers and ask better
questions. Think about how you can demonstrate the skills of a CEO
today, such as asking more questions, challenging the status quo and
conducting scenario planning. You don’t need a title to do it.’
Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, reinforced the need
to be open minded: ‘Being curious is a vital ingredient as CEO. I
have always wanted to understand more and have cultivated a learn-
ing mindset.’
I appreciated the perspective of Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO,
Burberry: ‘Don’t make the CEO tag the driver for being a CEO. You
must love what you do. I can genuinely say I love my job. I love the
brand and I get to manage an incredible business. If I didn’t have
a passion for the project, it is not for me. Throughout my 30-year

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

career I have only had four main jobs. I have turned down many
interesting things because I didn’t think I could add value. It is criti-
cal to know that you can make a tangible difference to the company
you are leading.’
Jonathan went on to say: ‘There’s no real or direct route to becom-
ing a CEO. My journey has focused on performance and results bal-
anced with humility, openness and being a team player.’ Jonathan
was also clear about the role of a CEO: ‘The CEO is the figurehead
of an organization. The bigger the business, the more the CEO needs
to lead by example, manage the business and motivate people.’
John Murray, CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation,
made the transition from the world of finance into the CEO role: ‘To
be a CEO it is important to believe in your ability to succeed so that
you can lead in an authentic way. Don’t try to make others think you
are something you are not.’ John went on to say: ‘The way to prepare
yourself is hard work! I was influenced by my parents, who had some
family sayings including “You are the company you keep”. As CEO,
surround yourself with smart people to bring out the best in you.
Be aware, watch people, listen. You don’t necessarily need to have a
formal mentor, however constantly looking at others who are doing
well and learning how they behave makes a big difference.’
John also highlighted: ‘Focus on growing your business. Recognize
that if you’re not growing, you are falling behind. Motivating people
to make the company stronger and bigger creates success.’
Researching for this book would have been a great opportunity
to see Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky New Zealand, in person as I love
the country; however, getting her valuable perspective online was
the next best thing. In terms of her journey to becoming CEO, she
shared: ‘Nothing beats experience to round you out in preparation
for becoming a CEO. From a personal perspective, law was a useful
way to frame my thinking. I worked hard and learned my craft as
a commercial lawyer. However, I started to recognize that I didn’t
just want to advise on corporate or commercial decisions, I wanted
to be part of the decision making. I was fortunate to be selected
for a year-long leadership development programme while at Sky
UK. I became obsessed with leadership and learning about how
to get the best out of people. The reality is you can only achieve

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 INTRODUCTION

so much with one person, but the sky is the limit when leading a
high-­performing team.
‘Be intentional in developing your career. You will never have
the perfect suite of experience for a CEO role, however put your
hand up for new opportunities. Don’t shy aware from stuff that has
never been done before. Sometimes you will need to take a lead.
For instance, I drove my career forward and went to Abu Dhabi
to be part of a team that launched a news channel called Sky News
Arabia. I learned how to influence decision making and work with
different people in different cultures. I then took a step back from
the executive table when I returned to New Zealand. However, a
senior stakeholder who knew my career helped me transition from
the legal sphere to a commercial role where I was able to take bigger
strategic decisions. A year later I started to visualize myself leading
the company and thinking about how I would do things differ-
ently. I needed to round out my career and found opportunities
to become versed with investors and financial metrics. I started to
have conversations with recruitment firms about CEO roles. They
say that getting your first gig as a CEO is the hardest. However,
when the opportunity presented itself with Sky NZ, I spoke with
the chair of the Board and showed my interest in being considered
to lead the company. I had been at the Board table, delivered on
some significant projects and was humbled to land the role.’
Sophie concluded: ‘Be the editor-in-chief of your own career. As
I came through the ranks, I remember thinking that senior leaders
must know how hard I worked and cared. However, unless you have
a sponsor taking a specific interest in you, it is essential to own your
own career. When moments present themselves, don’t wait to be
tapped on the shoulder. At the same time don’t be in a rush. Prepare
yourself for the next opportunity. For instance, go for job interviews
to practise and refine your skills. Pull together your story and what
you want to land. Go have conversations with people in different
roles. Be curious about how other people have shaped their careers.
There is no set path for getting there.’
Graham Alexander, founder of The Alexander Partnership and
one of the originators of executive coaching, gave his advice: ‘The
most important thing of all to become CEO is to make sure you

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

really, really, really, really want the role when you stare into the reality
of it. You have probably come up a ladder which has conditioned you
to think onward and upward is better and that the ultimate prize is to
be a CEO. I have encountered leaders who, when they finally reach
the door of being a CEO, realize it’s not what they want. Educate
yourself on all facets of being a CEO. There are multiple dimensions
to the role and it’s vital to understand each aspect of the role, includ-
ing having responsibility for:
1. Setting overall vision and strategy.
2. Managing the company capability and operations.
3. Developing talent and culture.
4. Being accountable to the main stakeholders and shareholders of
the business for results.’
Sneh Khemka, former CEO of Simplyhealth, reinforced Graham’s
experience of people reaching the CEO door: ‘I never thought about
whether I wanted to be a CEO. I had success as my most impor-
tant metric, which I marked by status, power, influence and finance.
Therefore, becoming a CEO appeared to be a natural path for some-
one driven like myself. However, I believe you need to stop and think
about it. It needs to be a conscious decision because sacrifices will be
made. I am fortunate to balance my work and life, however it is a
constant challenge.’
Sneh went on to say: ‘Once you have taken a conscious decision
to become a CEO, revisit your original attributes and learn how to
make them better. For instance, you need an education in areas like
strategy, compliance, regulation, P&L, communication, operations
and commercial. I did an MBA on the job; however, if you need
structured learning, make sure that you arm yourself with the tools
first as they will be tested. Have critical friends along the way such as
executive coaches, mentors, colleagues, Board members and external
advisors to help and guide you. It is lonely at the top, therefore you
need to go to people with whom you can have the honest conversa-
tions which go deep into your soul.’
Another valuable point of view about the pursuit of becoming a
CEO came from Francesca Lanza Tans, a highly experienced CEO

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 INTRODUCTION

coach and CEO of The Alexander Partnership: ‘There are five key
points to set yourself up for success on the journey to becoming a
CEO:
1. Be clear on your own sense of purpose. The role of CEO is multi-
faceted, with numerous demands on your time. It becomes more
complicated to make the right trade-offs, so having a strong sense
of purpose will define your focus. Taking the time to understand
your driving force is the number one requirement to succeed.
2. Unlearn some of the behaviours which enabled you to become a
CEO in the first place. For instance, letting go of the need to con-
trol outcomes, or to be the subject matter expert in the room. As
CEO, it’s no longer your job to have all the answers, your job is to
set the vision and then inspire those around you to come along on
that journey with you.
3. Be comfortable making decisions, even when they don’t make some
people happy. You are there to do what is right for the organization,
not what makes you popular. Have the courage to trust your instinct
and do what’s right – a CEO doesn’t need to please everyone all the
time.
4. Do less and be more. Be a human being, not a human doing.
Your ability to influence is not driven by how much you do. It is
primarily driven by your presence, the way you engage and show
up, the environment you create around you.
5. Connect with those who will keep you honest. Being CEO can be
lonely, and it can be tempting to surround yourself with yes-men
and supporters, but being challenged is just as important. Engage
the help of a formidable coach. Invite those who know you best
to challenge you and force you out of your own inner narrative.’
Jonathan Mills, CEO, EMEA, Choice Hotels, also had five big ideas
for becoming a CEO. In our conversation he shared: ‘You need to set
the context around the role of a CEO as the scope varies subject to
the type of company. As the CEO for a region within the context of a
global publicly listed company, the responsibility of our global CEO
covers multiple stakeholder interactions, such as investors and Wall
Street, which is very different to a CEO of a new start-up. However,

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

when you distil the role down to its core requirements, I believe they
remain the same, irrespective of the scope, based on five core needs:
1. The need to be a great leader, which involves providing inspira-
tion, direction and creating a culture where everyone wants to
work.
2. The need to have a real thirst, inquisitiveness and passion for the
business and the customer experience.
3. The need to set a vision, strategy and to execute a plan.
4. The need to build high-performing teams and to develop talent.
5. The need to build and develop organizational capability, includ-
ing enablers like products, systems and technology.’
Due to our post-Covid world I met most contributors online.
However, when I could meet in person it was a welcome respite from
the digital world. I was fortunate to see Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, at
their InterContinental Hotel London overlooking Hyde Park. Over a
cup of tea Keith shared a profound truth about being a CEO: ‘Having
high self-awareness is a vital ingredient for being a CEO. If you are
self-aware of your strengths and gaps, it helps you build your team.
The CEOs that stumble think they are the smartest in the room. You
need high drive, but you need to know when to pull back and to keep
yourself in check. Recognize there are people out there who are better
at things than you and leverage their skills accordingly.’
Keith went on to say: ‘To succeed as a CEO, it’s vital to under-
stand what gives you energy. I have found that what people often
miss is having a better understanding of who they are, what gives
them energy and what helps them to have a sense of purpose and
accomplishment. If you are taking the job of CEO for the title or for
the money, it won’t be sustainable in the long run.’
Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway, reinforced this point: ‘I hadn’t
realized the reality of quite how much I would have to give to the
role. It is essential to give all of me, but I have found the emotional
impact more draining than I had originally thought. It has been
a learning about how much I can give.’ In our conversation Andy
reflected on a significant observation: ‘If I could go back and do it
again, I would have been more ambitious. Why have a limit? I believe

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 INTRODUCTION

we could have done more as an organization if I had thought bigger,

bolder and been prepared to do more radical things.’
In terms of being a CEO I concur with the experience of Phil
Bayliss, CEO, Infinium: ‘No one in the world is born to be a CEO. It
is a combination of experience, learned skills and behaviour. I devel-
oped specific skills by getting on the steepest learning curve I could.
I was a hard-working academic and got scholarships for university,
but quickly saw that in the workplace I would use approximately
10 per cent of my academic learning. Progress at work was about
the application of EQ, a strong work ethic, and gaining the most
diverse and challenging job training and experience I could. I covered
numerous roles and treated each job as an apprenticeship. I set myself
the target to expand into as many different roles and meet as many
high-quality people as possible. The leaders that have mentored and
challenged me allowed me to grow my skills quickly.’
When I caught up with Sam Barrell, Deputy CEO, The Francis
Crick Institute, she gave a rounded view to set the tone: ‘To succeed
and thrive as a CEO you need energy, passion and a clear sense of
purpose. It’s also really important to care about those around you.
You need to understand challenges, not only from your own perspec-
tive but also from the viewpoints of your colleagues, so that you can
reach consensus or influence appropriately.’
Sam continued: ‘Having a vision, an understanding of the “big
picture”, and a strong strategic focus is obviously essential in a CEO
role, but you also need to remain close enough to the coal face so that
you can delve into and understand the detail when needed. You need
to be proactive, imaginative in the face of barriers and challenges,
and resilient. It is also important to remain solution focused – sitting
on a problem is highly unlikely to resolve it, so find ways to address
it. Finally, to be successful you must be able to develop people and
create cohesive teams; recruiting well is an essential element of this.’
Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, shared his
specific lens from leading one of the world’s top law firms: ‘I had the
opportunity to make many mistakes before taking the top job. You
need the opportunity to learn combined with being streetwise. To be
eligible for the role you need to have been a successful practitioner (in
law) where your peers recognize that she or he knows how to do it.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

This involves having been seen as an equal peer within the partnership,
having built a big practice, and having been visible in the marketplace.’
Wim went on to say: ‘I think the best way to succeed as CEO is to
surround yourself with the best people. Allow and encourage others to
challenge you. Don’t interfere. Trust people to get on with it. Treat every-
one equally. Being a CEO is all about teamwork. I believe that genuine
influence develops as a result of your credibility to do a great job, be
inclusive and make more of the right decisions than the wrong ones.’

About the Book: Thinking About Becoming

a CEO, Accelerating Your Pathway to CEO,
Enabling Others to Become CEO

This book is for you if you’re looking at the haloed CEO role and
assessing whether it is right for you; wanting to fast track your CEO
or leadership journey; or supporting others to becoming CEO from
the role of chair, non-executive director, CEO, executive mentor or
coach. How to Be a CEO is a crystallization of my experience part-
nering and coaching CEOs across a variety of sectors, including avia-
tion, banking, construction, fashion, FMCG (fast-moving consumer
goods), government, hospitality, insurance, legal, marketing, media,
medical, property, retail, technology and transportation. By synthe-
sizing key insights and referencing relevant research, I have created a
clear and practical model to use. There are three pivotal stages in the
process and across those, seven tangible steps to follow:
Stage 1: Purpose focuses on the foundational phase of being a CEO
to understand your own sense of purpose, to clearly define how the
company will serve all stakeholders through a compelling vision and
robust strategy.
Stage 2: People recognizes that the quality of talent will deter-
mine the quality of the business and challenges you to genuinely
put people first.
Stage 3: Performance is a call to deliver results today, alongside the
ultimate goal of a CEO which is to build a sustainable organization
for the future.

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 INTRODUCTION

7.
Be an
enabler
for growth
Stage III Performance Deliver & grow
6. Be an
architect of culture

5. Be a
connoisseur of talent

4. Be human

Stage II People Connect & influence

3. Be equipped to succeed

2. Be inspired to inspire others

1. Be skilled to be yourself

Stage I Purpose Think & plan

Figure 0.1 Overview of the 3P framework

Figure 0.1 shows a high-level overview of the 3P framework to be a

CEO.

STAGE 1 – PURPOSE

1. Be skilled to be yourself places self-awareness centre stage for

being a CEO. As Socrates said, ‘To know thyself is the begin-
ning of wisdom.’ There are three provocations to improve your
skills:
● Purpose matters invites you to understand your sense of per-
sonal purpose. In the absence of having a clear ‘why’, you are at
risk of following others’ agendas or being distracted by external
factors which take you away from your ‘True North’. In the
words of Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, ‘It is essential to know
when to be your own person as you’ll always have someone tell-
ing you what to do.’ Being anchored in your big ‘why’ ena-
bles you to make an authentic linkage with the organizational
purpose, or to help redefine it, providing energy, meaning and
impact for all stakeholders.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

● Take a stand challenges you to be clear and deliberate about

living your core values and to evidence them in consistent
ways. People want to understand your ‘CEO brand’. Bringing
it to life through your values is the simplest and strongest way
to help others decide if they resonate with who you are and
want to follow. The quality of your leadership is determined
by the quality of your followership. It will not be possible to
be an effective CEO if you don’t have people helping you to
deliver on your promise.
● Play to strengths enables you to maximize your impact for
the company. There is no such thing as the ‘perfect CEO’.
I like the straight-talking approach of Andy Mitchell, CEO,
Tideway: ‘Yes, it’s tough at the top, but don’t whinge about it.
The truth is that you get paid to give everything you can. Be
open with your innermost self. Earning a lot of money means
you need to do everything to justify it. You have to recog-
nize that the difficult stuff in the role impacts your heart and
soul. You need to be as giving and committed as you can in
the waking hours you have.’ Playing to your strengths means
focusing on activities that energize and stretch you to be at the
top of your game.
2. Be inspired to inspire others recognizes that the lifeblood of
a CEO is inspiration. It is the number one characteristic that
employees look for in a CEO:
● Clear vision requires the clarification of a compelling future
picture for the organization. From an individual perspective,
this enables you to decide how to spend your time by using
a simple criterion that unless an activity is moving you in the
direction of the vision, don’t do it. Helping the company clar-
ify the vision sets the organizational context for prioritization
and decision making.
● Big strategy highlights the critical need for CEOs to create and
deliver the roadmap for organizational success. Research shows
that CEOs who make the right bold moves early in their tenure
drive economic profit. However, in an ongoing turbulent envi-
ronment, using a potent mix of data and facts to clarify your
big bets takes a high dose of judgement and courage.

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 INTRODUCTION

● Energize the organization encourages CEOs to step out of

their comfort zone and engage the hearts and minds of stake-
holders by linking ideas and information with energy and
emotion through telling compelling stories. A CEO needs to
understand that they set the climate and creating a great place
to work unlocks the energy of those serving the company.
3. Be equipped to succeed suggests that no matter how self-aware
and inspiring you are, to lead it is essential to be rigorous about
setting up the organization for sustainable success:
● Preparation is everything demands you to be thoughtful
about every step you take to becoming a CEO, ensuring a
seamless transition into role, setting the right tone in the pre-
cious first 90 days in role, and ring-fencing critical preparation
time as you move forward to prioritize, delegate and protect
your own time.
● Build capability demonstrates the vital need to develop the
right organizational machine to deliver the plan, including
data, technology, procurement, process and systems. You will
not be an expert in all these areas; however, you will need to
bring intense curiosity to ask the right questions, seek to under-
stand the right solutions and make the necessary investments to
protect and grow the business.
● Unlock potential illustrates one of the most important jobs
a CEO has, which is to remove interference to drive perfor-
mance. CEOs have to navigate multiple blockers. From an
internal perspective this can include factors like unclear pri-
orities and plans, silo ways of working, broken systems and
technology, turnover, lack of productivity or limited innova-
tion. External factors can be political instability, market con-
ditions, recession or global pandemics. You will need to set up
the right conditions for the organization to respond in agile
and effective ways.

STAGE 2 – PEOPLE

4. Be human puts forward a fundamental proposition. The quality

of people in the company determines the quality of the business.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

You can have a shining strategic framework, a well-manicured

organizational structure and flawless systems, but without great
people working together you will fail:
● Psychological safety is about creating an environment
where everyone has a voice and can contribute fully without
the fear of negative consequences. A CEO needs to model
the way by orchestrating opportunities so that people can
be open and transparent in sharing their viewpoints and
responding with appreciation and encouragement for ongo-
ing learning and innovation.
● Belonging means that a CEO deeply understands and
embraces equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), creating a
place to work where everyone has a sense of belonging and can
be themselves. We live in an age of humanity where everyone
needs to feel valued to be able to add value.
● Thrive highlights the vital need for CEOs to champion the
health and wellbeing agenda. This involves being clear about
your position and messaging on issues as varied as hybrid
working, working from home, flexible working, mental health,
absenteeism, presenteeism (working when ill), leaveism (using
holiday entitlement to work), digital technologies, financial
wellbeing, bereavement and trauma.
5. Be a connoisseur of talent acknowledges that people are the
greatest asset of an organization. It is the role of a CEO to build
high-performing teams, drive succession and ignite a hunger for
learning and development which will be paramount for success:
● Teaming suggests a number one priority as CEO is to build
an ‘A’ team. Every CEO I spoke to reinforced the message
that their success is dependent on the success of their team.
Therefore, CEOs need to surround themselves with brilliant
and diverse people, develop an exciting plan collectively and
let them get on with delivering it.
● Succession challenges a CEO to identify at least two, pref-
erably three, internal successors who they champion from
their early days in role. This sends a powerful message to their
own team about the importance of building a deep and broad

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 INTRODUCTION

talent pipeline. The best CEOs obsess about succession plans

and having the right people in the right roles.
● Learning and development is a fundamental ingredient to
attract and retain top talent and goes beyond the workplace.
Great CEOs recognize that people want to integrate their
work and lives with personal and professional development
running as a golden thread, ensuring that they can achieve
their goals across all areas.
6. Be an architect of culture emphasizes the impact of culture on
strategy. When Patrick Cescau, former CEO of Unilever and
Chairman of IHG, spoke at one of my senior leadership devel-
opment programmes he delivered a clear message: ‘When culture
and strategy collide, culture will always win.’:
● Climate sets the environment for the way things are done
in the company. A CEO casts a big shadow and therefore
needs to have heightened awareness about their intention and
impact. Great CEOs have a feedback loop in place to ensure
their behaviours do not get lost in translation.
● Relationship recognizes the fact that better connections lead
to better business. In the absence of strong relationships with
multiple stakeholder groups, CEOs will fail to deliver strong
performance. Relationships are emotional bank accounts. It
is essential to invest in them on a continuous basis, giving
the currency to lead.
● Influence brings to life one of the biggest shifts that CEOs
need to make – from control to influence. On the way to
the top many people succeed because of their ability to drive
agendas and get stuff done. However, at the top it is a differ-
ent proposition. The role of the CEO is to create the highest-­
performing organization possible. The move from control to
influence requires CEOs to adopt different approaches with
different people and starts by understanding where others are
coming from. This means that as a CEO you need to meet
people where they are and take them on a journey to where
the business needs them to be.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

STAGE 3 – PERFORMANCE

7. Be an enabler for growth is the most significant role a CEO

plays – to set an organization up for long-term success. Unless a
CEO delivers high performance, they will not be in role, which
requires having the right conditions in place:
● Deliver results shows that just telling people to hit targets
is not enough. There are some essential elements needed to
enable great results, including clear prioritization and metrics
so that everyone is aligned about what needs to be delivered
and having the right organizational capability in place, such
as data, technology, procurement, systems and resources. A
basic requirement as CEO is to invest sufficient analysis and
planning to have your finger on the performance pulse in real
time and to drive it forward when needed.
● Lead today paints the picture of the complex, ambiguous and
challenging world that a CEO has to navigate and translate
for an organization. With new, unpredictable and unplanned
scenarios arising at rapid pace on a continuous basis, CEOs
are required to apply thinking big and acting small. Thinking
big focuses on creating future possibilities in a sustainable way.
Acting small means dropping into detail to ensure the business
is on track and operating to the best of its ability.
● Develop tomorrow is the execution of the commitment to
building a better company. It is not just talk. The best CEOs
live by a one-to-one say/do ratio, meaning they do what
they say. This can include developing and providing amazing
customer service, building robust organizational capability,
delivering environmental, societal and governance promises,
driving diversity, inclusion and talent commitments, and
ensuring financial and shareholder results. The biggest impact
a CEO has is to leave an organization and the world in a better
place.
How to Be a CEO is structured to apply insight and learning with
immediate effect. There is no such thing as the ‘perfect’ CEO. The
best CEOs have intense curiosity, operate at pace and generate
momentum through continuous improvement. To make the book as

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 INTRODUCTION

accessible as possible, each chapter breaks down into three big ideas.
At the end of each idea there is a CEO note to nudge your thinking
forward. Every chapter concludes with an Exec summary for those
who like to keep it brief.
My hope is that whatever the outcome of your CEO pursuit, the
philosophy and approach in How to Be a CEO will help you become
a better leader and, in turn, will help others. Ultimately, leadership is
not a role, position or title. It is a mindset and way of being that helps
our world be a better place for the next generation.

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809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 20 24/08/23 10:58 AM
 S TA G E I

Purpose

Welcome to the first, foundational phase of being a CEO: Purpose.

One of the fundamental roles of a CEO is to engage all stakeholders,
including colleagues, customers, investors, suppliers, communities
and governments, with a compelling reason about why a company
exists to improve our world. However, if a CEO fails to authentically
define, reset or embody an organizational purpose, they will lack
credibility and followership may decline. Your ability to use purpose
as a North Star to guide your thinking, decisions and actions is criti-
cal to increase clarity, strengthen energy, deepen meaning and unlock
the impact that being purpose-led brings.
The power of purpose is here to stay. On 19 August 2019, the
Business Roundtable in Washington announced the release of a new
Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation signed by 181 CEOs who

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

committed to lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders.

In the opening statement it says: ‘Americans deserve an economy that
allows each person to succeed through hard work and creativity and to
lead a life of meaning and dignity. We believe the free-market system is
the best means of generating good jobs, a strong and sustainable econ-
omy, innovation, a healthy environment, and economic opportunity
for all.’
As the world continues to evolve following the impact of a
global pandemic, the role of purpose has gone up the agenda. In the
McKinsey & Company 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance
(ESG) Report, Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner, shared: ‘At
McKinsey, we believe the future belongs to those who can drive
growth that is both sustainable and inclusive – and we are working
with purpose, on issues from decarbonization to diversity, in order to
make that future a reality.’
Placing purpose at the heart of your proposition as a CEO
increases your accountability to serve all stakeholders and to help the
world become a better place. It will help shape what you stand for as
CEO, which is a prerequisite for providing the focus required to suc-
ceed in a complex world. The Purpose stage also embraces the need
to develop a compelling vision to lift up an organization and provide
the context for the creation of a clear strategic plan, critical decision
making, and energizing a business to deliver superior performance.

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 CHAPTER 1

Be Skilled to be Yourself

Purpose Matters

Paul was a reluctant leader. He was on the succession plan to

become CEO for a major company. As the existing CFO, Paul was
well known in the finance sector. His insight and expertise were
sought after, and he was highly trusted in the investor community.
As good organizations do, the company had put Paul through a
rigorous CEO assessment process, including a variety of psycho-
metric and personality tests, as well as a personalized 360-feedback
exercise. The messages were clear and consistent. The tests demon-
strated that he had the aptitude to be a CEO. The feedback showed
that everyone admired and respected Paul’s technical capability,
which was second to none. But people wanted to know who he
was as a person. Paul tended to come across as aloof and distant. It
appeared that the only people who knew the real Paul were a few
trusted colleagues in his inner circle.
I was introduced to Paul by the company HR director for an
initial chemistry meeting. It was a tense encounter. Paul was not an
advocate of executive coaching and when I asked him about his aspi-
ration as a future CEO, he swiftly remarked that he was ‘not a leader’.
He perceived himself as a ‘technocrat’ and had never considered him-
self in the CEO mould. Early on in the conversation I asked him
about his sense of purpose and specifically, beyond making profit,
why he did what he did. Paul did not have an immediate answer.
However, he did become curious about the question, which formed

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Meaning

Energy Impact

Figure 1.1 Purpose: the three main criteria

the start of our work together. Before continuing with Paul’s story,
let’s look at what purpose is.
I define purpose as the reason for existence. It is the deepest
intrinsic motivation for being. A purpose is changeless in a changing
world. A purpose provides direction, focus and inspiration. It acts as
a North Star, guiding the way forward. There are three main crite-
ria to help discover and develop purpose for individuals, teams and
organizations (Figure 1.1)

ENERGY
What energizes you? Where does a team get its energy from? What
fuels an organization? In a Harvard Business Review article by Emma
Seppälä and Kim Cameron (2022) entitled ‘The best leaders have
a contagious positive energy’ the authors state: ‘Numerous studies
show that positive energizers produce substantially higher levels of
engagement, lower turnover and enhanced feelings of well-being
among employees. In organizations, superior shareholder returns
occur, and in some studies, outcomes exceeded industry averages in
profitability and productivity by a factor of four or more.’
They go on to say: ‘There is a botanical term for these results:
the heliotropic effect. That’s the phenomenon whereby plants natu-
rally turn toward and grow in the presence of light. In nature, light
is the life-­giving force; photosynthesis occurs only in its presence.
Human beings have the same inherent attraction toward life-giving

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

and life-supporting energy. This form of energy is what you receive –

and give – in relationships with others.’
Once you have discovered and become fuelled by your own sense
of purpose, it will sustain your energy and will enable you to show up
in a consistent way as the sun, radiating warmth and positivity and
nourishing those around you. Contrast this to showing up as a black
cloud, engendering a climate of fear, anxiety and negativity. Although
it might activate performance in the short term, it is not a formula for
long-term success. On one occasion I was invited to meet with the HR
director in a company that was driving hyper-growth. It transpired that
the organization recruited some of the brightest talent around; how-
ever, the average tenure of people was 18 months. The company was
haemorrhaging talent. People were literally having breakdowns in the
office as a consequence of being driven so hard. The CEO’s response
was a public declaration that he didn’t care and if people couldn’t keep
up, they would be quickly replaced. The HR director was in a minor-
ity in trying to shift the culture. My perspective was not welcome.
However, it was interesting to see that the company had ongoing issues
with the regulatory body governing its affairs and eventually the CEO
got fired.
Contrast this with the sense of purpose at the UK’s national air-
port. I was fortunate to coach the Heathrow leadership team respon-
sible for the delivery of Terminal 2, The Queen’s Terminal. As John
Holland-Kaye, Heathrow CEO, says, ‘Heathrow is Hollywood’ –
in other words, anything related to Heathrow gets high media cov-
erage – so it was critical that the organization got Terminal 2 right.
Brian Woodhead was Terminal 2’s Programme and Operations
Director. John put Brian in role as he was purpose-led. One of
Brian’s first acts in role was to schedule a team offsite, which I facili-
tated to define the leadership team’s shared sense of purpose. People
were busy. The idea of taking 24 precious hours out of their diaries
did not appeal. Unperturbed, Brian stayed focused on the discovery
of purpose, and we used a simple process to get under the skin of
what it could mean for the team. We framed the session by indicat-
ing that it was an exploratory process. This meant not making any
immediate decisions or actions to implement. The steps involved
asking team members to:

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

1. Generate adjectives to describe why the team existed and what

they aspired to be like as a team.
2. Select the adjectives, once shared, that had the greatest impact.
The team came up with multiple adjectives and aligned on some
unified themes, including growth, inspiration, delivery, people and
opportunity. I then challenged the team to create a statement that
best represented their shared sense of purpose, beyond the immedi-
ate goal of opening the terminal on time and on budget. Following
considerable probing they alighted on ‘To inspire people to go
beyond what they think is possible’. Going forward, this intent
became an energizer, reminding the team about their collective rea-
son for existence beyond hitting their delivery goal.
Sitting down with Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow,
she clearly articulated the impact of purpose for an organization:
‘Being purpose led provides a clear mindset for CEOs to make nec-
essary business trade-offs. A vital leadership component in our cur-
rent societal and environmental climate is to leave the company in a
better place. Leading with purpose gives a framework for everything
CEOs look at and enables them to deploy consistent decision mak-
ing to deliver better outcomes.’

MEANING
In the McKinsey article ‘Increasing the meaning quotient of work’,
authors Susie Cranston and Scott Keller (2013) write that their focus
has been on creating work settings that promote high energy, self-­
assurance, and personal productivity. When inquiring with leaders
about the missing element they find most challenging to provide for
themselves and their colleagues, they consistently point to one cru-
cial factor: a profound sense of meaning. ‘Meaning’ here refers to a
sentiment that what is happening holds genuine significance, that
the tasks at hand are novel or impactful to others.
This insight is reinforced by a Great Place To Work article.
Author Roula Amire (2022) shared that many people consider the
importance of purpose in their work, as it can lead to job satis-
faction or prompt them to seek new opportunities elsewhere. The

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

organizations listed as the Best Workplaces for Millennials™ rec-

ognize the significance of meaning for Generation Y, the largest
generation in the current workforce. These successful workplaces,
spanning different company sizes, actively strive to provide their
younger employees with a sense of purpose. Consequently, they
enjoy higher retention rates, greater pride in their work, and
increased endorsements from their millennial workforce. However,
only 79 percent of millennials feel their work has a special mean-
ing, in contrast to 90 percent of baby boomers. For millennials
and Generation Z, a sense of purpose profoundly influences their
perception of the future, making them more inclined to leave jobs
that they don’t find meaningful.
Michael C. Bush, CEO of research and analytics firm Great Place
To Work, says that millennials can teach companies valuable lessons
about work. If a company can help them find meaning and pride in
their work, they’ll stay committed to your organization.
Sitting down with Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, in the compa-
ny’s beautiful office space which reflects the company purpose, he
spoke passionately about the linkage between purpose and meaning:
‘As a CEO you need to have a point. Start with purpose. It is hard
to build your presence in the business unless you stand for some-
thing meaningful. At edyn we asked colleagues what they wanted
the company to be and how to pursue what they cared about,
which included humanity, beauty, experiences and love. We con-
ducted multiple listening groups to deeply understand why people
loved edyn and what they thought made it precious. Through an
iterative process we arrived at the company purpose, ‘Soulful hos-
pitality’. Importantly, we asked our colleagues to dream of a better
way and what that might look like, rather than simply to describe
a slightly better version of their current reality. This allowed us to
be more radical and transformational with the changes we wanted
to implement.’
Stephen went on to say: ‘It is vital to know what you are striving
for so that you can make sure it becomes embedded in the culture.
The company purpose needs to become the True North and narra-
tive of the business so that people reference it and use it as a lens for
decision making. For instance, if someone is having a bad day, we can

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

ask them what they need to be more soulful. When making business
trade-offs we will use our purpose to establish the pros and cons to
arrive at the right answer. Every business will have to make choices
between their ambition and, for example, economic reality, but the
trade-offs are often opaque and being clear on your deeper purpose
helps you gauge where you can compromise or where you should
stand firm.’
What is most meaningful for you? It is vital to understand your
own sense of meaning in order to be able to help people, teams and
the organization to be aligned about what matters most. This could
include:
● Individually – for example, fulfilling potential, enjoying auton-
omy, mastering skills or helping others.
● Teams – for instance, having a sense of belonging, playing to
strengths, working collaboratively or delivering passion projects.
● Customers – for example, making life easier, providing a superior
service or product, or creating memorable experiences.
● Society – for instance, making a better world, contributing to the
community, reducing carbon emissions or stewarding resources.

IMPACT
When you ask most people what they want to be remembered for
they answer with some version of wanting to make a difference, add
value, help others or have a positive impact. In the Harvard Business
Review article ‘From purpose to impact’ by Nick Craig and Scott A.
Snook (2014) the authors write that in effective purpose-to-­impact
plans, language is personalized to resonate with each individual,
avoiding corporate terminology. These plans concentrate on future,
overarching ambitions and gradually delve into specific details by
working backward. Furthermore, they prioritize the individual’s
strengths and advocate for a balanced perspective on both work
and family life.
Focusing on impact is a powerful tonic when the permanent
busyness takes over. Laura Miller, Executive Vice President, Chief
Information Officer, Macy’s, gave her perspective: ‘Whether it’s trying

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

to make a difference to a company, team or individual, there are some

days that you feel caught up on the hamster wheel and you are spin-
ning so hard that it’s hard to recognize the impact you can make. When
this happens, I have to remember that what makes the difference for
me is to enhance the lives of others. If I can help one person’s work
become easier or make them more successful, I have fulfilled my pur-
pose that day.’
I am fortunate to work with Diageo, a global leader in premium
drinks. As a purpose-led organization the company articulates its
purpose as ‘Celebrating life, every day, everywhere’. The company
states: ‘Our accessible purpose provides a platform for us to be the
best we can be at work, at home and in our communities – it’s about
celebrating life in its broadest sense. Our purpose goes hand in hand
with p­ erformance – never one without the other.’
An example of moving from purpose to impact was an event I
helped facilitate with Diageo Reserve, the luxury portfolio of Diageo.
The Reserve leader came up with the title ‘Let’s Dance’. The event
was held in Barcelona and the team gathered from around the world
for the first time post Covid. We used dance as a metaphor for how to
succeed in the business and had amazing Spanish dance instructors
guide us through a series of dances to provoke curiosity. We debriefed
the learning and the team arrived on the acronym FLOW as the way
to work together. The impact of FLOW is:
● Feeling brings together emotion and performance. Everyone in
Reserve is encouraged to speak up about how they feel in order
to help unlock the potential to perform. Line managers will ask
team members how they are feeling in performance conversations
to ensure everyone feels safe to share what is going on and get the
help they need to succeed.
● Learning invites a growth mindset where everyone sees challenges
as opportunities, understands how to make better decisions when
navigating between choices, removes right and wrong to find the
power in different perspectives, and recognizes setbacks and red
flags earlier to course correct.
● Owning creates the conditions where everyone feels ownership
of the Reserve Strategy, Performance and Culture. It means

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

everyone takes accountability for what is going on, thinks

about Reserve as one team, brings all their ideas to the table,
and seeks sufficient data and insights that quickly move the
team to action.
● Winning is about building a sustainable future. It requires every-
one to think differently, be innovative and creative to take risks,
push boundaries and deliver brilliant results. It means being pre-
pared to fail fast, drive progress not perfection, and enjoy the
journey!
Bringing together energy, meaning and impact becomes a tangible
way of defining purpose and brings it to life in multiple ways.
Back to Paul’s story – the reluctant leader who was in line to
become CEO. The provocation about purpose led him on a jour-
ney where he genuinely wanted to discover his own purpose and
explore what it could mean in terms of the company and role as
CEO. We scheduled an afternoon to discuss. I introduced Paul to
a timeline exercise which is a reflective process focused on three
key steps:
1. Identify times when you have experienced peak moments, you
have been in flow and truly fulfilled, to understand when you
have been at your best.
2. Make meaning of these times to recognize why these experiences
were so significant and highlight some stand-out themes.
3. Distil this learning and insight into a statement representing your
personal purpose.
The personal purpose process is shown in Table 1.1.

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

TABLE 1.1 PERSONAL PURPOSE PROCESS

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Identify peak Highlight key Recognize the links
moments or memo- themes associated between key themes
rable chapters when with each experi- to help clarify per-
you were at your best ence and why they sonal purpose
were so meaningful

When have you been Why were these What do your big
at your best? experiences so themes have in
What was happening impactful for you? common?
when you experi- What did they mean? What is most mean-
enced peak moments Why were they so ingful for you?
or memorable significant? What impact do you
chapters? want to have in the
When have you been world?
most energized?

Paul took this insight and we embarked on an inquiry:

Ben: What does ‘going beyond what you think is possible’ mean
to you?
Paul: It means overcoming any hurdles and perceived limitations.
Ben: What massive value would you like to ultimately add?
Paul: Making things better for others so that they have opportu-
nity to flourish.
Ben: Why does being a catalyst for change ignite you?
Paul: I love making big things happen and in particular helping
others unlock their potential.
Ben: What stands out for you when you reflect upon these differ-
ent elements?
Paul: Helping others, making things better and creating new things.
Ben: If you brought these ideas together, what would it mean?
Paul: Being a creator of opportunity.
Guiding Paul on this inquiry was enlightening and is best captured
in Table 1.2.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

TABLE 1.2 PAUL’S PURPOSE PROCESS

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Identify peak Highlight key themes associ- Recognize the
moments or ated with each experience and links between key
memorable chap- why they were so meaningful themes to help
ters when you clarify personal
were at your best purpose
Competing in road • Winning – love the feeling of • Going beyond
bicycle racing stretching myself to be the what I thought
best I can be was possible
• Speed – exhilarated by taking
risk and pushing boundaries
• Continuous improvement –
driven by the opportunity to get
better and master difficult tasks
Completing big, • Simplifying complexity – ener- • Delivering
complex financial gized by taking multiple data ­massive value
deals points and creating order
• Working collaboratively –
thrive on working in a team
environment building upon
ideas
• Solving problems – love
coming up with answers and
helping others
Supporting my • Helping others grow – passion- • Being a catalyst
children to unlock ate about unleashing curiosity for change
their potential and hunger for learning
• Creating opportunity – driven
by removing obstacles and
making things happen
• Opening possibility – committed
to being a catalyst for new things

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

Ben: How does that resonate with you as a sense of purpose?

Paul: It is like coming home to a truth which I already know but
haven’t clearly articulated.
I suggested that Paul use the following statement for his personal
purpose:
To be a creator of opportunity
We used a 3C formula to test and validate the currency of Paul’s
purpose:
● Consistency. The world will change around you and the cir-
cumstances of your life will evolve, however your purpose stays
constant. It is changeless in a changing world. Paul recognized
that through all the major changes in his life, such as getting
married, becoming a father, gaining promotions and navigating
crises, the drive of creating opportunity endured and carried
him forward.
● Connection. Your purpose is present with you on different levels
of connectivity, including:
⚪ physical – you get energy from it
⚪ emotional – you feel strongly about it
⚪ mental – you derive intellectual stimulation from it
⚪ spiritual – you are inspired to follow it.

Paul could see the connection between being a creator of oppor-

tunity and the impact it had on him and others. It was a source
of inspiration and energy that lifted him up and provided grit to
sustain him in difficult times, as well as challenging him to think
differently and find solutions.
● Clarity. Your purpose acts as a North Star, giving you direction
and focus. Paul applied his purpose to leadership and started to
see the CEO role differently. Rather than relating to it as a role,
position or title, by seeing it through the lens of opportunity he
recognized that becoming a CEO allowed him to be a creator of
opportunity on a bigger scale. He could provide opportunity for
colleagues, customers, investors, suppliers and communities, which
genuinely excited him.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Landing on his purpose gave Paul a different lens to look through

on his journey to CEO. He developed a framework based on three
key strategic priorities to shape what he wanted to stand for, which
became the foundation of his compelling narrative to engage stake-
holders (see Table 1.3).

TABLE 1.3 KEY STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FRAMEWORK

Purpose –
to be a
creator of
opportunity People Growth Sustainability
1 Create an 1 Drive a perfor- 1 Champion an
environment of mance culture environment,
psychological where all stake- social and gov-
safety where holders benefit ernance agenda
everyone has a from growing in meaningful
sense of belong- the business. ways.
ing, speaks up 2 Inspire a 2 Improve
and is able to be growth mindset education and
the best version where every- opportunities
of themselves. one has the for equality,
2 Show true care opportunity diversity and
through listening to ignite their inclusion across
to understand curiosity, learn all stakeholders.
others and going and develop to3 Develop
beyond expecta- deliver superior organizational
tions in response performance. strategy, capa-
to meeting their 3 Maintain a bility, talent and
needs. balanced score- culture for the
3 Invest in talent card to ensure long term.
to ensure people that business
can thrive at growth is
work in dynamic balanced with
ways and have a people, profit
meaningful career and the planet.
pathway.

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

Alongside his personal purpose, Paul was able to turn his atten-
tion to the organizational purpose to make genuine linkages so that
he could embrace it, not as a slogan but as the fundamental DNA
within the company. Suffice to say the company purpose lacked
authentic buy-in and traction. Its origins had been more of a corpo-
rate tick-box activity rather than an opportunity to engage colleagues
in the creation and ownership of a meaningful understanding about
why the organization exists. If Paul was successful in his application
for CEO, he resolved to start by re-evaluating the purpose as he
wanted to base his tenure on a truth.
Purpose has come of age. Research shared by McKinsey &
Company in an article published in April 2021, entitled ‘Help your
employees find purpose – or watch them leave’, cited: ‘Nearly two-
thirds of US-based employees we surveyed said that Covid-19 has
caused them to reflect on their purpose in life. And nearly half said
that they are reconsidering the kind of work they do because of the
pandemic. Millennials were three times more likely than others to say
that they were re-evaluating work.’ A key message was: ‘Employees
expect their jobs to bring a significant sense of purpose to their lives.
Employers need to help meet this need or be prepared to lose talent
to companies that will.’
What is your purpose? Are you clear? How does it guide you?
Are you able to articulate it in a way that inspires and engages
others? Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company,
has championed being purpose-led over the last decade. First,
he helped double the size of Lindt UK and Ireland, leading the
business by continuously growing market share and brand equity
through building a purpose-led organization. He transferred his
knowledge and approach to Ghirardelli in January 2018. During
our conversation, while enjoying the company’s delicious cara-
mel squares, Joel shared the following: ‘I feel very fortunate to
be working for the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, a fantastic
and fast-growing brand with over 160 years of history and more
than 1,200 passionate employees. My purpose is to build real rela-
tionships and help others unlock their potential, which guides my
every step and ensures that I help the organization and colleagues
discover and lead with purpose.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

He went on to say, ‘Early in my tenure with Ghirardelli, along

with my management team and colleagues, we set out to define
the company purpose through understanding the rich heritage and
impact of the business. We reflected upon the magical journey of
making great chocolate, starting with sourcing great cocoa beans,
having the beans arrive in our San Leandro factory where the process
of making our chocolate begins. Over many years we have become
famous for our caramel squares, chocolate chips, intense dark range,
peppermint bark and of course our hot fudge sundaes produced
every day in our stores across the US. Our aim is to change the way
the consumer experiences chocolate, contribute to the communities
where we live and work, and have some fun along the way. With
that in mind our purpose, “Make life a bite better”, was born. This
gives our company meaning and inspires everything we do. We have
the strategic priority ‘Be Purpose Led’ baked into our strategic plan,
positioned as one of our three strategic pillars. We have identified our
four immediate stakeholder groups whom we impact, which we call
our 4’s – Consumer, Customer, Colleague and Community – and
have a steering committee who help define what “Make life a bite
better” means for each constituent group and how we measure it.’
The company’s current focus is shown in Table 1.4.

TABLE 1.4 COMPANY FOCUS

Consumer Customer Colleague Community

Why we Deliver pre- Deliver cate- Create a wel- Make a
make life a mium choco- gory growth coming and difference
bite better late and more and excellent vibrant cul- in our local
with great service level ture through communities
taste and high- living our and operate
est quality values sustainably
What suc- Market share Advantage Great Place Sustainable
cess looks Brand equity survey To Work indicators
like Category Retention Donated
growth hours and
dollars

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

In working with Joel and his extended leadership team, we rein-

force personal, team and organizational purpose every month in
management team and senior leadership team meetings, using them
as a lens focused on areas like managing organizational change and
transitions, building high-performing teams and collaboration, and
inspiring and engaging different stakeholder groups, which results in
a clear linkage between purpose, people and performance.
I appreciated the way Sam Barrell, Deputy CEO, The Francis
Crick Institute, reflected upon being purpose-led: ‘I’ve always had a
very strong sense of purpose guiding me through my career. For me,
this has been about patient care and scientific and technical advances
that can really make a difference to people’s lives. The advice I would
give to those starting out on their careers is to really think about what
your own key purpose is and to use this as a motivational and guiding
force. It will help you stay resilient and positive through inevitable
challenges and will ultimately ensure that your working life is enjoy-
able and rewarding.’
Helen Tupper, CEO, Amazing If, shared a strong view about the
impact of purpose: ‘Don’t just pick the title. Pick your purpose. I
wanted to lead an organization that made careers better for every-
one and to drive a business forward that makes a tangible difference.
Define why you want to be a CEO. It is such a pivotal role that
you must care passionately about leading and creating meaningful
value. By connecting the position and purpose it will make the role
sustainable.’
Another purpose-led CEO is Jamie Bunce at Inspired Villages,
focused on helping people live the best years of their lives. In Jamie’s
words: ‘We make a positive and transformational difference in peo-
ple’s lives by providing villages which have vibrant communities
where people who want to get the most out of life do it together.
To be a p ­ urpose-led CEO means having the emotional intelligence
to take people on the journey with you. Understand at what point
you inspire people or confuse them. Keep people on the same path
and enable them to take their own journey in the organization. As
CEO your role is to create the conditions for people to connect
passionately with the business. Help ignite the fire in people to go
on their own journey for the good of the business.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

CEO NOTE
Use purpose as a way to provide meaning, energy and impact
for an organization.

PURPOSE MINDSET
Upon awakening, what is on your mind? What formative decisions
do you make? Having asked thousands of leaders these types of ques-
tions, the typical responses I get include:
Hit snooze
Tea or coffee?
Check inbox
How’s the weather?
What meetings are in the calendar?
What to wear?
Get the kids up
Take the dog out
Any overnight crises?
It is a ‘to do’ list.
Urgent? Yes.
Energizing? Not particularly.
Meaningful? Not really.
Impactful? Marginal.

Neuroscientists estimate that on the unconscious level, the human

brain can process roughly 11 million pieces of information per sec-
ond. Compare that to the estimate for conscious processing: about
40 pieces per second (DiSalvo, 2013). As a result, the brain creates
mental shortcuts to help us interpret information faster and save
energy in making decisions. We rely on our past experiences to do
this, and when faced with similar situations or people, we automati-
cally make associations. However, as you shift to being purpose-led,
operating on autopilot is insufficient.

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

In a fascinating McKinsey & Company article entitled ‘Making a

daily “to be” list: How a hospital system CEO is navigating the coro-
navirus crisis’ (2020), Cincinnati Children’s CEO Michael Fisher
says he is communicating with purpose, leaning into tough choices
and emphasizing trust as he leads through uncertainty. Asked about
his personal operating model and what was serving him well, he said
that he believes everyone has their unique approach to self-man-
agement, handling workloads, being accountable, and focusing
on both short-term and long-term goals. Personally, he has always
maintained discipline by jotting down daily “to-dos,” ensuring he
accomplishes tasks A, B, and C. Recently, he started incorporating a
“to be” list as well, where he intentionally chooses how he wants to
present himself each day. For instance, today, his goal is to be gener-
ous and genuine, especially during crucial meetings with his senior
team. Another day this week, his focus was on being collaborative
and catalytic. So, he selects two qualities each morning to guide his
daily interactions and actions.

CEO NOTE
Every day put your ‘to be’ at the top of your ‘to do’ list.

Michael Fisher’s example illustrates a fundamental mindset shift most

people need to make from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. The usual construct we
have is shown in Figure 1.2.

Have Do Be

Figure 1.2 Mindset shift from ‘doing’ to ‘being’

We tell ourselves when we have the things we want, we will do the

things we want and be the type of person we want to be. A classic
example is money: When I have enough money, I will do great things

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

and be happy. In the meantime, we can postpone who we want to be.

The invitation is to put our ‘being’ first – see Figure 1.3.

Be Do Have

Figure 1.3 Putting our ‘being’ first

On the outside Susan had it all. She had climbed the dizzy heights
to CEO of a global company, had a loving family and was admired
in her profession. However, at the start of our coaching partnership
she disclosed that was not happy and battled daily frustration. I asked
Susan what was her best bet for happiness. ‘Retirement. Just ten more
years of angst and then watch me, I’m going to have a wonderful
life.’ I challenged her on this notion and the impact it could poten-
tially have on all areas of her work and life. Having battled hard to
reach CEO she was loath to change her approach. I introduced her
to the concept of being purpose-led as a starting point to shift her
experience of reality. She embraced the idea in her typical driven way
and quickly reached a focal point: ‘To be the best I can be.’ We used
this as a lens to define what it would look like every day, rather than
waiting ten years.
Susan dug into exploring her criteria to being the best she can be:
● As a CEO, leading a company.
● As a Board member, collaborating with others.
● As a spokesperson, communicating with stakeholders.
● As a mum, parenting her children.
● As a partner, evolving her marriage.
● As a daughter, connecting with her parents.
● As a friend, nurturing others.
● As a member of society, helping the world be a better place.
I shared with her three different types of mindsets which could help
her make this shift from ‘doing’ to ‘being’.

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

1. Autopilot. Mentioned above, this is when we make unconscious,

automatic decisions to help with certain routine tasks. It is an
evolutionary mechanism that has developed to stop our brains
from overloading. When we live on autopilot, it feels like some-
one else is driving, not us. As a CEO, tell-tale signs you are oper-
ating on autopilot include:
● You don’t switch off. You are permanently busy. You have no
time or space to think or reflect. You get distracted and find it
hard to be present with others.
● You are frustrated. You feel that other people’s expectations
define your agenda and that you don’t have sufficient oppor-
tunity to lead the company in the direction you want to go.
● Your work is predictable. Your schedule has too many repet-
itive activities and you feel obligated to perform a role, rather
than to shape your role as a challenging adventure.
2. Choice. This is the ability to choose our mindset in any given
situation, which determines how we respond to events. Probably
the most profound insight on the power of choice comes from
the work of Viktor Frankl. Frankl was an Austrian psychologist
and a Holocaust survivor. In his momentous book Man’s Search
for Ultimate Meaning (2004), Frankl shared the observation that
in any situation, a person’s freedom to choose their attitude and
their own path remains inviolable, even when everything else
may be taken away from them. As a CEO you recognize that
there will be multiple events happening at any given time, but
it will be the choices you make to respond which will determine
the outcomes. For example:
● The business is underperforming. You could choose to jump
into a highly directive mode and start telling people what to
do, diving into the detail and unnerving colleagues. Or you
could step back, seek to understand the underlying factors
causing the underperformance, and respond with a considered
and constructive response.
● Employee engagement is down. You could choose to respond
by blaming others for poor leadership and failing to translate
vision, set expectations, or help people learn and develop. Or

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

you could take ownership for the engagement results and set a
powerful example by understanding the root-cause issues and
changing your own leadership first.
● Colleagues are reluctant to return to office. You could
choose to call remote work an ‘aberration’ and not conducive
to productivity. Or you could choose to show high compas-
sion and empathy in understanding the challenges colleagues
are facing and respond with the right level of flexibility and
encouragement.
3. Intention. Research shows that our brains are constantly being
shaped by experience. Most of us have very different thoughts
and behaviours than we did 20 years ago. This shift is known
as neuroplasticity: changes in brain structure and organization as
we experience, learn and adapt. Through neuroplasticity – the
‘muscle build’ part of the brain – we become what we think and
do. Therefore, we can deliberately develop our mindset in con-
scious ways and become intentional about how we want to be.
For instance:
● Be purpose-led. To be purpose-led starts by setting a clear
intention every day. Just as Cincinnati Children’s CEO
Michael Fisher did, put your ‘to be’ at the top of your ‘to do’
list. I am a big advocate of adopting the principle of contin-
uous improvement to being purpose-led. In his seminal book
Atomic Habits (2018), author James Clear states a powerful
case for nudging your ‘to be’: with a daily improvement of just
one percent over the course of a year, your overall performance
will grow significantly, reaching a remarkable thirty-seven
times improvement by the end of that period.
● Be a CEO. No one says, ‘I am going to do a CEO’. To be
a CEO means developing the qualities and characteristics
that are associated with leadership greatness, including being
visionary, inspiring, strategic, bold, resourceful, thoughtful,
collaborative, communicative, inclusive, trusting, compas-
sionate, energetic, resilient and humble.

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

Susan clearly understood the concept of setting a strategic intent

from a business perspective and therefore she loved the idea of set-
ting a deliberate intent as CEO – starting with being purpose-led.
She shared the idea about intent with her executive committee and
together they agreed to reinvigorate the company purpose, which
had taken a back seat. Before going out to the business with big
purpose-led promises, they decided to test themselves by putting it
on their weekly operational agenda and doing a deep dive at their
monthly strategic meeting. They challenged themselves to identify
genuine moments of being purpose-led in the business, lessons
learned, challenges overcome and opportunities to progress going
forward. For instance, a key priority was to develop a more sustain-
able business post Covid. They knew that just telling people to cut
costs and be more efficient would deliver short-term requirements
but could erode employee engagement in the longer term. They
decided to take a different approach and set up listening groups,
which they personally attended, to seek to understand colleagues’
insight and ideas for addressing the priority. At the heart of the com-
pany purpose was the statement: ‘Today, we are a purpose-driven
company that’s dedicated to empowering people through the value
of opportunity.’ Rather than simply paying lip service to the feed-
back, the executive committee held themselves accountable for put-
ting plans in place.
Top of the list was to become carbon neutral. As a business they
had committed to The Climate Pledge, which was to become net-
zero carbon by 2040. However, given the impact of navigating coro-
navirus, the priority had taken a back seat. Susan asked for a steering
group to be formed by enthused colleagues who wanted to own and
drive the agenda. A diverse team was quickly established, which ini-
tially put in meaningful short-term targets such as regular reporting,
carbon elimination and credible offsets. The team requested time at
each monthly executive committee meeting to update on governance,
progress and challenges to overcome. Susan developed a clear and
compelling narrative about the significance of the business becoming
carbon neutral and personalized it by calculating her own carbon
footprint and sharing her most impactful reductions.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Another example was championing EDI. Susan had worked hard

to ensure her executive committee had a fair representation of gen-
der, ethnicity and thinking style. She consistently focused on and
communicated about the need to build an environment where every
individual can bring their whole self to work and to encourage them
to draw upon their unique experiences, thoughts and perspectives to
help deliver business goals and to build products and services that
reflect the full markets the organization is trying to serve. One way
to bring EDI to life was at the annual company conference. Susan
made sure that every detail of the conference reflected the intent
to belong, including the location, venue, food and beverages, and
topics covered. One of the most meaningful sessions was a dialogue
facilitated by her HR director with an external executive from the
banking industry who had transitioned from a man to a woman,
along with an internal colleague who had shared the same experience.
It was an enlightening conversation which clearly indicated Susan’s
commitment to everyone having a sense of belonging within the
organization.
In order to embed purpose, it’s critical to be purpose-led. In
my interview with Neil Jowsey, CEO of Cromwell, he shared: ‘A
primary requirement to be a highly effective CEO is to embody a
strong sense of purpose. Be clear about why you are leading. I have
discovered how powerful it is to inspire others and encourage them
to follow me as a leader based on purpose. The way I have distilled
my purpose is to lead growth. For instance, when I engage with
new starters in the company, I share what is meaningful for me and
how I thrive on helping people unlock their potential. With my
executive committee I love figuring out how to make things better
in order to unleash our growth. Every time I am intentional about
being purpose-led, I see people wowed. I believe it sends the mes-
sage – here is a leader who is super clear. I can get on board with it.
I can see what’s in it for me.’
Neil went on to say: ‘Be intentional about the purpose of the
organization by figuring out why the company exists and what role it
plays in the world. For instance, at Cromwell our purpose is “To keep
industry working”. Many of our customers provide life-enhancing

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

services, such as producing hip and knee joints or making insulin

pens. I love the fact that we help them give people’s lives back. I
get excited by the impact of our purpose in the world, rather than
focusing on putting products in boxes and shipping them around the
world. Our purpose catches fire in the business and helps generate a
sense of pride. The really special businesses and CEOs find ways to
unlock purpose in multiple ways.’

CEO NOTE
Setting your intent to be purpose-led is a starting point for
leading the business.

Take a Stand

I am reluctant to reference politicians in a business context, however

the extraordinary events surrounding a recent high-profile figure are
relevant when it comes to the impact of taking a stand. On 7 July
2022 Boris Johnson resigned as the UK’s Prime Minister. It hadn’t
even been three years since he had led the Conservatives to their
biggest election victory since 1987. The BBC recognized several ele-
ments that led to his downfall which are closely linked to personal
reputation:
1. The Chris Pincher affair. On 29 June 2022, the then Conservative
deputy chief whip MP Chris Pincher went to a private mem-
bers’ club in London. In his words, he ‘drank far too much and
embarrassed himself ’. Mr Johnson claimed that he was not aware
of ‘specific allegations’ about Mr Pincher before appointing him
as deputy chief whip, which turned out to be inaccurate. Mr
Johnson later admitted that he had been told and apologized for
appointing Mr Pincher as deputy chief whip.
2. Partygate. In April 2022, the Prime Minister was fined for break-
ing lockdown rules when he attended a gathering on his birthday

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

in June 2020. He also apologized for going to a ‘bring your

own booze’ party in the Downing Street garden during the first
lockdown.
3. The Owen Paterson row. In October 2021 a House of Commons
committee recommended a 30-day suspension for then-­
Conservative MP Owen Paterson. The committee said he broke
lobbying rules, to try to benefit companies that paid him. But the
Conservatives – led by the Prime Minister – voted to pause his
suspension and set up a new committee to look at how investi-
gations were carried out. After an outcry, Mr Paterson ended up
resigning. Boris Johnson later admitted that he had ‘crashed the
car’ in his handling of the case.
4. Lack of focus – and ideas. Boris Johnson’s former advisor turned
chief critic Dominic Cummings repeatedly accused him of being
an out-of-control shopping trolley, veering from position to posi-
tion. Others questioned Mr Johnson’s philosophy – or indeed
whether he had one.
In ‘Strategy&’, part of a 2018 PwC network article titled ‘CEO suc-
cess study’, it was noted: ‘Ethical lapses are on the rise. The overall
rate of forced turnovers was in line with recent trends, at 20 per cent.
But the reasons that CEOs were fired in 2018 were different. For the
first time in the study’s history, more CEOs were dismissed for eth-
ical lapses than for financial performance or board struggles.’ Some
notable cases of the downfall of CEOs include:
● Kenneth Lay, who presided over the Enron accounting scandal,
died before serving his prison sentence.
● Bernard Ebbers of WorldCom served half his prison term for
fraud, dying shortly after his early release.
● After using corporate funds as his personal piggy bank, Dennis
Kozlowski of Tyco went to prison.
● Conrad Black of Hollinger Inc served part of his prison term
for wire fraud; after being released, he received a pardon from
President Trump.

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

● Scott Thompson quickly departed from Tyco after false informa-

tion was discovered on his resume. He has served as CEO of other
companies since.
As a CEO people want to know what you stand for. Sneh Khemka,
former CEO, Simplyhealth, gave his perspective: ‘A CEO needs to
understand that the reputation and brand of the organization are
pinned on visible leadership, which they must take to heart. The rise
of the superstar CEOs, such as Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and
Elon Musk, has impacted smaller companies where new expectations
have been thrust on CEOs. External personality defines the company
success. This is amplified by the increased polarization of earnings
between the CEO and colleagues, which needs to be justified and
puts more demands on the CEO to represent the business in the
right way.’
Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky New Zealand, integrates her authen-
tic self with the role: ‘I never thought I would be a CEO, it wasn’t
even on my radar despite the fact that I grew up in an environment
which nurtured leadership roles and self-motivation as my father was
a headmaster. As a teenager I went through a dark time and came to
realize that we are all unique and should all be able to be ourselves.
I carry this with me as a CEO today.’
An essential part of what you stand for is to be clear and deliber-
ate about living and breathing your values in a consistent way. Keith
Barr, CEO, IHG, articulated the importance of being values based:
‘Make sure your role fits with who you are. Ask yourself: Does my
role align with my values and who I am? For instance, I am hard-
wired to care. During Covid-19 my commitment was to make sure
that we could keep as many people employed for as long as possible
based on what we could afford to do. I held monthly calls with 6,000
colleagues which were live and unscripted and faced into the tough
questions to make sure people felt cared for.’
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, is a passionate advocate
of values. One of his first actions when he took over the com-
pany was to refresh the existing values by engaging over 25 per
cent of colleagues in the co-creation of redefining what matters
most. ‘As CEO you have the responsibility for the wellbeing of the

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

organization and the stakeholders who use it. I don’t worry about
the day-to-day running of the business as it is in very capable hands.
What keeps me awake at night is worrying about a plane crash,
terrorist activity or an accident as a result of the organization. In
a safety-critical business these are the type of incidents that mat-
ter most. When you look back at recent tragic incidents like the
China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crash on 21 March
2022, or the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017, one of the most
painful insights is when it looks like someone has put profit over
safety. To do the right thing as a company comes back to leading
with values and effective stakeholder management. It is vital to
know what really matters in the business and to take a long-term
view about what is right for the organization. At Heathrow we are
responsible with money, but we will never compromise safety and
security.’
The significance of values was reinforced by Stephen McCall,
CEO, edyn: ‘A CEO needs to live and breathe the company values.
For instance, I didn’t want values to become an operating statement
in the business. I believe that values are a guide for people to find
their own way. At edyn our values are “The courage to question, to
evolve, to be human”. For instance, putting your hand up in a meet-
ing can be difficult. We encourage our people to be courageous and
share their ideas without the fear of being ridiculed. This practice
helps create an environment of psychological safety where everyone
can have a voice without the fear of negative consequences. Where
our values have probably become most valuable is as a guide when
we are employing people. We ask potential colleagues about their
work and life journey to understand what has shaped them and see
their curiosity. We are wary of efficiency for its own sake as it often
means doing repetitive tasks which are the end of human evolution.
We use technology and the efficiency it creates to free people up
and answer their own calling. We look for people who are curious
enough to try new things, which is at the heart of creativity and
innovation. We reward our people who demonstrate our values in
the business by understanding who has acted with courage, shown
insatiable curiosity, and evolved and shared their humanity.’

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

TABLE 1.5 LIFELINE: DEFINING YOUR VALUES

1 Event    → 2 Impact    → 3 Learning    = 4 Value

Chronologically Against each Reflect upon the Identify the spe-
mark the key event note the learning you gained cific value linked
experiences and impact that it had and the conclusion to the learning,
turning points on you, e.g. sense formed from the e.g. honesty, opti-
that have shaped of loss, betrayal, experience, e.g. mism, fairness,
your life so far. injustice, fail- setbacks make you respect, safety,
These are some- ure, frustration, resilient, injustice opportunity.
times called ‘cru- achievement. can motivate,
cible’ moments loss helps you
and are usually appreciate life,
associated with achievement drives
adversity, set- ambition.
backs and failures,
e.g. family, edu-
cation, relational,
bereavement, life
and career.

Having coached thousands of leaders over the years, my experi-

ence shows that most people know what their values are. However,
not everyone understands what has shaped them, which is an essen-
tial step to informing what you stand for. There are four steps to
defining your values in a process known as a lifeline (Table 1.5).
Table 1.6 is my personal example.

TABLE 1.6 MY PERSONAL LIFELINE

1 Event    → 2 Impact    → 3 Learning    = 4 Value

Divorce of Sense of reality Importance of Honesty
parents shattered, feeling self-reliance, ques-
hurt, anger and tioning the norm
betrayal and not taking any-
thing for granted
(Continued)

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

TABLE 1.6 ( CONTINUED )

1 Event    → 2 Impact    → 3 Learning    = 4 Value

Quitting trajec- Liberation of Becoming a risk- Freedom
tory of becoming challenging taker, following gut
a classical violinist expectations and instinct and backing
standing up for own judgement
my beliefs
Loss of a major Sense of help- Importance of ser- Trust
work project lessness at not endipity, timing and
being able to turn being in the right
things around and place at the right
make it happen time
Working tirelessly Driven by work Significance of Achievement
to deliver a key ethic, challenging playing to strengths
project self and overcom- and drawing energy
ing roadblocks from stretching
goals

Yvonne had succeeded in reaching the dizzy heights of CEO. She

had worked tirelessly to attain her dream and was now faced with the
prospect of giving her inaugural address to the top 100 leaders in the
business. We sat down together to prepare. I asked what she wanted
colleagues to take away: ‘Inspiration and trust.’ Yvonne worked in an
organization run by metrics and data. She knew that people expected
her to talk primarily about performance and her commitment
to delivering the plan. This would not inspire or strengthen trust.
She decided to take a risk, be vulnerable and use storytelling based
on her lifeline to help people understand what she stood for through
the lens of values.
Yvonne compiled a series of personal photos to bring her story to
life. She started by showing herself as a child visiting her father’s fac-
tory where he worked as an engineer and talked about her passion for
understanding how things work and getting into the detail of techni-
cal issues. Next, she illustrated her love of winning by disclosing her
medals for track and field while representing her university. Yvonne
opened people’s minds when she shared photos of her volunteering

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

in animal sanctuaries in Asia and linked it to her determination to

prevent cruelty, promote kindness and provide education. She shared
a photo of her daughter with bright pink hair and talked about her
passion for valuing diversity and unlocking potential. You could hear
a pin drop in the conference room. Senior leaders were genuinely
moved by her disclosure and the standing ovation confirmed that
Yvonne’s message and approach had hit the right chord.
What do you stand for in three words? The rule of three is one
of the most powerful tools you can use as a leader. I was intro-
duced to the concept while supporting David Woodward, former
Executive Vice President, President and Chief Executive Officer at
Heinz Europe. David lived and breathed the rule of three in his
communications, delivering clear, concise and memorable mes-
sages that stuck. For instance, when I asked him about the role
of a leader, he stated: 1) deliver the plan; 2) develop people; 3)
plan the future. It makes sense and I have remembered it for the
past 15 years. Research shows that the rule of three is a writing
principle based on the idea that humans process information
through pattern recognition. As the smallest number that allows
us to recognize a pattern in a set, three can help us craft memora-
ble phrases. For example, ‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen’ – Marc
Antony in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. ‘Blood, sweat and
tears’ – General Patton. ‘Education, education, education’ – Prime
Minister Tony Blair.
I was coaching Sam on his quest to become CEO. As part of his
preparation, I introduced him to the rule of three and we used it as a
way to define what he stands for. We worked together to synthesize
the essence of his purpose, values, strengths and achievements into
three words (3Cs) that encapsulated what he was about:
1. Clarity. Sam had an amazing ability to take vast, complex ideas,
concepts and data and distil them into bite-size chunks, providing
clear direction for the way ahead.
2. Consistency. Sam was known for showing up in a calm, predict-
able and reassuring way whatever the circumstances. This instils
an underlying trust which is essential for running an organization.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

3. Courage. Sam took risks. He was constantly pushing the bound-

aries of what was possible with a restless drive to innovate and
create better outcomes.
Sam evidenced each area with specific examples and created a 60-sec-
ond high-impact elevator pitch, as well as a three-minute narrative
giving a dynamic picture of what he stands for. Shortly after this
preparation Sam met with one of the most experienced recruiters in
the UK for a great CEO opportunity. In their initial meeting, Sam
was able to deliver his 3Cs story in such a way that the recruiter
understood who he was in a short amount of time, igniting the start
of ultimately a successful selection.

CEO NOTE
Internalize what you are about so that others get you instantly.

Play to Strengths

The criticisms came thick and fast. ‘Not sure of his real motives.’ ‘Will
the real person stand up.’ ‘Doesn’t always listen, already made up his
mind.’ ‘When resistant wants to ram things through and gets frus-
trated.’ ‘Happy to put other people under the bus.’ ‘When there is
push-back, he gets aggressive.’ I was collecting 360 feedback on behalf
of an organization for an internal CEO candidate. From many of the
comments you wouldn’t believe that this individual had the credibil-
ity to do the top job. Yet they had a track record second to none for
delivering high performance, had great breadth of experience across
the industry, covering strategic, commercial and operational roles in
multiple regions, had created transformation within organizations, as
well as driven continuous improvement, and were highly respected by
analysts and industry decision makers.
When it came to debriefing the potential CEO, I was nervous.
How would they react to the feedback? Were they aware of it? Would
they own it? Would they question my approach? Would they throw
me under the bus? Before sharing feedback findings, my approach is
to ask the individual the same set of questions I asked contributors

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

in order to assess the level of self-awareness. On this occasion the

individual had high awareness. They were cognizant of the fact that
they could come across as aloof, could be hard to read, would adopt a
fixed position, and could be perceived as being on their own agenda.
But they were quick to point out that the reason they were being
considered as CEO was not for managing their weaknesses but for
leveraging their strengths. At their best this person was visionary
in generating futuristic scenarios which had already kept the busi-
ness ahead of the competition. They had a track record of build-
ing high-performing teams who were able to collaborate across the
organization and execute consistently. They had a depth of under-
standing about the business which allowed them to operate at high
altitudes, or when needed to drop into forensic detail to ensure the
right decisions were made about multiple areas such as prioritization,
resource allocation and talent management.
As CEO, or potential CEO, it is vital to know what you can get
fired for. Do you have a potentially fatal flaw that could derail you?
Probably the biggest watch-outs for CEOs are:
● poor judgement – making decisions that are not in the organiza-
tion’s best interests
● failing to walk the talk – setting standards of behaviour or expec-
tations of performance and then violating them; being perceived
as lacking integrity
● resisting new ideas – rejecting suggestions from others; not imple-
menting good ideas and the organization gets stuck
● lack of interpersonal skills – being abrasive and bullying or aloof
and unavailable, causing a lack of followership.
Having worked in the field of leadership development for more than
25 years, I believe that the way to maximize your impact for the
company is to play to strengths rather than mitigate weaknesses. The
global strengths movement started six decades ago when Don Clifton,
creator of CliftonStrengths, posed a simple question: ‘What would
happen if we studied what was right with people versus what’s wrong
with people?’ He wrote: ‘There is no more effective way to empower
people than to see each person in terms of his or her strengths.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

My favourite definition of strengths comes from Marcus

Buckingham, creator of the StandOut® Strengths Assessment: ‘Strengths
are not something that you’re good at, just like weaknesses aren’t some-
thing that you’re bad at. A strength is an activity that strengthens you.
That you look forward to doing. It’s an activity that leaves you feeling
energized rather than depleted.’
By focusing on your strengths you will become a better and stronger
version of yourself, stay energized and operate at higher levels of perfor-
mance. Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, shared his perspective on the impor-
tance of being strengths orientated: ‘To succeed as a CEO it’s vital to
understand what gives you energy. I have found that what people often
miss is having a better understanding of who they are, what gives them
energy and what helps them to have a sense of purpose and accom-
plishment. Recognize that if you are taking the job of CEO for the title
or for the money, it won’t be sustainable in the long run.’
In developing others, taking a strengths-based approach is a game-
changer. Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow, is focused on spotting
strengths in others and the impact this can have on recruitment: ‘My
approach is to recruit will, train skill. If you get a motivated person
who has the right attitude, work ethic and is a true collaborator then
it’s far more important than their skillset. I have found that collabo-
rative, motivated and energetic people overcome most situations. In
fact, sometimes having technical skills can be a hurdle because they
can act as a blocker to collaboration or visualizing a shared outcome.’
Another big advocate of playing to strengths is Emma’s colleague,
Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow, who shared: ‘When
people play to strengths, they are doing what they are best at and
what they enjoy. This combination builds confidence and enables
them to be successful. When CEOs appreciate the strengths of peo-
ple, they unlock high performance and collaboration. Colleagues can
appreciate what others bring to the table, leading to good business
outcomes as well as boosting wellbeing and confidence.’
The benefits of focusing on strengths are reinforced in recent
research findings. The ADP Research Institute conducted research in
2019 drawing on over 19,000 workers across the globe to measure
levels of engagement and identify optimal conditions at work. One
of the most telling findings was: ‘When a worker has the chance to

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

use their strengths every day at work it builds trust with their team
leader.’ Hence, as CEO, it is essential to identify the strengths of your
executive team members and learn to play to them. Communicate
your intent to create an environment where everyone can play to
their strengths every day. Set up dedicated conversations with each
executive member to clarify their strengths and agree how they can
use them every day. Offer to give them consistent feedback on where
you see them playing to their strengths, the impact of those strengths
and how they can leverage them more.
On one occasion when I was working as team coach for a CEO
and his executive committee in a FMCG company, the CEO was
a passionate advocate of adopting a strengths-based approach for
performance. They had been doing some deep work on the com-
pany strategy and had shaped a three-year strategic plan focused on
three core pillars: 1) sustainable growth; 2) great place to work; 3)
continuous improvement. The question the CEO posed was: ‘How
could the executive committee play to strengths to deliver the plan?’
I decided that the starting point was to personalize the agenda and
use feedback to hold up a mirror for each team member to see their
own strengths. I set up a ‘speed dating’ exercise where everyone had
one-to-one time together. In their conversations they were asked to
give and receive feedback using real examples based on the following
prompts:
● I see you at your best when…
● I see you energized when…
● I see you at your worst when…
● I see you depleted when…
As is often the case with these types of exercises there was initial
resistance and push-back about the value of spending time exploring
behavioural aspects of performance. However, once the feedback got
under way the team genuinely engaged and what should have been
a one-hour process quickly became a full morning. The simple act of
discussing strengths was thought provoking and highly energizing. In
the debrief it was fascinating to see the fit between strengths and roles
in the team (Table 1.7).

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

TABLE 1.7 TEAM ROLES AND STRENGTHS

Role Insight Strengths

Chief Executive Energized by creating vision, being stra- Vision
Officer (CEO) tegic, driving performance at pace and Drive
engaging multiple stakeholders
Communication
De-energized by lack of ambition,
ownership of plans, outcomes and
accountability
Chief Energized by thinking strategically, driv- Futuristic
Commercial ing value, doing big deals, beating the Activation
Officer (CCO) competition and innovating new channels
Influencer
De-energized by failing to maximize
opportunities, getting outpaced by the
competition and losing in the marketplace
Chief Financial Energized by understanding the business, Analytical
Officer (CFO) leveraging assets, driving efficiencies, Focus
being a trusted advisor
Connector
De-energized by lack of tangibles, lack of
accountability and personal agendas
Chief Energized by delivering projects, the Execution
Operating challenge of being deadline driven and Drive
Officer (COO) overcoming roadblocks
Focus
De-energized by indecision, inefficiencies
and lack of ownership
Chief People Energized by being part of a team, cre- Empathy
Officer (CPO) ating joint solutions and developing talent Connector
De-energized by negativity, silo ways of Relational
working and personal agendas
Chief Strategy Energized by thinking ahead, conducting Analytical
Officer (CSO) scenario planning and seeking causes/ Planner
reasons
Learner
De-energized by lack of sound theories,
unclear patterns and outcomes

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

Role Insight Strengths

Chief Energized by simplifying complexity, driv- Knowledge
Technology ing innovation and enabling performance Learner
Officer (CTO) De-energized by lack of knowledge, rigid- Influencer
ity and process
General Energized by providing governance, Knowledge
Counsel (GC) ensuring fairness and driving sustainability Judgement
De-energized by lack of process, big egos Communication
and personal agendas

With 18 different strengths identified between them, it gave the

team a new lens to look through when allocating resources to the
key organizational priorities. Rather than just doing it on a task or
capacity basis, they explored who was best suited to take the lead on
cross-functional workstreams, giving the best opportunity for success.
For instance, the CCO and CTO joined forces to own the strate-
gic pillar entitled ‘Sustainable growth’, focusing on winning market
share and accelerating the innovation pipeline. The CFO and COO
teamed up, taking accountability for the strategic pillar focused on
‘Continuous improvement’, including cost, complexity, systems and
the supply chain. The CPO and GC partnered to progress the strategic
pillar ‘Great place to work’, covering agile leadership, high-performing
teams, and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Sitting down with Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor and
founder and former CEO, Cake, in his funky West London office,
he gave a concise view about playing to strengths: ‘By the time you
get to being a CEO you will know your strengths and weaknesses. Be
comfortable indicating what is the best use of your time and value and
what to stay away from. Make sure you have the right people around
you who can fill in your gaps. In particular watch out for the arrogance
of thinking you can do everything. There is no such thing as a perfect
CEO. For instance, it is two different skills to be relational with high
emotional intelligence and to be brilliant at the commercial agenda.’
Mike’s perspective was reinforced by Amber Asher, CEO, Standard
International, who explained: ‘My strengths include coming up with

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

a plan, getting everyone aligned, bringing the team together and

delivering together. I am highly effective in a crisis and will always
come up with answers. What inspires me to move the company for-
ward is doing deals and stabilizing the business to drive performance.’
Amber went on to describe some of the main challenges that
accompany the role: ‘A CEO needs to lead the big picture, innovate,
and decide where the business goes next. Some of the biggest chal-
lenges are making the time and having the mental space to come up
with creative initiatives and the capacity to deliver on them. Although
my tenure in role coincides with one of the toughest times in the his-
tory of hospitality, requiring me to be hands on, I need to learn how
to pivot my focus so that I do have sufficient time to take a different
view, think about what’s next and engage with others to provoke my
thinking. I once heard that you never have two good days in a row
as CEO due to the fact that there are always some issues to manage.
Using your strengths is a great way to strengthen your resilience and
stay on top of your game.’

CEO NOTE
Being a strengths-orientated CEO will energize you
and those around you.

Be Skilled to be Yourself: Exec Summary

• ‘Be skilled to be yourself’ demands that you know the true self
you are referencing.
• The most practical way of knowing yourself is through the lens
of purpose, values and strengths. These are the building blocks
upon which you can continuously learn, grow and become a
better version of yourself.
• Every great CEO I have encountered is dedicated to their
personal and leadership development. Richard Solomons,
Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc, recounts his experience of

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 Be Skilled to be Yourself

becoming CEO: ‘In some ways nothing prepares you to be a

CEO. It is a job like no other. You are the last point of call. If
you are an executive committee member beforehand with a big
function, you are mainly focused on your accountability rather
than the breadth of the company. As CEO you are accountable for
everything. Nothing prepares you for the step up. I remember on
my first day in role staring out of my office window looking at the
car park overflowing with cars and thinking, “This is it. The buck
stops with me.” Being a CEO is a job you grow into more than
any other role.’
• Be purpose-led.
• Take a stand for what is most important.
• Use your strengths to be the best version of you every day.

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809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 60 24/08/23 10:58 AM
 CHAPTER 2

Be Inspired to Inspire Others

Clear Vision

Vision is the lifeblood of a CEO. It is the super-fuel to sustain you,

both on a personal and an organizational level. On a personal level
it is critical to ask yourself, ‘What is my vision as CEO and how will
I know if I realize it?’ I have been heavily influenced by the research
and insight of Richard Boyatzis, a distinguished professor at Case
Western Reserve University and an adjunct professor at the interna-
tional ESADE Business School.
In Helping People Change, co-authors Melvin Smith and Ellen
Van Oosten put forward the power of a personal vision: ‘Put simply,
a personal vision is an expression of an individual’s ideal self and ideal
future. It encompasses dreams, values, passions, purpose, sense of call-
ing and core identity. It represents not just what a person desires to
do but also who she wishes to be.’ They ask the reader to consider
the following question: ‘If your life were ideal (you could substitute
incredible, amazing, awesome, etc. here), 10 to 15 years from now,
what would it be like?’
Joel Burrows, CEO of Ghirardelli, the iconic chocolate brand
in San Francisco, has invested considerable time in developing his
personal vision, which also shapes how he leads. ‘To thrive as CEO
requires you to have clarity about your bigger picture because if you
are too hell bent on achieving one thing, you might land up disap-
pointed or miss vital signs along the way.’ His number-one priority
is being a husband and father, and while he has always been com-
petitive and wanted to succeed as CEO, it has not been at any cost:

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

‘I know that being sucked into a business that takes everything and
leaves me too tired to put my kids to bed is not for me.’
Joel leads the company in a highly personalized way. He shows up
with a level of humanity and compassion that can be disarming for
colleagues as they tend not to be used to having such a human CEO
at the helm. He prioritizes having open and honest conversations to
ensure that everyone has a voice, contributes ideas and feels valued.
He is relentless about being a purpose-led company and starts man-
agement and leadership team meetings with important conversations
linked to purpose. He loves to win and sets ambitious targets for the
company. Together with his leadership team he has worked tirelessly
to define and drive their game plan to make it happen.
As CEO, keep your personal vision simple but memorable. I sug-
gest having a clear statement to articulate the essence of your vision,
with three key points to bring it to life. Building upon the methodol-
ogy of Richard Boyatzis, ask yourself, ‘If my role as CEO were ideal
(you could substitute incredible, amazing, great, etc. here), 10 to 15
years from now, what would it be like?’
One CEO I coached developed the following articulation: ‘My
vision is to unlock the potential of people and the organization to
achieve greatness.’ The CEO came up with his 3Bs to evidence how
they would know:
● Benchstrength. Champion the next generation of leaders for the
business.
● Belonging. Ensure we have a genuinely inclusive place to work
that drives high performance.
● Brand. Drive sustainable growth and outperform the competition.
Once you have clarity about your personal vision, you need to address
the organizational one. When asked about his definition of leader-
ship, Jeff Weiner, Executive Chairman at LinkedIn, shared: ‘Simply
put, it’s the ability to inspire others to achieve shared objectives, and
I think the most important word there by far is “inspire”. I think
that’s the difference between leading and managing. Managers will
tell people what to do, whereas leaders will inspire them to do it, and
there are a few things that go into the ability to inspire. It starts with

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

vision, and the clarity of vision that the leader has, and the ability to
think about where they ultimately want to take the business, take the
company, take the team, take a particular product.’
In all my conversations with CEOs, one of the recurring themes is
the challenge of where to spend their time and how to prioritize what
is most important. Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial
plc, illustrated the relationship between vision and time: ‘You have
to decide what you do and where to spend your time. There is a job
description, but it is sterile. Every day there is a different situation
to handle. What needs to inform your decision making and where
you spend your time is your vision for the business. Be clear about
what success looks like from a cultural, operational and competitive
perspective. One way of summing up where to spend your time is to
only do what you can do within the context of what you are trying
to achieve.’
Your ability to align your personal vision with the vision of the
business is a winning formula for driving a relentless focus that sus-
tains and inspires you along the way. Richard went on to say: ‘In
defining your vision about the business it doesn’t have to be about
transformation. It could be a plan for continuous improvement
focused on what is needed for the business to succeed coupled with
the ability to execute it. As part of my preparation for becoming
CEO at IHG, I did an exercise where I sat in a room with the stra-
tegic plans from the last 10 years. I recognized that within the plans
the same issues had been identified, however they had never been
resolved. I vowed that if I became CEO, I would get them fixed for
the good of the company.’
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, stated: ‘Probably the two
most important characteristics a CEO needs to embody are humility
as evidenced through low ego, and boldness as shown through clear
vision. When leading in a dynamic environment where change is top
of the agenda, you need the ability to quieten your ego so that you
can listen to people, and have a curious mindset to learn from differ-
ent scenarios, while providing a clear vision about where the business
is going and how you are going to navigate the forces being faced.’
John’s point of view was reinforced by his Chief People Officer,
Paula Stannett, who stated: ‘Everybody needs to understand where

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

an organization is going and what it is trying to achieve. A vital role

of CEOs is to establish a compelling vision of what the organization
looks like to help people understand the part they play and how they
contribute to transforming the business for a better future.’
In the July 2022 Harvard Business Review article ‘Does Elon
Musk have a strategy?’, Andy Wu and Goran Calic look across Tesla,
The Boring Company, SpaceX, and Elon Musk’s other companies
to reveal a consistent vision. They write that the most successful
approaches typically share a common element: they stem from a
visionary and ambitious outlook for the future, which provides the
business with its current purpose. Back in 1980, Bill Gates famously
expressed a bold and clear vision of “a computer on every desk and
in every home”. Similarly, each company associated with Elon Musk
possesses its unique sense of boldness and clarity. Tesla’s purpose is “to
accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”, while SpaceX
aims “to make humanity interplanetary”.
There is no one or right way to define your vision of the business.
However, it must be a priority to ensure you have an aspirational pic-
ture of future success which you then engage your immediate lead-
ership team with to refine and generate shared ownership. At this
point you are in a position to set up a process with colleagues in the
business to contribute, challenge and iterate. To evolve your vision
here is a proven formula:
Combine core ideology and envisioned future: Core ideology
defines what a company stands for and why it exists. The envisioned
future is what the company aspires to become and that sets the direc-
tion going forward.
As a CEO it is essential to immerse yourself in the existing core
ideology, or to shape one if there is a gap. IHG Hotels & Resorts
grounds itself in its purpose, values and culture. The purpose is
brought to life by 325,000 talented and passionate colleagues deliv-
ering ‘True Hospitality for Good, every day’. The values – ‘Do the
right thing’, ‘Show we care’, ‘Aim higher’, ‘Celebrate difference’
and ‘Work better together’ – guide everything the company does,
including supporting and recognizing colleagues, growing the busi-
ness and working with owners and partners. IHG’s envisioned future
is reflected in its ambition: ‘To deliver industry-leading net rooms

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

growth’. When I asked Keith Barr, the CEO, for his perspective
about vision, he shared: ‘To set a clear vision, know what you want
to achieve, map out the future and be on message. Ensure there are
no surprises. Make the vision easily communicated and sustainable,
so people know what to expect.’
If there is a need to discover the core ideology, look inside the
company. Ideology has to be real; you cannot fake it. If the company
purpose is not defined, you could use the tested formula of the five
whys. Start with the descriptive statement, ‘We provide X services, or
we make X products, or we create X solutions, why?’ Five times. Keep
digging until you get down to the core purpose of the organization.
Examples include:
Blackrock: We help more and more people experience financial
well-being.
Nestlé: Unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for
everyone, today and for generations to come.
Unilever: To make sustainable living commonplace.
To understand the organizational values, see the behaviours that are
already in existence and being demonstrated, rather than trying to
impose values that you think should be adopted. It’s better to start
where you are and evolve, rather than impose. For instance, if a com-
pany is in the manufacturing sector and ‘keeping everyone safe’ is a
core value but it is not fully embedded, then make sure you acknow-
ledge it and engage colleagues with the fact that you must work hard
to develop a genuine safety culture.
The role of a core ideology is to guide and inspire, not to differ-
entiate the company from others. Many companies can have similar
purpose and values, however what matters is how you make them
meaningful for where you are. The core ideology is also a powerful
way of discerning whether people are the right fit for the company. If
people don’t resonate with it, then trying to force fit won’t work, so
let them go elsewhere. Focus on those who are inspired by it; attract
and retain them.
Creating an envisioned future consists of two parts – articulating
a big goal that stretches the business along with vivid descriptions to
bring it to life. This is somewhat of a paradox because you need to

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

combine the aspiration of something not yet achieved with a tangible

narrative to make it real. The simpler the better. I find that CEOs and
organizations have good intent in describing an envisioned future, but
it is usually too long and complicated and results in people finding it
hard to remember. Not inspiring! Some powerful examples include:
Amazon: Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric
company, Earth’s best employer and Earth’s safest place and is
guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than com-
petitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational
excellence, and long-term thinking.
Cisco: Cisco helps seize the opportunities of tomorrow by
proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the
unconnected. An integral part of our DNA is creating long-
lasting customer partnerships, working together to identify our
customers’ needs and provide solutions that fuel their success.
Sainsbury’s: Driven by our passion for food, together we serve
and help every customer. Offering delicious, great quality food at
competitive prices has been at the heart of what we do since our
first store opened in 1869. Today, inspiring and delighting our
customers with tasty food remains our priority.
In our data- and metric-driven world, it can be challenging to allow
yourself to create an envisioned future without feeling that you have
to evidence every word. It is difficult to analyse your way into the
future. It requires a different type of mindset. When John Holland-
Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, took over the organization in July 2014, the
identity of the company was shaped by the massive infrastructure
programmes it delivered, led by engineers. Although this was a fun-
damental part of the business to build the best terminals and baggage
systems possible, John recognized that the future of the business lay
in the quality of its service to passengers.
At its peak in 2018, the company served 80 million passengers.
Together with his executive committee, John redefined the vision:
To give passengers the best airport service in the world. This was hugely
ambitious given that Heathrow operates as a private business within
a regulated environment and competes against airports such as Doha
Hamad and Singapore Changi, which enjoy the benefit of being

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

owned by their respective governments. As John says in Heathrow’s

strategic brief: ‘Over the past few years, the airport and airlines have
made great progress towards our vision of “giving passengers the best
airport service in the world”. Passengers regularly now rate Heathrow
as the best major airport in Europe. We have set our sights on enhanc-
ing our reputation as a world-class hub. This has been underpinned,
not just by the investment our investors have made in rebuilding
the airport, but also by the highest levels of punctuality and bag-
gage connections ever, improved security and resilience, and a real
focus on developing a service culture. At the same time, we have been
steadily reducing our costs and building a strong global investor base.
We have also become a better neighbour by working hard to make
Heathrow cleaner and quieter, while providing career opportunities
for local people.’
In meeting Jamie Bunce, CEO, Inspired Villages, at one of his
newest sites I put on a pair of protective boots and hat. As we walked
around, I learned that as of August 2021, and after four years of phe-
nomenal growth and numerous awards, the company had secured
considerable investment from a joint venture partnership between
Legal & General and NatWest Group Pension Fund. The Inspired
Villages vision is to significantly transform the later-life experience in
the UK, with a commitment to expand its portfolio to 34 retirement
villages, which equates to around 5,000 age-appropriate homes for
older people. In Jamie’s words: ‘Inspired Villages is a rapidly growing
company aiming to become a world-leading operator of retirement
villages. We want residents to enjoy the best years of their lives with
us, employees to develop fulfilling careers with us, and for the local
communities around our villages to benefit from being neighbours
with us.’
Another inspirational company is ClearScore, a business dedi-
cated to helping its users improve their financial wellbeing. Justin
Basini, CEO and co-founder, has spent his career thinking about
data, privacy and finance. ClearScore’s vision is to help everyone,
no matter what their circumstances, achieve greater financial wellbe-
ing. As Justin shares: ‘We’ve started this journey by giving everybody
access to their credit score and report for free, for ever. By combin-
ing a brand which people trust, a product which is beautiful to use,

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

amazing technology and deep analytics, we deliver a unique experi-

ence that helps people take control of their financial future.’
I had the good fortune to support Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn,
along with his executive committee, in the creation of the company
vision. As a former CFO Stephen has been on a transformational
journey, from operating in the depths of internal audit to developing
one of the most exciting hospitality companies in the world. Stephen
blocked out a couple of days in a rural retreat to dream up the future.
In preparation he had sought some of the most passionate advocates
in the company to conduct focus groups ahead of our session and,
through creative processes like storytelling, drawing and painting,
had brought together ideas about the company purpose, values and
vision. When it came to the vision element, I provoked the team’s
thinking with examples including Starbucks – to inspire and nurture
the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a
time; and Coca-Cola – to refresh the world in mind, body and spirit.
To inspire moments of optimism and happiness through our brands
and actions.
We played videos from the focus groups of colleagues sharing
their stories about what inspires them to work with the company.
I then conducted a thinking circle which gave each executive com-
mittee member equal time to share their vision for the organization.
What emerged was a collection of themes:
● Be a major presence in every European gateway city.
● Bring inspiration to every major European gateway city.
● Inspire the urban soul.
● Deliver hospitality with soul.
Upon reflection, the team aligned on the following vision statement:
‘Creating sanctuaries where free thinkers belong.’ The longer nar-
rative is: ‘Our vision is to create sanctuaries across European cities
which provide a sense of belonging to the free-thinking urbanite in
all of us. Our hotels are gateways to their neighbourhoods, and we
work with the most interesting and vibrant partners to reflect that
excitement and diversity in all our spaces.’

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

In some ways the creation of the vision is the straightforward part.

Much of its power lies in nurturing the core, driving progress and
getting everyone aligned. In his TED2016 talk, neuroscientist Uri
Hasson researches the basis of human communication. Experiments
from his lab reveal that even across different languages, our brains
show similar activity, or become ‘aligned’, when we hear the same
idea or story. This amazing neural mechanism allows us to transmit
brain patterns, sharing memories and knowledge. As Hasson shares:
‘We can communicate because we have a common code that presents
meaning.’ This shows that the starting point is to share the same story
to create common understanding.
Stephen McCall and his team set up a two-day immersive experi-
ence, SoulFest, to help align the organization with the core ideology
along with the envisioned future. Each executive committee member
shared their personalized version of what it meant for them, their
function and the company. Stephen was typically direct in his style,
informing colleagues that if they didn’t resonate with the direction of
the business, they were welcome to make other choices. At least two
colleagues went up to Stephen to thank him for his directness and
share that the new vision was not what they had signed up for when
they joined the company. Following numerous break-out sessions,
Q&A time and a big party in the spirit of free thinkers, the top 100
in the business had come a long way together.
The new vision became the context for moving the company for-
ward, which has endured and gathered momentum even through the
setbacks caused by the global pandemic. The narrative shared with
guests states: ‘At edyn we believe travel should be a rich journey of
discovery. We want to put the soul back into hospitality, creating
sanctuaries rooted in the local neighbourhood where free thinkers
feel at home. Our vision is to rediscover the emotion and joy of
travel, which at the moment has never felt more relevant. Yet that
vision has felt distant in recent times. Though this brief pause in our
day-to-day has allowed us a moment to reflect on ourselves, our story
and our future aspirations. It has been a challenging time, but we
have adapted, evolved, and come out the other side ready to help our
guests discover new destinations and experiences.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Francesca Lanza Tans, CEO, The Alexander Partnership, rein-

forced the significance of creating vision. In her pragmatic style she
linked it to three primary components in the CEO role:
1. ‘Paint a picture of where you are heading. On its own, an organ-
ization could go in any direction. It is the responsibility of the
CEO to steer it, by setting and articulating a vision. Even if you
may not yet know, step by step, exactly how you are going to get
there.
2. Once you’ve set the vision, inspire and energize those around
you so that they buy into it. People are likely to have different
reactions about the direction of travel – some may love it, oth-
ers might have preferred to do it differently. Your role is to cre-
ate alignment, not consensus, by inviting people to endorse the
vision, even if they don’t agree with it.
3. Create an environment where people feel proud, energized and
connected. This involves people having a strong sense of belong-
ing, being in the right roles, having the right skills and resources
to be effective in their roles, and having the autonomy to make
mistakes, learn, grow, challenge and find their flow.’
Make vision a signature of your CEO tenure. More importantly, be
relentless in creating organizational alignment by enabling colleagues
to understand and buy into the vision. Ensure everyone can make a
tangible linkage between their objectives and the overarching vision.
Start with yourself by being very clear about how your role aligns
with the vision. Jamie Bunce, CEO, Inspired Villages, communi-
cates relentlessly about transforming the later-life experience. He has
made ‘championing the company vision’ his number one priority
and holds himself accountable to his OpCo Board, JV Board, exec-
utive committee and colleagues. In a recent 360-feedback process,
he scored 4.7 out of 5 for his CEO effectiveness in championing the
company vision. Comments included: ‘He understands the broad
societal problem of later living. He has found a way to solve it. He is
totally focused on finding solutions. He is a great ambassador for the
company.’ ‘Jamie is visionary. He sees and knows where he wants the
business to be.’

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

As CEO it is vital to carve out the precious time to stay connected

with vision. Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, shared: ‘I
have found one of the biggest challenges is making the time and
mental space to come up with creative initiatives as I am still in a
position to be hands on. This impacts my ability to have sufficient
time to take a different view, think about what’s next and engage with
others to provoke my thinking. You have so many people, including
shareholders, board members and colleagues, that need you and nat-
urally you want to do everything right for everyone.’
Helen Tupper, CEO, Amazing If, echoed one of the conflicts
facing CEOs: ‘One of the biggest challenges as CEO is to manage
the ongoing tension between the needs of the business and time. As
CEO of a small and fast-growing business, my time is split between
daily operational issues and strategic aspects about how the business
needs to evolve to be fit for the future.’
Vision is a primary lens for CEOs to look through and needs to
be invested in accordingly. Find ways to consistently put vision at the
forefront of your mindset and communication:
● Put vision at the top of your ‘to do’ list. When Justin King, for-
mer CEO, Sainsbury’s, came into the role, part of his vision was
to put the customer back at the heart of the business. In his first
100 days he was hardly seen at HQ. He was on the road, visiting
stores with a clear message – ‘stores are our castles, and store man-
agers are our heroes’. Later Justin institutionalized ‘meeting-free
Fridays’, where all colleagues were encouraged to get back to
stores and work on the front line serving customers.
● Use vision as a lens for decision making. In the words of John
Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow: ‘The best management frame-
work I have found which applies for any leadership role is the iconic
work of Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It is
a very powerful system. For instance, when we were going through
the Covid crisis I used Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind to
guide my decision making. When in a crisis it is tempting to
only deal with the immediate stuff in front of you, like cutting
costs. However, it is critical to think about how to come out of
a crisis. For instance, beginning with the end in mind meant

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

that we didn’t cut recruitment and training as we knew that they

would be essential areas to ramp up once the heat of the crisis
had passed.’
● Start meetings with a ‘vision moment’. Ask team members to share
stories of vision in action, or where improvements can be made.
One hospitality company I worked with set up an empty chair in
meetings to represent the voice of the owner. This acted as a con-
science when decisions were made to ensure the voice of the cus-
tomer was recognized.
● Ensure vision is on the agenda in individual meetings with team
members. Often one-to-ones are devoted to task. Getting stuff
done is important, but don’t let it eclipse the significance of
vision. Asking, ‘What are your highest leveraged priorities this
week, and how can I help you?’ sends a powerful message that
vision comes first.

CEO NOTE
Vision sets the organizational context, defines success
and inspires people to act.

Big Strategy

According to McKinsey research, five bold strategic moves best

correlate with success: resource reallocation, programmatic merg-
ers, acquisitions and divestitures, capital expenditure, productivity
improvements, and differentiation improvements (the latter three
measured relative to a company’s industry). To move ‘boldly’ is to
shift at least 30 per cent more than the industry median. Making
one or two bold moves more than doubles the likelihood of rising
from the middle quintiles of economic profit to the top quintile,
and making three or more bold moves makes such a rise six times
more likely. Furthermore, CEOs who make these moves earlier in
their tenure outperform those who move later, and those who do so
multiple times in their tenure avoid an otherwise common decline

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

in performance. Not surprisingly, data also shows that externally

hired CEOs are more likely to move with boldness and speed than
those promoted from within an organization. CEOs who are pro-
moted from internal roles should explicitly ask and answer the
question: ‘What would an outsider do?’ as they determine their
strategic moves.
Creating and delivering strategy are two of the most important
roles a CEO plays. Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial
plc, stated: ‘CEOs need an innate belief in their own judgement. As
CEO you need a point of view like cutting cost, renaming a brand
or completing an acquisition. You need to form a strategy bolstered
by facts and science and then the ability to take people with you.
As CEO you are making a call and most people don’t want to make
the big calls. It requires a large element of gut and self-belief; how-
ever, confidence grows with experience. When you get calls right,
it will reinforce your judgement. When I was CEO at IHG I had
350,000 colleagues reliant on the business. It was a lot of people to
be impacted by the wrong decision. I developed sufficient self-belief
combined with an ability to work through plans and execute, such as
going asset light as a business, selling our entire portfolio of hotels,
relaunching the loyalty programme and reworking the organizational
structure. There are no right answers to a lot of business issues. There
are problems to solve with multiple answers and as CEO you need to
pick one and go after it.’
Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, gave a valuable
insight about how to approach strategy: ‘Being curious is a vital
ingredient as CEO. I have always wanted to understand more and
have cultivated a learning mindset. I bring that curiosity to some of
my most pressing strategic issues, including the ability to scale the
business across the world at the same time; finding and developing
great colleagues, especially at the hotel level, which has been severely
impacted by Covid-19; and balancing the needs of the Board with
the team so that you meet stakeholder expectations.’
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK, shared his per-
spective about the importance of strategy: ‘Whichever company
you are running, the CEO role starts by constructing a strategy
and plan for the business. This requires you to understand your

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

market, customer segments, your people and what differentiates

you. There is a whole lot of digging and research to be done in
order to get under the skin of the business. As you engage in your
discovery, the key question to keep in mind is “What do we do
that is different and better than others in our space?”. You have to
get to the heart of your competitive differentiation. You can then
build your purpose and strategy rooted in something that is dif-
ferent and better. At Caffè Nero we never aspired to be a big com-
pany; in fact, even today we see ourselves as a start-up. We have
grown one coffee, one customer and one store at a time – always
trying to be the best at what we do. We have reinvested in the
business to stay true to our founder’s original vision with resilience
and determination.’
Each organization has a slightly different way of developing
and executing strategy, so it is essential to develop your own defi-
nition and approach. One definition of strategy I resonate with
comes from Michael D. Watkins, a professor at IMD Business
School and the author of The First 90 Days: ‘A business strategy is
a set of guiding principles that, when communicated and adopted
in the organization, generates a desired pattern of decision mak-
ing. A strategy is, therefore, about how people throughout the
organization should make decisions and allocate resources in order
to accomplish key objectives. A good strategy provides a clear
roadmap, consisting of a set of guiding principles or rules, that
defines the actions people in the business should take (and not
take) and the things they should prioritize (and not prioritize) to
achieve desired goals.’
Before starting as CEO, part of your due diligence is to under-
stand the business and to get to know the existing strategy. By the
time you have been through multiple rounds of interviews with
Board members and others involved in the selection process, you will
have formulated an initial view about the opportunities and threats
to the organization and what you think could be the big moves to
make early. Every situation is different, however the ideal is to get
immersed in seeing what the business is about, what is working, what
is not, and what is missing across all areas. This can be simplified into
three areas:

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

1. Who the company is – purpose, value, culture.

2. How the company operates – structure, decision making, talent.
3. How the company grows – ecosystem, tech platforms, learning.
The following is a simple checklist to support your thinking:
● Purpose: is there a clear and compelling purpose that has mean-
ing, energizes the business and has the necessary impact on the
big decisions in the business?
● Value: is it clear how the company creates value, what sets it apart
from the competition and how it will achieve greater value to
accelerate success?
● Culture: is it clear how the company runs things as a strong
backbone of its organizational health and that it will sustain
performance?
● Structure: is the organization set up for success through having
the right structure that makes it fit for purpose?
● Decision making: is the organization able to make fast, high-qual-
ity decisions?
● Talent: what is the talent required to help the company succeed,
how can the organization attract and develop it?
● Ecosystem: is the organization networked to succeed where the
supply chain, partners and communities of businesses leverage
value together?
● Tech platforms: does the company have an evolved relationship
with data so it continually empowers decisions and the value
agenda?
● Learning: does the company prioritize and accelerate learning to
fuel its talent pipeline and create high performance?
To inform the above it is useful to study market and competitor anal-
ysis, as well as customer and employee feedback.
Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, immerses his management
team in strategy. Together they have developed a clear and compel-
ling company five-year game plan which gives a high-level direction

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

of the business, capturing the key priorities and projects to double

the size of the business. They have translated it into a one-year plan
which they drive with their extended leadership team. Joel and his
management team work diligently, taking one day a month to deep
dive on areas such as:
● Purpose: the company purpose is to ‘Make life a bite better’. Joel
and his team start each monthly meeting with a one-hour slot to
discuss purpose-led opportunities, which I have the good fortu-
nate to facilitate, like creating a Great Place To Work, working
collaboratively and building high-performing teams. We recently
placed attention on helping all leaders discover and lead with
their own sense of personal purpose to make an authentic linkage
with the company purpose.
● Big bets: the company has three strategic pillars: 1) sustainable
growth; 2) be purpose-led; 3) continuous improvement. The
team consistently explore where will be the biggest opportunities
to innovate and leverage the business assets, such as its amazing
dark chocolate, famous Ghirardelli squares, simplifying complex-
ity and improving systems.
● Resource allocation: Joel challenges the team to think about where
and how they can improve their resource allocation to ensure they
are investing in the right stuff, creating a transparent environment
for having challenging conversations about the necessary trade-
offs to drive the business forward.
● Talent: one of the most important conversations to have in the
business is about people. Sometimes this can get overlooked,
either due to apparently more urgent operational issues, or
because leaders can be uncomfortable talking about people when
they don’t appear to have sufficient visibility about their potential
and performance. However, Joel puts people first in the business
and sticks relentlessly to substantive conversations about talent
for succession and future proofing the company.
● Engagement: Ghirardelli participates in an annual Great Place To
Work certification in order to get an external benchmark about
building a high-trust, high-performance company culture. The

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team debriefs the data and agrees a meaningful plan to improve

employee engagement, which is reinforced during the year.
● Personal development: Joel recognizes that in order for a com-
pany to grow, the leaders need to grow. Therefore, he prioritizes
the personal, leadership and career development of his team in
multiple ways, including:
⚪ Putting family first. Joel not only believes in family first but
insists that his team do whatever they need to do and take
whatever time they need to care for family.
⚪ Seeking meaningful feedback. The team engages in ongo-
ing feedback to ensure a regular pulse check on what people
appreciate about each other’s performance and behaviour, and
make suggestions for improvements.
⚪ Developing leaders. Joel brings together his top 30 leaders as
a leadership team for monthly meetings to support ownership
and challenge of the company game plan. The team aligns on a
couple of key themes to collectively develop each year, such as
collaboration and high-performing teams. He schedules two
leadership team offsites each year to strengthen the identity of
the group and address the big topics which unlock the poten-
tial of the team and support collective performance.
Joel recognizes that everyone works approximately 2,000 hours a
year. He is passionate about making the best use of time and con-
stantly challenges people to think about how they are using their
time. Beginning with the end in mind, Joel thinks strategically about
each year. He paints a compelling picture of what he will focus on
and how he will spend his time, including his family, prioritizing
activities and new experiences. His commitment to his friends is
second to none and ensures that precious time is allocated to enjoy
great times together. He then clarifies his company commitments,
which tend to focus on people, purpose and performance. He shares
his personal strategic picture with his direct management team and
extended leadership team to inspire others, and to hold himself
accountable to his word.
How do you approach strategy? When and where in your sched-
ule do you think ahead, immerse yourself in future trends, challenge

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

yourself to explore opportunities, understand risks and create sce-

nario plans accordingly? Who are your trusted advisors that support
and challenge you to strategize effectively? How do you use time with
your leadership team to lift up out of the day-to-day and plan ahead?
Walking past Number 10 Downing Street took me to the UK
Cabinet Office building, where I sat down for a fascinating con-
versation with Simon Baugh, Chief Executive of the Government
Communication Service. Operating within a political environment
is not straightforward at the best of times, however Simon took
over at an unprecedented time of multiple issues, including Build
Back Better: the UK coronavirus recovery campaign, Levelling
Up the UK, and the transition to two new prime ministers in
quick succession. When setting the strategy for the Government
Communication Service, Simon used a campaign framework called
OASIS, which is a series of steps to bring order and clarity to plan-
ning. The five steps are:
● Objectives
● Audience/Insight
● Strategy/Ideas
● Implementation
● Scoring/Evaluation.
Simon’s starting point was to define the outcomes he wanted to drive
in five years. He asked questions like:
● What are the big-ticket items we are going to drive?
● How can we do things differently?
● How can we work with others to deliver the plan?
● How can we invest in our capability to be ready for the future?
The audience and insight focused on understanding the context in
how the world is changing and defining the most important things
that government communications would need to do differently. The
strategy and ideas elements involved making the right choices and
prioritizing of resource to be fit for delivery. Implementation required
creating the plan for delivery, including the ability to translate it

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into something that all 7,000 colleagues in the organization could

understand.
Simon named the strategy Performance with Purpose. He broke the
strategy down into three big pillars: 1) Collaboration; 2) Innovation
and Improvement; 3) Great People. He then provided the support
for colleagues to translate what it meant into individual roles so that
everyone could understand what was being asked of them. Simon
went on to say: ‘As well as driving incremental improvement I believe
that strategy should consist of having what I call some “moon shot”
aspirations, which challenges everyone to think beyond what they
believe is possible. I wanted to have the best professional accredited
learning and development programme for communication in the
UK, which is also a critical ingredient of the outcomes we wanted to
achieve and could be broken down into bite-size chunks. The scoring
element is about how to measure success to ensure delivery against
outcomes. Getting the timing right is important. I found developing
a three-year strategy allowed us to be far reaching enough to deliver
difficult areas at pace. If it was five years, it would take too long.
However, my aim is to deliver 80 per cent within two years so that
we can turn the handle again.’
Jonathan Mills, CEO, EMEA, Choice Hotels, shared his per-
spective on the strategic aspect of the role: ‘To be strategic starts by
taking a fact-based approach to ensure you have a holistic lens about
the business, enabling you to understand the opportunities and chal-
lenges. Take a 360-degree approach so that you are able to bring
together all the pieces of the jigsaw.’
Jonathan went on to say: ‘Involve others from inside and outside
the business. Take views and perspectives from formal and informal
sources. Glean others’ opinions to formulate your own picture to
build and/or reinforce your strategy. Ultimately, decide what you are
going to do and not going to do with your immediate leadership
team and invest the necessary time to create clarity and alignment in
the business. Make sure you get the right pace to do the things you
need to do quickly, while investing sufficient time in the significant
requirements to make sure you don’t make unnecessary mistakes.’
Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth, brought me into his
world: ‘I was tasked to transform a 150-year-old business. The first

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step was to establish the trust of the Board to understand my agenda

and to help me deliver it. It was critical to get the right governance
and infrastructure in place to sweep away any barriers. I needed
to bring my personal intellect and imagination to idea generation
about how we could diversify the business. Some of the best ideas
were generated by being networked with multiple ways of thinking,
which were then filtered from an external environment and would
surface in quiet moments. I would take these ideas to my executive
team to progress to the next stage. We would then share with the
Board for approval, at which point we could execute. These ideas
have included building a new leadership team, implementing a new
IT system, and launching new ventures. As a result, we have grown
as a business in revenue, membership and profitability to get trans-
formation in place.’
John Murray, CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation,
shared his approach: ‘One of the first things I did when I took over
as CEO was to provide a North Star for the business. In this age of
permanent busyness, it is essential to set aside time to focus on the
big picture. We schedule quarterly events to talk about strategy and
make it a recurring process to revisit our strategic goals.’
John’s emphasis on the importance of big strategy was shared
by Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow: ‘The role of the
CEO is to translate the company vision into a clear strategy. They
need to have a broad understanding of the business to ensure that all
parts of the organization come together to make the necessary trade-
offs and deliver the strategy.’
To understand in more depth about the role of the CEO in setting
strategy I turned to Paula’s colleague Chris Annetts, Chief Strategy
Officer, Heathrow. Chris explained: ‘To set strategy it is essential
to devote the right amount of time. A strategy won’t get anywhere
unless the right parts of the business are involved in its creation and
accountability for the delivery. From the CEO perspective, start by
clarifying the questions you need to answer. Define the problems you
are trying to solve, for instance delivering sustainable growth, attract-
ing and developing top talent, improving data and systems. While
you do this, take a step back from the day-to-day. Let your executive
committee run the business so that you have the time to scan the

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horizon, identify the big issues to be solved, seek the big opportuni-
ties and risks in order to understand what they mean. Once defined,
the CEO needs to go to their strategy director and team to work
together to put forward an initial plan. It’s down to the strategy team
to assimilate the data, get the issues structured in order to set out the
right questions and recommendations for discussion. One important
watch-out is that the strategy work needs to be grounded in data,
facts and evidence, not just instinct. Watch out for people talking
about strategy versus sharing an opinion.’
Chris went on to say: ‘Once this initial work has been done, the
next step is to engage the hearts and minds of the executive com-
mittee. Schedule sufficient time together to come up with the right
hypotheses, options and recommendations to evolve the strategy and
create ownership and alignment. Use the executive meetings focused
on strategy to drive clarity and alignment about the problems to
solve. It will be critical for the team to make clear and unequivocable
decisions. If clarity is not possible, the CEO needs to call it out and
agree what the team will do about it so that there is no ambiguity.
The draft strategy must be taken to the Board for robust evaluation.
It is the role of the Board to review the strategic options, advocate
those to be pursued and support the means to implement them. A
Board does this best by bringing external perspectives to challenge
the executive committee’s thinking to make sure that all considera-
tions have been made, and ensuring that delivery will meet expecta-
tions for all shareholders and stakeholders.’
Chris said: ‘Once agreed, it is the role of the CEO to lead the
direction of the organization. Subject to the outcome of the strategy
work, if there is a change in direction, or a continuation of the exist-
ing plan, the CEO must provide the necessary clarity to mobilize
the organization. The CEO needs to launch and communicate the
strategy in a way that inspires, provides clarity and enables people
to see how their role fits to help execute it. The CEO then needs to
hold the business accountable to delivery. There is always a risk to get
blown off course and it is the responsibility of the CEO to keep the
business focused and on track.’
As Chief Strategy Officer, Chris said he doesn’t believe there is a
magic formula, framework or model for looking at things. ‘It is not

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

a case that one size fits all. What a good formula does is to simplify
the complex and distil important material into bite-size chunks for
key questions and hypotheses to answer. It is vital to generate options
informed by analysis with a set of recommendations to enable people
to make informed decisions. It saves a lot of time if the set-up work
is done well. I believe that CEOs and any executive member can
become better at strategy and learn new ways to think strategically.’

CEO NOTE
Strategy is the roadmap for the company to deliver brilliance.
The clearer the strategy, the better the chance of achieving
superior performance.

Energize the Organization

According to Steve Jobs, the storyteller holds the greatest influence

in the world. They shape the vision, values, and direction of future
generations. Mastering the art of storytelling is one of the most
important skills as a CEO. Neuroscientist Paul J. Zak has shown
how stories change our attitudes, beliefs and behaviours: In his
Harvard Business Review article ‘Why your brain loves good story-
telling’ (2014), he writes that, as social creatures, humans depend
on others for survival and happiness. A decade ago, his lab made a
significant discovery that identified oxytocin as a key neurochem-
ical responsible for the “it’s safe to approach others” signal in the
brain. Oxytocin is produced when he is trusted or shown kind-
ness, motivating cooperation with others by enhancing his sense
of empathy, allowing him to understand and connect with others’
emotions. Empathy is crucial for social creatures, enabling them
to anticipate how others will react to various situations, including
those with whom they work.
Zak’s research on the neurobiology of storytelling is relevant to
business settings, where his experiments show that character-driven
stories with emotional content result in a better understanding of the

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key points a speaker wishes to make, and help with better recall down
the road. He has also shown that sharing stories about the organiza-
tion’s purpose, vision and strategy improves lives – for example, by
bringing to life the impact the company has made on named custom-
ers and how their problems were solved.
Every company I work with has a compelling story. It is the role
of the CEO to bring it to life and share it across all stakeholder
groups, including colleagues, consumers, customers and community.
Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, described how from a branding lens
the company story is ‘to create sanctuaries which nourish and enliven
the soul. We design hotels, firmly rooted in their local neighbour-
hood, and offer vibrant experiences and connections for guests, col-
leagues and local communities. We want guests to leave our hotels
with stories to tell, with enduring memories and new friendships.
Our purpose, values and culture – what we call the edyn ideology –
are aligned with the intent of our brands. It is impossible to create
vibrant, distinctive brands unless you have a vibrant, distinctive cul-
ture supporting them.’
Effective storytelling fulfils a deep human need to understand the
why, what and how of scenarios, so that they can be translated into per-
sonal and emotional experiences. However, I have witnessed numerous
examples of companies, on behalf of CEOs, sending out important
messaging to colleagues from the organization vision, purpose and
value statements to strategic plans and priorities, in glossy presenta-
tions only for them to have no currency, no impact and, at their worst,
switching people off from the content they are trying to convey.
A fundamental role of a CEO is to energize colleagues to deliver
great performance. A key enabler is to engage emotions, and the key
to connect hearts is a compelling story. However, most executives are
trained in conventional communication, which prioritizes an intel-
lectual process, giving statistics, facts and quotes from authorities.
The challenge with this approach is that while sharing your script,
others are arguing with you in their heads with their own version of
reality. If you do succeed in persuading them on a cognitive level, it
is not enough because people are not inspired to act by reason alone.
The art and skill of connecting with others is to link ideas and
information with energy and emotion. It requires vivid insight and a

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

clear narrative to make a memorable story, but through right practice

a CEO can become known as a memorable storyteller. Some of the
important elements to include are:
● Why. The global pandemic provided a burning platform for
CEOs to have to make tough and swift decisions such as cut-
ting costs, making structural changes and simplifying systems.
Given the significance and implications of what was going on,
employee acceptance levels were high as everyone could clearly
understand the rationale for change. It showed that when there is
a strong why, no matter how hard the decision or change, people
can get on board swiftly. CEOs need to apply this principle when
communicating to help colleagues understand the why in any sit-
uation, for instance bringing the company vision and purpose
to life, highlighting a critical business priority such as sales or
customer service, or making the company a great place to work.
● What. As a storyteller, you want to position the problems to solve
in the foreground. The more personal you make the scenario, the
easier it will be for colleagues to relate to it, thereby creating a
sense of ownership. Sharing your own vulnerability is an essential
part of storytelling as it humanizes the experience. It is also essen-
tial to be as candid as possible because simply painting a positive
picture doesn’t ring true. Everyone knows business is not easy and
involves challenging trade-offs. One CEO I was supporting dur-
ing Covid had to make hard calls between reducing operating
costs and delivering quality customer service. It was literally a case
of survive or die. The CEO scheduled daily briefings with sen-
ior leaders speaking openly about the current state of conflicting
priorities, the need to manage multiple stakeholder expectations,
and the pros and cons of each decision. This approach strength-
ened a foundation of trust so that when difficult decisions needed
to be executed, the leaders were ready and could authentically
engage with their own people. Facing into fear with truth helps
us adapt to the brutal facts and roots out the shadows of denial
and avoidance.
● How. A powerful story mobilizes people for action. Some of
the best CEOs I have seen in action set out BHAGs (Big Hairy

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

Audacious Goals), which force a company to think big, create a

plan for success and get everyone working together achieving it.
On one occasion a CEO set a target to double the size of a com-
pany within five years. This was met with disbelief. However, the
CEO had done it in his previous company and therefore brought
a conviction that was infectious. The CEO shared stories about
the mindset, skills and behaviours required to grow the company
and, together with a broad leadership team, worked relentlessly
on the formation of a plan to deliver. The logic of the plan was
combined with an emotional element, allowing people to share
their fears and disbeliefs in an environment of high psychologi-
cal safety. The CEO personalized the experience, sharing stories
about how setting stretching targets forced them to think differ-
ently, manage senior stakeholder expectations and drive their per-
sonal development.
Use questions to discover a story. Begin with the end in mind. Ask,
what does success look like? Paint a compelling picture to bring
success to life for key stakeholders such as colleagues, customers,
consumers and community. Next ask, what are the challenges to
overcome? Be direct about the problems to solve, including internal
blocks like lack of clarity, alignment and doubt, and external barriers
such as resource, time, structure, capability and market conditions.
Then ask, what will it take to succeed? Go on a journey to decide the
choices to make and actions to progress.
To become a great storyteller takes high self-awareness. Your abil-
ity to know yourself well means that you can anticipate the needs of
your audience due to your own humanity and can adapt your story
accordingly while staying true to your beliefs. The good news is that
you can develop your self-insight and skills through your willingness
to keep learning, growing and staying humble.

CEO NOTE
A great storyteller sees the humanity in others and takes them on
a journey blending compassion with realism.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Are you the type of person who lights up a room when you walk in or
when you walk out? As CEO you set the temperature for the organi-
zation. Your mood is infectious, as shown in a 2002 study from Yale
University entitled ‘The ripple effect: Emotional contagion and its
influence on group behaviour’. The study compared the moods and
emotions between work groups and showed that members of groups
with positive emotional contagion experienced improved coopera-
tion, decreased conflict and stronger perceived task performance.
I have witnessed the impact of mood contagion in multiple
organizations, through a range of CEOs, and the effect of their
mood on thousands of colleagues. Some CEOs are highly sensitized
to the effect of their mood and use it to their advantage, while others
undermine the very efforts they are trying to achieve through lack of
awareness. At the root of mood contagion is emotional intelligence,
popularized in the pioneering work of Daniel Goleman, who showed
how emotions and moods play an important role in performance.
In one organization I worked with it was folklore to avoid the
CEO on a Friday afternoon. Everyone knew that this individual
would be in a bad mood, spreading fear and negativity to whomever
they encountered. However, the CEO’s emotion was not grounded in
facts or figures. It had become an unconscious habit driven by tired-
ness and a build-up of frustrations during the week. On one occasion
I got a call from one of the CEO’s direct reports on a Friday evening,
ready to hand in their notice. They had attended a Board meeting in
the morning and were under the impression that they had performed
well, delivering a value-­adding presentation, as evidenced by seem-
ingly positive feedback from the Board. However, after lunch they
happened to walk past the CEO office and the CEO called them in
for a quick chat. The CEO questioned the effectiveness of their pres-
entation. This pushed a hot button for the recipient, who welcomed
robust feedback but given in a timely and constructive way. Before
resigning, I suggested that they go back to the CEO to enquire in
more depth about what had happened. First thing Monday morning
the executive member stopped by the CEO’s office and asked if they
could qualify their comments from Friday. The CEO couldn’t even
remember what they had said and shrugged it off with an apology as
they had been tired and it had been a long week. Not clever.

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

Contrast this with another CEO who was renowned for the
inspiration, optimism and energy they imparted to their immediate
leadership team, as well as through the company. A powerful exam-
ple was the way they conducted annual performance reviews with
their executive committee. I have heard the good, the bad and the
ugly when it comes to performance reviews. At their best they ener-
gize people to deliver outstanding performance, own their personal
development and accelerate their career progression. At their worst
they can demotivate colleagues, causing them to quickly find an exit
from the organization. This CEO invested a full half-day prepara-
tion for each performance review. They were diligent in the way they
recognized the achievements of each team member, providing evi-
dence-based feedback to build upon strengths and address key devel-
opment areas to drive performance. They explored career aspirations
and together set stretching targets. They prioritized personal develop-
ment to ensure each executive member had an inspiring plan. They
also sought to understand how they could help each person better
and adapted their approach accordingly. The result was that executive
committee members came away clear, aligned and energized for the
year ahead. The mood spread through the company as each execu-
tive felt inspired to conduct memorable performance reviews with
their own team members and the pattern continued throughout the
organization.
Being CEO is comparable to living and leading on a reality TV
show. Every move is watched. Every statement interpreted. Andy
Cosslett, CBE, Chair, ITV plc and Kingfisher plc, is highly sensi-
tized to how the CEO sets the climate. When CEO at IHG, Andy
was the architect of virtually every interaction he took to deliber-
ately make a point. On one of Andy’s first visits to China when
IHG was focused on accelerating growth in the country, he was
not seen on his phone in 48 hours, which sent a powerful message
that he was present, available and cared about being there. He spent
precious time engaging with front-line colleagues learning about
their roles, hopes and fears.
On another occasion, in America, he delivered a personalized
talk with some of the most important hotel owners who partnered
with the company. Andy spoke about his past, recounting stories to

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

strengthen their emotional connection: ‘I was born in Manchester,

in Whalley Range, next to the infamous Moss Side. My father was
an accountant and a great rugby player. My dad was an interesting
fellow. He had a shop in Manchester, so we had always been in the
commercial and mercantile way. My mother worked for Bupa. I
went to Manchester University, where I studied economics and then
European politics. I thought I was going to be part of the European
system of government as a political scientist, but in my year they
weren’t taking quotas, so I had the prospect of sitting the course out
for 18 months or doing something else. In the end it was the some-
thing else that won.
‘In 1979 I joined Unilever’s graduate management programme,
which was one of a number of breaks I got. I was persuaded to go to
university by my next-door neighbour, which was the first piece of
luck, because I wasn’t going. Then I was lucky to get into Unilever:
out of thousands of applicants they only took 20 in my year. I guess
whatever they were looking for, I had it. My first job was selling ice-
cream in Liverpool in winter, so that taught me a lot about life and
I’ve never forgotten it. I know what it means to get these nonsensical
memos from the centre when you’re out on the front line. Money
is tight for most people and you can’t lose sight of that. You have to
remember the basics of how hard people work. You need to spend
time out there living, knowing and seeing that.’
The impact of these behaviours and stories spread around the
world within the company.
At the time I was fortunate to be running the senior leadership
programme for IHG called ‘Leading with Purpose’. The first ques-
tion we asked leaders attending was, ‘Who is your most admired
leader, and why?’ Over a ten-year period with over 1,000 partici-
pants, Andy was consistently cited as one of the most popular leaders
as a consequence of his ability to inspire, energize, relate and get
the best out of people. Andy talked about the ‘leader’s walk’. Every
time you walk the office floors, or while in the hotels, walk slowly,
say hello, make eye contact, engage people in conversation. Find out
about their work, their hopes and concerns. Contrast this to another
CEO I encountered who was renowned for walking quickly through
offices with their eyes glued to their phone. In fact, colleagues made

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

a deliberate point to avoid this CEO. The company was based in a

high-rise office block. If anyone found themselves standing in line for
the elevator with the CEO present, they would find any excuse to get
away: the prospect of an awkward few minutes in the same elevator
was not worth enduring.
The key to mood contagion is to be deliberate about it. Don’t
just let external circumstances dictate the temperature you set.
Research cited by the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences (PNAS) captured 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged
by continuous gradients (2017). The findings show that emotional
experiences are so much richer and more nuanced than previously
thought. I supported a CEO and their global leadership team recently.
Driving accelerated growth in the business, the task was to double rev-
enue from $5 billion to $10 billion in five years. The initial primary
emotional response was concern as the team was already stretched in
numerous ways, such as capacity, resource, capability, knowledge and
systems. However, the CEO had a way of building high psychologi-
cal safety within the team, creating the environment where everyone
could speak up without the fear of negative consequences. As a result,
the team spoke freely about their various feelings and agreed that a
fundamental requirement to succeed was to bring together emotion
and performance. They set a principle that everyone is encouraged to
speak up about how they feel in order to help unlock the potential
to perform. Leaders will ask team members how they are feeling in
performance conversations to ensure everyone feels safe to share what
is going on and get the help they need to succeed.
The biggest risk to setting the right climate is narcissistic behav-
iour. Narcissistic individuals have a strong sense of entitlement and
often have difficulty handling criticism. They can overreact and get
defensive, failing to recognize that they have problems. It is vital to
be aware if you have this tendency and counteract it by asking for
feedback about the mood you are setting. Demonstrating humility
is the best way to offset narcissistic tendencies. Justin King, former
CEO, Sainsbury’s, was a master at getting feedback. He had numer-
ous ways of eliciting direct and indirect feedback so that he could
have an accurate pulse about the organizational temperature. He set
up an informal dialogue known as ‘Tell Justin’. All colleagues were

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

able to write notes to Justin about what was on their mind. He was
habitual in his responses, investing time each day to share handwrit-
ten notes sharing his view. He prioritized leadership development
in the business within the organizational goal of Making Sainsbury’s
Great Again using feedback as one of the main ways to assess behav-
iour, and included himself in the process. He led by example. On
one occasion I had the opportunity to coach him in front of his top
100 leaders, focused on how to change for the better. His curiosity
and hunger for learning and development were infectious and helped
turn the business around.
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, is very conscious about how
the mood of a CEO impacts an organization: ‘Self-awareness is super
important as a CEO. Be dynamic and approachable. Stay positive. If
you’re not in a good mood, people notice and it spreads.’

CEO NOTE
A CEO is the weather. The way they show up sets the climate.

The schedule is relentless. An annual cycle of executive and Board

meetings, conferences, presentations, announcements to the markets,
shareholders and media demands one-to-one conversations, plus
precious time to horizon scan, think, plan and prepare. As Stephen
McCall, CEO, edyn, shared in our conversation: ‘One of the biggest
challenges as a CEO is endurance. I was tasked with transforming
the company. The impact has been staggering. Initially it was easier
to execute change as we were smaller. As a result of our growth, exe-
cuting strategic priorities at pace becomes harder. I can get tired and
lose the spring in my step because I am dealing with problems all day
rather than possibilities. When this happens, I remove myself from
some of the noise to stay focused on leading the vision. I have learned
how to pace the business based on what we need to deliver now and
what can come later.’
One of the leading researchers on advance scientific insights that
help people thrive is Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology
at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Grit: The Power

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

of Passion and Perseverance. Angela’s work demonstrates that the

secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend
of passion and persistence, what she calls ‘grit’. As Duckworth
defines it, grit entails a combination of passion and unwavering
perseverance directed towards long-term accomplishments, with
little focus on immediate rewards or acknowledgment. It brings
together resilience, ambition, and self-discipline in the pursuit of
goals that span long periods.
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, gave his perspective: ‘A
CEO needs to be able to compartmentalize multiple priorities and
the pull on their time to survive. It is essential to have a great team
in place, develop a shared strategy with the right processes and sys-
tems to deliver the business. You then need to think about what’s
next and dedicate yourself to strategic thinking in order to create the
next iteration of the business.’ John went on to say: ‘Learn how to
invest in your own stamina and pace yourself. It is easy to burn out
by stretching yourself too thin. In the early years as CEO I accepted
most invitations to front the business, however it meant that I was
out most evenings. I now delegate to my team to give me precious
breathing space, but also to give them development opportunities to
represent the company. It’s important to cut yourself slack sometimes
as you will be working all hours. Have the tools to keep yourself in
harmony, such as the “wheel of life”, which is a simple way to recog-
nize and assess the various elements of your work, life and relation-
ships so that you are managing them deliberately rather than finding
yourself negatively impacted by the role.’
John’s view was echoed by Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer,
Heathrow: ‘A great CEO creates energy and enthusiasm about the
future through their credibility and confidence. People get energized
when a CEO is trusted and believed. They need to help people gen-
erate excitement and enthusiasm by translating the vision to multiple
stakeholders, helping understand what’s in it for them. This means
having sufficient emotional intelligence to make the business a win/
win environment and a great place to work.’
To add to this insight Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero,
shared: ‘The likelihood as CEO is that you will have long days
followed by dinners, travel and executive lounges. You will need

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

to find your own discipline to nourish your wellbeing. If you are

going to be indulgent on food and drink, you will need a counter-
balance, such as your sleep and exercise. You need to know where
your peace comes from. It might be from faith or different tech-
niques; however, recognize that these are important dimensions of
our lives. Be intentional about how you are going to keep yourself
fit, healthy and spiritually strong. Don’t be guilt ridden. If you slip,
you have to accept it will be difficult at times. The key is to have
a plan for your personal resilience so that you can get back on it
when needed.’
A fundamental premise for a CEO to thrive under pressure is
to use a simple eight-step framework to sustain and nourish energy,
which we have touched upon (see Table 2.1).
When Jan Smits was CEO of AMEA IHG, he devoted one day a
month to ensuring he was in the best possible place to thrive under
the pressure of helping lead a global organization, which included
looking after the group’s most geographically diverse business unit,
comprising 300 hotels and resorts operating in 47 countries under
six internationally renowned brands. During his tenure, Jan led a
60,000-strong workforce, launched several new brands and created
new business models to grow the region into a $4 billion business.

TABLE 2.1 FRAMEWORK TO SUSTAIN AND NOURISH ENERGY

Purpose Be intentional about energy, meaning and impact

Values Live your beliefs about what is most important
Strengths Engage in activities that energize and strengthen you
Vision Be inspired by a compelling picture about what suc-
cess looks like
Strategy Drive a clear plan about how to achieve success
Narrative Share a compelling story to set direction and instil
belief
Approach Provide visible and authentic leadership
Development Commit to continuous learning and improvement to
stay on top of your game

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

He set aside sacred time for his personal development, which could
involve some of the following:
● Thinking: Jan would file different articles, ideas and observations
from the month and take time to ruminate on what they meant
for the business and the culture.
● Learning: subject to the demands on his leadership and changes
in the marketplace, Jan would immerse himself in the latest learn-
ings to ensure he stayed ahead of the game.
● Relationship: Jan developed through the connections he built and
invested heavily in cultivating meaningful partnerships with mul-
tiple stakeholders.
● Exercise: Jan had a disciplined routine which set him up for suc-
cess under pressure. A combination of pilates, jogging and gym
balanced out his demanding travel schedule.
Jan set the example for his team. He ensured that they all took their
personalized version of 10 per cent of their work time dedicated to
their personal and professional development. As a result, his direct
reports progressed in their careers to CEOs, MDs and other top
senior roles either within IHG or in other organizations. However,
his passion for personal development didn’t stop with his executive
committee. Through his own experience and years in the trade, Jan
is fully aware that hospitality is an industry where you can work your
way up to the top, regardless of where you started. As such, he is
committed to giving everyone a chance to rise to the top.
‘One of the main items on my agenda for IHG in AMEA was the
acceleration of our talent into general managers. In the hospitality
industry, it typically takes an individual anywhere between 17 and 20
years to become a GM of a full-service hotel. With more tools and
resources available to them these days, people are getting smarter,
and they are less willing to wait two decades to become a GM,’ he
explained in an interview with Travel Weekly Asia. ‘Working with
people with great potential, we see a huge opportunity to fast-track
some of our hotel managers to become GMs within a shorter period
of time. And Holiday Inn Express, our select service brand, gives us
the perfect setting to do this.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

As a coach I am obviously biased about the value of CEO coaching

when thriving under pressure. I will leave it to CEOs to share their
view. Jonathan Mills, CEO, EMEA, Choice Hotels, said: ‘Having a
coach plays a very important role in supporting a CEO. You are lim-
ited to who you can talk with and what about. Using a coach for a
sounding board, and to challenge your thinking, agility and approach
in a changing marketplace, is essential. You can then extend the part-
nership with the coach to help build a high-performing organization,
working together to develop capability through the business. By own-
ing your personal development, you set the tone with your leadership
team to take responsibility for their own development, which will per-
meate through the business.’
Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, echoed the importance of hav-
ing the right support in place: ‘As CEO it’s important to know
where you can go for advice and support to challenge your think-
ing, strategy and plans.’ Joel brings that support to his own team:
‘I have weekly one-to-ones with my direct reports where I combine
a mix of leading, managing and coaching. Be conscious about what
you’re doing. I like to see how people have evolved, as well as man-
aging the checklist. However, my drive is to only do the things I can
do in order to have conversations focused on what’s important, not
urgent. If there isn’t a burning platform, then I ensure we are able
to have the conversations about the critical success factors for the
long term and make sure we are setting up the conditions to deliver.
Sometimes you are required to seek more clarity in the short term,
otherwise I find people appreciate having meaningful conversations
about the future and developing a shared understanding about how
to get there.’
I appreciate the view of Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil
Initial plc, about the value of CEOs and how to help them thrive
under pressure: ‘I believe CEOs get the big bucks because they have
to make the big calls and see them through. You do get arrogant
CEOs who just assume they are the cleverest in the room. However,
thankfully the majority of CEOs I have encountered make calls with
humility. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
CEOs need people who ground them. When I was CEO, my family
and friends kept my feet on the ground. It is also the responsibility of

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 Be Inspired to Inspire Others

Boards to make sure the CEO appointed has the relevant experience
and personality to be right for the role.’

CEO NOTE
Energize the organization to help deliver the plan.

Be Inspired to Inspire Others: Exec Summary

• The number one trait people look for in a CEO is inspiration.
Inspiring others starts by being inspired. This does not mean
that you need a personality transplant to become charismatic
and extrovert. It does mean that you need to define your
vision, set the strategy and energize the organization.
• Start by shaping your personal vision. Where do you want to
take the business, take the company, take the team, take par-
ticular products or services?
• Next, develop the company vision by combining core ideology
with an envisioned future. Core ideology defines what a com-
pany stands for and why it exists. The envisioned future is what
the company aspires to become and that sets the direction
going forward.
• Setting big strategy requires you to understand in depth:
∘ What the company is – purpose, value, culture.

∘ How the company operates – structure, decision making,

talent.

∘ How the company grows – ecosystem, tech platforms,

learning.
• Invest precious time with your executive committee and senior
leaders to co-create a clear roadmap that guides the company
on key priorities and projects to define the actions people in
the business should take (and not take) to deliver the plan.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

• Drive performance by having a compelling story which links

ideas and information with energy and impact. Provide vivid
insight and a clear narrative to make a memorable story.
• Pay attention to your mood as it is contagious. Be deliberate
about it. Don’t let external circumstances dictate the temper-
ature you set. Choose your mood to lift the business up, or
to create a calm environment, or to install sufficient edge to
deliver results.
• Thrive under pressure by establishing a personal operating
rhythm that sustains you every day.

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 CHAPTER 3

Be Equipped to Succeed

Preparation is Everything

Listen, learn and lead. This was the positioning used by Ranjay
Radhakrishnan when he became Chief Human Resources Officer at
IHG. Ranjay set out a very clear 100-day plan which included inter-
viewing 100 leaders across the business, setting up listening groups
with colleagues, and visiting strategic locations to send important
messages about his care for the front line, passion for customers
and creating a great place to work. He agreed with the CEO and
Board that he would take his first 100 days to understand the busi-
ness and prepare his recommendations for a future meeting. This
is the best positioning I have witnessed for a leader, either coming
into an organization or gaining a promotion. Listening shows a gen-
uine commitment to understand, to empathize with others, com-
bined with humility. Learning demonstrates a thirst for knowledge,
an inquisitive mindset and a commitment to making things better.
Putting leadership as the final step promotes a sense of equality and
inclusion. It says that we are all in this together and that acts of lead-
ership will result from a commitment to listening and learning.
I was fortunate to coach Justin Reese, President and CEO, Lindt
& Sprüngli Canada, as he transitioned into his first CEO role. As
part of his preparation Justin spent time in the business having one-
to-one meetings with his soon-to-be direct reports. Justin started on
a personal note seeking to understand them as people, enquiring
about what they were proud about in terms of both the business and
life, which helped him learn about their motivation and drivers. He

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

asked about the challenges they were facing and what they believed
would be best to help improve the business. He finished his conver-
sations by asking how he could help, thereby setting the tone for his
leadership. This led to a series of meaningful conversations and rich
insight, which were extremely valuable before even starting in role.
He immersed himself in the history of the business, learning about
the original entrepreneurial spirit which helped Lindt & Sprüngli
Canada become recognized as a leader in the market for premium-
quality chocolate.
As part of Justin’s in-depth preparation, he formulated his per-
sonal vision for being CEO, which he captured in the following way,
‘Build a sustainable future’, underpinned by the work we had done
together:
1. Purpose – help everyone unlock their potential.
2. People – create a great place to work.
3. Performance – celebrate amazing results.
Justin developed a one-page document that crafted the detail of
what these statements meant at a high level, which he used to con-
nect with others and help them understand his direction and what
was important to him. Justin adopted the approach of ‘Listen, learn
and lead’ for his first 100-day plan, which included setting up lis-
tening groups across the organization to understand others’ views
about the business, what was working, what needed improving and
how he could help. He set up a schedule to visit as many stores as he
could during this time to engage with colleagues and the consumer
experience.
Justin developed an initial narrative which he could adapt for dif-
ferent audiences, however the key points included:
● acknowledging the impact of a new CEO coming into a business
and how people will want to put their best foot forward, which
is only human
● recognizing that as a new CEO starting in a new role, different
company and new city, he would also want to put his best foot
forward

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

● understanding that showing up as the best version of ourselves

includes being transparent and open about the strengths of the
business and opportunities for improvement
● using his first 100 days to set up listening sessions across the busi-
ness to help him deeply understand the enablers that drive great
performance, as well as any interference that needs to be managed
● in order to understand the business, he would continue to
strengthen an environment of psychological safety where every-
one can speak up and share ideas without the fear of negative
consequences
● ensuring his approach fits with his personal sense of purpose to
help others unlock their potential and thrive at work
● being proud to have the opportunity to lead a company which
delivers amazing results
● together, aligning on the biggest opportunities to deliver sustain-
able growth for Lindt Canada and continue its success story.
Justin was fortunate in having highly supportive leaders in the busi-
ness to give valuable guidance. His previous CEO, Joel Burrows
at Ghirardelli, had championed him into role and helped pave the
way with global stakeholders to ensure senior executives understood
Justin’s strengths and value to the business. His predecessor provided
a thoughtful handover, helping Justin understand the critical suc-
cess factors for the business and opportunities for improvement.
His HR business partner had unique experience, having been in the
business from the start-up phase, and could give a rounded picture.
Justin used a simple framework during his first 30, 60 and 100 days,
focused on what was working in the business, challenges to overcome
and potential solutions.
It’s vital for a new CEO to not underestimate the significance
of their initial time in the business as they will never have the lux-
ury again. As Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc,
recounts: ‘Subject to your understanding and grounding in the
organization, within your first 90 days buy yourself time to get your
head around the business. Even though I was well versed in the com-
pany I initially worried too much about what other people would

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think. Your role is to make the tough calls. It is not about pleasing
everyone. When I look back at some of the early mistakes I made,
they were caused by not having the right clarity and facts, as well as
failing to ask the right questions.’
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, reinforced the importance of
getting off to a strong start: ‘It is valuable coming into role to be in a
position to do a quick assessment about the business. When I started
with both Versace and Burberry, I gave clear updates with an external
lens based on the information I had, giving a snapshot about the
business and immediate areas to focus on. In both cases it was well
received. I started with my leadership team, shared my priorities, and
together we got aligned about what was most important. The Board
loved the clarity we brought and the way it was delivered in a short
and clear way. We then rolled out the priorities to all employees,
within a month, about what we were going to focus on in the short
term. It got me off to a good start on both occasions.’
I resonated with the insight from Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky
New Zealand: ‘It’s important to “shift gears” when you become a
CEO. I was fortunate to have an experienced mentor who helped me
to do this. It is critical to understand your key stakeholders, the state
of the strategy and core operational metrics. Make sure you are fully
prepped for your first Board meeting to be on top of your game. If
you are stepping up from within the organization, make sure you jet-
tison your previous role as quickly as possible. Develop a game plan
which gives you the confidence to articulate how you will no longer
be the person in your previous role, and prioritize the relationship
with your chair. They are your boss, but it’s quite different from a
day-to-day boss. They are non-executive, so they don’t get into the
operational detail and instead will rely on you to get it right. Their
reputation is on the line to select the right CEO.’
Sophie continued: ‘As you step up, enjoy the moment. It’s a phe-
nomenal privilege to be a CEO. Having the level of responsibility
and opportunity to shape an organization is awesome. Continuing
to be yourself in role with more skill enables others to relax and per-
form. Have a growth mindset, be open and prepared to adjust. You
learn the most when things don’t go right. It is exciting to try new

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

things and have the ability to do things differently, but make sure you
have the right team around you to move swiftly.’
Francesca Lanza Tans, CEO, The Alexander Partnership, shared her
words of wisdom in preparation for becoming a CEO: ‘Being a CEO can
be all-consuming, and there may be times when you feel like you don’t
have enough hours in the day to be on top of it all. Resist the urge to cross
off every item on your ‘to do’ list and recognize the difference between
what appears to be urgent versus what is truly important. As CEO, your
role changes. Your time goes into setting direction, creating alignment
and fostering the right environment for high performance. Don’t be
tempted to spend time getting everyone to agree or to make everyone
“like” you. As democratic and empowering as you aim to be, recognize
that the organization wants (and needs) to be led. Have the courage to
express clear views and help people understand what you truly think.’
Francesca pointed out some other key learnings: ‘Be comfort-
able with the discomfort of the unknown: at times you will be faced
with uncertainty and you won’t have all the data in advance to make
your next decision. Be prepared to trust your gut, not just your head.
Think like a parent. Being a CEO is similar to the role of a mother
or a father. Your job is never done, and it may not always be fun.
Yet it can be transformational: for people, for the organization and
for yourself. Embrace it with energy and generosity. Be clear on the
legacy you want to leave.’
These points were reinforced by Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy
CEO, The Francis Crick Institute, about navigating your first 90
days: ‘Gather as much information as you possibly can. Observe, fact
find, use data, listen to colleagues and key stakeholders. You will start
to get a feel for where the biggest strategic focus is needed and what
you need to prioritize. Make sure you progress the priorities that you
have identified and avoid becoming distracted by reacting constantly
to the demands of others. You will see things very clearly in your first
few months as you are not yet influenced by organizational group
think. If radical change, or indeed any change, is needed, be brave and
make this happen. Be tactical about the timing of change – consider
whether it could be done incrementally or whether a bigger, bolder
approach is needed.’

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Sam went on to say: ‘Make sure you have the right team with the
right skills for the job ahead. Take time to get to know key people
and to understand their whole self, not just their work self. If it’s
obvious that you need to make changes to your team, it’s often better
to do this sooner rather than later. Be careful about your leadership
style; a dominant, authoritarian style may achieve quick initial results
but it can be damaging in the long term. I prefer a compassionate,
approachable leadership style but one with clear focus and objectives
so that everyone understands the direction in which they’re heading.’
Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow, shared her per-
spective about the right preparation: ‘A CEO needs a plan focused on
the short- to mid- and long-term needs of the business. In the short
term the plan must focus on the current state of the business from
an operational and customer lens. It needs to reflect what teams are
saying about the working environment, the culture of the business, the
strengths of the leadership team and opportunities for improvement.
Dependent on whether the business is a public limited company or
within the private sector, the plan also needs to capture what the Board
and/or investors are saying.’
Paula went on to say: ‘The CEO needs to use the plan to build
trust with their leadership team and employees, and to build rela-
tionships with customers and shareholders. They need to be laser like
about the top relationships to build. Once they have socialized the
plan, they can then move on to what needs to change and to articu-
late where they want the business to go and how to get there. They
will need to develop clear propositions enabling the required deci-
sions to be made in the short to medium and longer term.’
Viviane Paxinos, CEO, AllBright, gave a concise view about what
it takes to be prepared: ‘When I was offered the opportunity to be
a CEO it came quicker than I had expected. Remove yourself from
what happened in the past so that you can influence everything going
forward. Be ambitious, pragmatic and stay focused. Focus drives
results.’
Once settled in the business a CEO needs to have ongoing time
and space for preparation. I see most mistakes result from CEOs fail-
ing to give sufficient time to preparation, whether it be for thinking,
planning, meetings, communications, decisions or actions. Amber

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

Asher, CEO, Standard International, shared her experience: ‘I have

found one of the biggest challenges is making the time and mental
space to come up with creative initiatives and deliver on them, as I
am still in a position where I need to be hands-on. This impacts my
ability to have sufficient time to take a different view, think about
what’s next and engage with others to provoke my thinking. You have
so many people, including shareholders, Board members and col-
leagues, that need you and naturally you want to do everything right
for everyone.’
Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy CEO, The Francis Crick Institute,
shared her experience: ‘Coming from a background in healthcare, it
was a steep learning curve when I started in my current role. There
was a great deal of information to assimilate very quickly about the
life sciences and biomedical research. But although the environment
was quite different, in many ways the thread of patient care which has
run through my career has continued here too. I’ve always believed
that medicine is multifaceted, and that disruptive technologies and
scientific advances lead to pioneering medicines which can really
make a difference to people’s lives. The Crick’s mission, to under-
stand how life works in order to drive benefits for human health,
is what attracted me to the institute in the first place. As the largest
single-site biomedical research institute in Europe, the Crick is at the
forefront of world-class discovery research, and I am lucky enough
to work on a daily basis with the brilliant scientists who are making
these discoveries.’
Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth, draws upon his past
to be ready today: ‘My skills as a doctor stand me in good stead
for being in a quickly changing environment because, as a CEO,
you need the ability to think rapidly and make quick decisions. For
instance, my work schedule is filled with 30-minute interviews. I use
my medical background to conduct the following procedure:
● Assimilate information.
● Synthesize data into a diagnosis.
● Make a treatment plan.
● Communicate the treatment plan in plain language.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

It is essential, as a CEO, to have the ability to assimilate random

information into one place, to simplify complexity and to articulate
the outcome well.’
A big insight was made by Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The
Marketing Society, to be equipped to succeed: ‘Communicate, com-
municate, communicate. It’s vital to share what’s going on so that
people are in the know. Understand the channels you will use to
communicate. Make it human and make it regular.’
Sophie also highlighted a watch-out as CEO: ‘Sometimes people
see the title before you. As the title has power in it, recognize the
privilege of the position.’
Figure out your preparation regime and stick to it. One study from
Harvard Business Review entitled ‘How CEOs manage time’ (July 2018)
analysed how CEOs spend their time. They found that 72 per cent of
CEOs’ time was spent in meetings versus 28 per cent alone. Moreover,
25 per cent was spent on relationships, 25 per cent on business unit
review and functional reviews, 21 per cent on strategy, and 16 per
cent on culture and organization. Given the fact that the schedule gets
booked up one year ahead with the rhythm of strategy, organization and
culture planning and reviews, and time with key constituencies includ-
ing the Board, direct reports, senior managers, consultants, customers,
investors, bankers, suppliers, industry groups, media, government, reg-
ulators and community organizations, scheduling the right preparation
time to be fit for purpose across such a plethora of activity is a lifeline.
A vital relationship to support preparation is the executive assis-
tant (EA). The EA can shield CEOs from distractions and unneces-
sary activities as they do their best to ensure that the CEO maximizes
time. However, EAs can often get caught in seemingly conflicting
priorities as there are so many demands placed on a CEO and, some-
times, an EA believes that a full calendar signals that they are being
efficient in role. They tend to book back-to-back meetings, limiting
time for spontaneous communications or solitary time to think. To
help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of working with an EA,
invest in the following:
● Clarify priorities. CEOs need to have a written agenda specifying
what’s most important and where they need to spend their time

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

which is updated on a quarterly basis. It’s helpful if this agenda is

shared with the executive committee so direct reports have trans-
parency about what the CEO is focused on. This agenda needs to
be internalized by the EA so that they are able to use it as a lens to
look through when each request is made.
● Delegate brilliantly. A great CEO delegates well, and to do so they
need their direct reports and affected managers to be available. An
effective EA will work with the relevant executive committee EAs
to ensure that people can step in for the CEO, providing clarity
and consistency in the business.
● Schedule space. Preparation requires time and space. Most CEOs
are overbooked. They need more time to prepare, whether that
is time alone, time walking the office to initiate unplanned con-
nections, time with customers to get real-time feedback, or time
with other CEOs to compare notes. Making space sacred prevents
having to cancel or reschedule appointments, which can cause
frustration or disappointment.
● Protect personal time. A CEO needs to sustain their life, which is
ideally built into their preparation. This could include time with
family and friends, as well as other activities like exercise, medita-
tion, reading and opportunities to recharge on a regular basis. An
EA will anticipate what the CEO needs and do everything in their
power to ensure the CEO sticks to the plan.
I tend not to draw upon sporting comparisons in business as the
context is so different, however one relevant observation is that in
sports, the majority of time spent by peak performers is in practice
and recovery. If we look at Novak Djokovic, the world’s number
one tennis player, he starts his day with around 20 minutes of
yoga. Post this, he eats breakfast. He then takes to the court with
a training partner for an hour and a half. Novak also does some
stretching to cool down. After that he has lunch and does a one-
hour workout using weights or resistance bands. He takes a pro-
tein drink immediately afterwards to aid recovery. He then goes
for another 90-minute hitting session and once again stretches to
cool down.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Imagine as CEO spending that amount of time preparing to be

the best CEO you can be. The reality is that you need to apply a
methodology of continuous improvement for your preparation.
Simply focusing on one thing every day to become better prepared
will multiply over time, helping you to excel in how you prepare for
success.

CEO NOTE
The quality of your preparation equals the quality of your performance.

Build Capability

As of 12 December 2022, the top 10 most valuable companies in the

world by market cap included Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon
and Tesla. One of the areas that distinguishes these giants from other
companies is how they’ve created a platform, a system that entails
ongoing business rather than simply selling a single widget. This sys-
tem is part of their capability, which is anything an organization does
well that drives meaningful business performance. As CEO it is vital
to understand the capability required to enable your business to out-
perform and to be as efficient and effective as possible.
Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, clearly stated the importance of fine-tun-
ing company capability: ‘Understand what creates competitive
advantage and what makes or breaks your business. For instance,
data, technology, procurement and systems. Define the value chain
and the capability required to execute the strategy. This requires you
to look at your business model and understand the direct and indi-
rect benefits of investing in different capabilities. Given our business
model as a franchise operation, I could have convinced myself not
to invest in procurement as it was not a direct benefit for the busi-
ness, but it provides an important service for our owners which then
becomes a competitive advantage for the company. Similarly, with
HR we don’t hire the vast majority of people directly for our hotels.
However, we decided to invest in putting hotels on our system for
recruitment because it provides a better system for the whole.’

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth, gave his viewpoint

about the significance of having the right capability in place for an
organization to thrive. He highlighted three key areas:
1. ‘Be purpose driven. Companies need to operate delivery to pro-
vide a return on shareholder value through money, but in today’s
world a significant return comes from conducting responsible and
sustainable practice in your environment. It is vital to set up your
business so that it relates to government, society and communities
in ethical and responsible ways. For instance, we were the first
health insurer to get B Corp certification, which demonstrates
our tangible commitments.
2. Implement the right structure. Decide what the business needs
and put the necessary infrastructure in place. At Simplyhealth we
needed an agile, product-led structure and based our organiza-
tional design on this requirement.
3. Hire rock stars. Find the Freddie Mercurys of this world who can
write hit songs which won’t be forgotten. Having top talent in the
business stimulates cultural change and means that your culture
follows the structure. For Simplyhealth this translated as being a
digital innovator in health galvanized around a clear need due to
the lack of service in the NHS.’
Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore, shared his perspec-
tive: ‘There are three buckets required to develop organizational
capability:
1. People. The number one area is getting the right people into the
right roles. The processes which support this are critical: recruit-
ment, onboarding, ensuring high productivity and managing per-
formance. One of my biggest learnings as CEO is that putting in
effective people systems early becomes a real driver for the com-
pany as it sets up the scaffolding to grow them.
2. Product. The second priority for me is about building a great
product and the engineering you need as a foundation for a great
product. For instance, if you are a product-led organization it is
vital to make sure there is a fast cycle of generating consumer

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

insight, understanding what’s going on with the product, turn-

ing it into short-, medium- and long-term roadmaps and then
turning it into user experiences and code. I have learned that
determining the right customer experience must be built from
the right insight.
3. Process. The third bucket is to develop operational processes.
This area is less important when you are small. For example, in
the early days at ClearScore, if we had an operational urgency
everyone would join in, from me to our developers, we’d order
some pizza and do whatever it took to get stuff done. In a new
business you can’t put in too much complexity too early because
you don’t know what the right processes should be. You need
to solve the first problems first and learn fast. As you scale it’s
important to have robust operational processes, however you
need front-line experience to understand how to manage them
as the business scales.’
Jan Smits, CEO and Deputy Chair, APAC, Pro-invest Group, advo-
cated the importance of beginning with the end in mind: ‘To develop
the right organizational capability, start with what you want to do and
then work out how you are going to do it. You need to be innovative
and take complexity out of the business. As human beings we tend
to make things more complicated than they need to be. Simplifying
complexity gives people time to think, which enables performance.
Constantly challenge yourself if you are being the most efficient you
can be. Set key measures to assess the business, e.g. to double the
size of the business with the same amount of people. These types of
boundaries drive innovation and test the organization to be as capa-
ble as possible. You want to create the environment where everyone
is thinking about continuous improvement and measuring progress
as you go.’
The significance of building capability was reinforced by Sophie
Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society: ‘Fixing the organizational
foundations and making sure that you are set up to structure speed
and success are critical factors. You must put in place the right strate-
gic partners and experts to deliver the basics and accelerate progress.
If the foundations aren’t right, you need to be close enough to the

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

organizational detail to understand and make sure the business works

as it is the oxygen that runs the business.’
Another CEO obsessed with ensuring the company has the right
capability is Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky New Zealand: ‘As of 2022,
Sky NZ has served our customers in Aotearoa (New Zealand) for
32 years. Some of our technology has been around for a couple of
decades. Legacy is important, but it can’t hold you back. We nurture
two different approaches: we celebrate our core business which has to
be always on and needs to work, alongside our digital transformation
focused on customer centricity, which needs to be agile and able to
move to sprint.’
Sophie continued: ‘I am obsessed with the idea about how to
get flow into the business. For this to happen it requires having real
clarity and alignment on your core priorities and capabilities. Get rid
of the busyness that detracts from what is most important. Develop
a climate of accountability which means everyone has clear responsi-
bilities. I believe one of the roles of the CEO is to “edit things out of
the way” for people so that you can get to a place of real flow in the
organization. If your organization has built up silos over time and it’s
hard to get things done, re-orient the focus. Move away from being
centralized and insist on being a business that is focused on your
customers.’
Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow, highlighted the
role CEOs play in building organizational capability: ‘CEOs need to
be open to the current mega-trends impacting business. They need
to show up with intense curiosity to think about the marketplace
­disrupters and what the business needs to be doing to grow. CEOs
don’t need to be technical experts in areas like automation. However,
they do need to establish a high external presence about leading the
art of the possible.’
As Paula inferred, some of the most challenging organizational
capability requirements to develop are digital and automation.
I have witnessed the evolution of multiple companies investing
massive time, resource and commitment into transforming their
technology for competitive advantage. On one occasion I was asked
by a CEO to partner the CIO in support of a transformation pro-
gramme essential for company success. The CIO was new to role

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

and at the point of taking over, the failed technology platform was
costing the company several hundred million in lost revenue each
year. The previous CIO developed innovative ideas but lacked the
ability to drive execution. Together with the new CIO we created
a ‘good to great’ three-year journey from ‘fix the basics’ through to
‘accelerate growth’. The CEO provided visible sponsorship of work
throughout the organization to ensure it had the right profile and
opportunity to succeed. The CIO’s immediate priority was to get
the right people in role. They recruited two heavy-hitting technolo-
gists to head up the critical functions and gave them the autonomy
to make necessary changes. Once the new senior leadership team
was in place, we brought them together to focus on the alignment
of the plan, the barriers to overcome and the way they would work
together to succeed.
The initial focus was to reinstall trust in technology as it was
broken across the business. The CIO was a captivating storyteller
and spent the first 90 days in role engaging with customers from
all functions to understand their needs and to learn how the new
technology team could help. This was played back to the team in
real time so that immediate adjustments could be made. Over the
next few months, the plan was developed, covering most needs,
including data management, analytics, supply chain, people plat-
form, customer experience and e-commerce solutions. The CEO
played a highly enabling role, continuing to give the CIO suffi-
cient air cover to get stuff done, including managing the Board as
they were understandably nervous about the potential risks to the
company should the plan not work. It was a great example of the
CEO giving sufficient weight to the priority without disempow-
ering the CIO. In fact, they acted as an effective tag team, which
drove momentum.
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, captured the right sen-
timent for how a CEO should approach building capability: ‘My
background is based in commerce, therefore I have to make sure my
team are better than me at the back end of the business. I trust them
implicitly to have the right processes and systems in place. As a CEO
it is your responsibility to make sure you have the right specialists in
the team with the necessary knowledge to run the business.’

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy CEO, The Francis Crick Institute,

reinforced the importance of being set up for success: ‘Digital tools
have a critical part to play in developing organizational capacity.
Moving away from manual processes and towards enabling tech-
nology allows an organization to become more efficient and pro-
ductive. Of course, it requires up-front investment to install the
digital tools and platforms, but if you invest wisely, it will pay
dividends.’
Another CEO who reinforced the role of technology was John
Murray, CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation: ‘In today’s
world there is almost nothing that does not touch technology. As
CEO it is important to understand the aspects of technology that
run the business. For instance, we are using artificial intelligence to
understand what guests have done, and their interests, so that we can
create a personalized experience.’
Given the critical role technology plays in building organizational
capability, I turned to Laura Miller, CIO, Macy’s, for an in-depth
perspective: ‘In technology we are constantly delivering new features
and functions, therefore it’s essential to have the right talent in place
to execute the strategy. You need leaders who have the vision but also
the ability to execute at pace. This means having an agile mindset and
the skill to take risks, fail fast and course correct. We are in a new era
in the economy where consumers and customers are changing all the
time. Things that were predictable in the past are not happening now,
therefore a CEO needs to ensure that an organization has the basics
in place, including fiscal responsibility, driving value and delivering
new products or services on a consistent basis.’
Laura continued: ‘Every business is different; however, the CEO
is at the helm at the ship. Subject to the way they ultimately define
the vision and strategy of the company, the role of support func-
tions like technology is to help them figure out what it will take to
achieve the plan. For instance, in our world the CEO thinks about
how to delight and inspire customers to win market share and be
the retailer of choice. They then pick the bets that are going to help
us win, such as making sure we have a frictionless, omni-channel
customer experience where our digital capabilities elevate us above
the competition.’

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Laura recognized the significance of data: ‘It is super important

for CEOs today to make sure they are getting the value out of data.
Companies have countless pieces of internal data, as well as the abil-
ity to purchase more data. The CEO needs to monetize this data and
leverage it for the business. From an internal position they need to
ensure the company is doing everything possible to drive value, such
as maximizing sales. From an external perspective they need to make
sure that the business uses data wisely with suppliers and vendors.
For instance, to help decide if the organization sells it to them, or if
it gets betters result by sharing to inform the insight about customer
demographics, products, research and recommendations. CEOs also
need to leverage data to future proof organizations through enablers
like machine learning and artificial intelligence. A company will not
be able to build a sustainable future without necessarily being at the
forefront of these capabilities.’
Laura gave an example referencing GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, as
the first woman to lead one of the big automakers in the US. ‘Mary
has invested billions in electric vehicles, self-driving cars and a ride-
share service called Maven. These big bets are driven by technology.’
Laura also highlighted the value of the CEO and CIO partner-
ship: ‘In order for CEOs to optimize the role of technology and dig-
ital capability, it’s important to partner with the CIO so that they
can be educated on what is out there and together determine how
the capability fits into the strategy. A CEO can’t know everything
about technology. They need a CIO who they trust implicitly and
can empower to drive the technology roadmap. I also believe that
the relationship between the CEO and CIO is critical from what I
call an “air traffic standpoint”. As CIO you have the opportunity to
work with all business partners and to see what everyone is doing
from a unique perspective. I believe that an effective CIO can help
a CEO understand where the business is working well together and
where are the opportunities for improvement. On a personal note, I
have conversations with my CEO about how we can work better as
an organization to get more out of our investments by implementing
an agile product model. To be at the forefront of technology, a CEO
needs to stay current, understand the trends, know the buzz words
and use the CIO as a wall of defence.’

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

Subject to the preference and strengths of a CEO, prioritiz-

ing organizational capability is not always top of mind; however,
neglect at your peril.

CEO NOTE
Enable the organization to build and run a highly effective
machine, setting the business up for success.

Unlock Potential

As a new CEO taking over a company Janet thought she had inher-
ited a high-performing organization. Prior to starting, the numbers
seemed rosy and everyone shared good news stories about the great
work being done by colleagues to deliver the customer experience.
However, during her first 90-day immersion in the business, a dif-
ferent picture started to form. Once Janet had dug behind the glossy
PowerPoint presentations, she realized a different reality. What
emerged was a business with poorly defined success metrics, broken
systems, lack of transparency and accountability, and silo ways of
working which resulted in failed decision making and execution. We
sat down to assess the situation. It seemed a daunting task given the
scale of the business and the expectation to succeed at pace.
Janet had a track record of delivery in turnaround situations. She
had to pivot quickly away from the false reality she had been led to
believe and to confront the brutal facts. The first step was to bring
her executive committee together for an honest airing of what was
going on. As preparation she wrote a one-page memo about the state
of the business, with some initial options to consider, and shared it
with her team. Janet asked everyone to bring fact-based assessments
of their part of the business to an offsite. She deliberately chose an
understated venue to send a message that ‘looking good’ was off the
table and that it was time to address the real issues causing the busi-
ness to underperform.
My role was to facilitate the conversation and ensure that every-
one genuinely disclosed what was going on without finger pointing.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Prior to the offsite I had conducted individual conversations with

each team member to provoke thinking and lay the foundations
for transparency. It’s always challenging to know if people are being
straight with me, however I assume positive intent until proven other-
wise. The overall picture I gained did correlate with Janet’s reality,
albeit most team members started their conversation with an inflated
version of how well everything was working. I distilled the insight
into three major obstacles to address:
1. Be fit for delivery – clarify what success looks like and have an
aligned approach to deliver the plan.
2. Fix the basics – upgrade systems and processes to enable delivery.
3. Create a great place to work – provide the right leadership and
environment for everyone to thrive.
I asked the longest serving member of the Exec to share their view
first. This individual had the reputation of being a survivor, having
endured numerous organizational restructures. They had learned
how to play the corporate game and to make themselves appear
indispensable. However, they were at a point in their career where
there was no need to duck and dive and they were prepared to
speak candidly. As COO they were in the best possible position to
lift the lid on what was going on. They shared an emotive picture
about the unresolved business drivers which resulted in the cur-
rent chaos. The previous CEO had done a great job boosting inves-
tor confidence and winning over shareholders. However, they had
neglected the business and had only wanted to hear a ‘positive spin’.
The COO spoke about their regret at colluding with this approach
as they cared passionately about the health of the business. It was
a relief when they received Janet’s memo, although it spiked their
conscience. Their belief was that the main interference to progress
was the Exec’s lack of candour, which resulted in an unclear plan
and implications for the business.
As we went around the team, similar views were expressed.
Once everyone had been heard I used a simple and effective tool
(Figure 3.1) to address the obstacles based on a hypothesis:
Performance equals potential less interference.

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

Current state Interference Future success

Interference

Interference

Internal Other External

Figure 3.1 Structure of a problem tool

I challenge people to evaluate whether the business has the potential

to perform. If the answer is yes (which it usually is), then by iden-
tifying and reducing interference you achieve a closer relationship
between potential and performance.
The steps are:
1. Identify the current state of the business. Understand what is
working, what is not working and what is missing. Bring together
an accurate view about the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses
and threats to the business.
2. Clarify what future success looks like. Align on the specific out-
comes across the business so that everyone is clear about the tan-
gible metrics to achieve.
3. Uncover the interference, blocks, barriers and limitations that will
prevent the business from delivering success.
4. Recognize where the interference resides.
● Internal – obstacles that are within the control of the CEO
and/or executive committee to resolve.
● Others – obstacles that sit in other areas such as the chairman,
Board, investors, suppliers, customers, community, government,
or systems which the CEO and/or executive committee can
influence.
● External – blockers that are external to the business, for
instance globalization, war, pandemics, environmental disas-
ters, recession.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Lack of strategic Deliver great

Underperformance
framework performance
Current state
Future success

Broken systems

Silo ways of
working

Talent capability
gaps

Internal Other(s) External

Figure 3.2 Problems identified by Janet’s team

Continuing the coaching with the team, we applied the tool to their
situation and they articulated what is shown in Figure 3.2.
What transpired was that the major interferences were primarily
internal obstacles for Janet and the executive committee to remove.
This insight mobilized the team into action. They agreed to invest
sufficient time in co-creating a crystal-clear strategic framework so
that everyone in the business could know what success looks like and
how their role fits. This shifted behaviours away from ‘looking good’
to providing transparent ways of working as clarity was sought every
step of the way. They operated with a simple dashboard highlight-
ing the top 10 company metrics and showed progress using a red,
amber and green coding system on a weekly basis to galvanize the
organization. They fronted proposals to the chairman and the Board
requesting the sufficient investment required to fix systems, with the
priorities being the information management system controlling
security and data, the operations management system delivering and
managing the company creation of customer value, products and ser-
vices quality, and the management systems organizing and monitor-
ing business performance improvement.
The team agreed to champion collaboration as a behavioural
priority for the business. They decided to model the way by having

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

shared ownership of metrics outside their immediate areas. They set

up cross-­functional steering committees, resulting in colleagues from
across the business working together to drive value-adding projects.
This action impacted the talent capability gaps as it gave greater
exposure to what development needs were required to help lead,
manage and deliver the strategic plan. As a consequence, Janet prior-
itized learning and development throughout the business, ensuring
that everyone formulated a meaningful personal development plan
to accelerate their progress.
One of the main responsibilities of a CEO is to remove interfer-
ence. This was expressed in different ways by CEOs in my interviews.
Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc, reflected: ‘As
CEO it is ironic that you have less direct ability to make stuff happen
than in a functional role. There are only a few times you can bang
the table to make things happen. The role is about creating a vision
and then influencing people to come with you. In a big organization,
if you try to control others it will limit your breadth of influence. If
you are a bad delegator and a control freak, you will be the bottle
neck to getting stuff done. The best CEOs have the ability to let go of
control, enable others, and are the most open to new ideas and ways
of delivering the business.’
Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, framed
it this way: ‘As CEO your role is to understand the voice of your
customers, people, the business, and the markets around the world.
Be versed in what your competitors are doing. Get as many inputs
as possible from different stakeholders. You need the ability to cut
through the detail, see the big trends in the data, spot the oppor-
tunities to go after, and with your leadership team define what it
means for the overall direction of travel. Set the strategy together so
that everyone feels ownership of it. In the short term it might look
inefficient as it takes more time to make decisions; however, in the
longer term you have gained the buy-in required for delivery. There
is a big gap between having an idea, forming a plan and delivering on
it. Your role is to close the gap.’
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, is clear about his role to
remove interference: ‘My leadership approach is to choose great
people, set the strategy together and let them get on with delivery.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

I aim to lean in when particular help is needed, or where I can

add specific value. My focus is to do the things that only I can do.
Having a great team and trusting them to deliver is also an effective
way to attract and retain top talent.’
Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy CEO, The Francis Crick Institute,
called out a couple of key factors to manage: ‘Never get complacent.
It’s important to remain clear about the value you’re adding. This isn’t
a “one-off” hit. You need to consistently add value and demonstrate
that you are doing so. Maintain your energy and drive as this will
transmit to others.’
Sam also shared: ‘All organizations are political. Do not be naïve
about this. Remember to listen carefully, engage with colleagues and
key stakeholders, and create allies. Learn to trust people and, when
you do, allow them the freedom to flourish whilst always keeping
close enough to provide support if and when it is needed.’
As CEO, probably some of the most difficult interference to
manage comes in the form of the chairman, and less frequently
Board members. On one occasion I was coaching a CEO who had
to navigate a well-­intentioned but meddling chairman. Although
they had set up agreed ways of working together, the chairman
ignored them and would go directly to executive committee mem-
bers with points of view about their role and area and with offers
of guidance. This put the executive members in a compromised
position because it is hard to not act upon points of view from the
chairman. As a result they felt divided loyalties when the chair-
man had a different perspective from that of the CEO. Eventually I
mediated a three-way conversation with the CEO and chairman to
reinforce what was going on and to lock in solutions. It transpired
that the chairman was genuinely unaware about the ripple effect
of their actions, which is often the case. We agreed that the CEO
could inform the executive committee that if the chairman reached
out directly in the future, they had the licence to remind them that
although they welcomed the chairman’s perspective, they were not
in a position to act upon ideas unless those ideas were shared with
the CEO. This removed the discomfort executive members felt at
being in a potential loyalty conflict. It took into account that with
the best will in the world, the chairman would probably drop into

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

detail at some point in the future, and it enabled the CEO to have
control over the flow of ideas.
A valuable exercise is to anticipate interference by setting aside
time to think ahead. Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, shared his
experience: ‘As CEO you need to have an inbuilt curiosity about
what’s going on and why. It is essential to look at a mix of data from
the marketplace to understand the context, competition, consumer,
customer and community requirements so that you can define your
problems and put the resource against them. Learn from what you
have done well with all aspects of the business. Constantly look at
what is being delivered, what is working well, what can be improved
and how to build a better business. Make sure you apply the same
rigour about people development and succession as you do about
financial metrics, or any other metrics of success.’
Employing this level of discipline to understanding what’s going
on means that, to the best of your knowledge, you take owner-
ship for protecting the business from unnecessary interference, and
when major obstacles do arise, you are set up to overcome them in
agile and effective ways.
I wanted to conclude this section about unlocking your potential
on a personal level as there are multiple interferences to manage as
CEO.
In our conversation, Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky New Zealand,
highlighted some of the areas to watch: ‘I was told that being a CEO
is lonely. At the outset I rejected the concept because there are so
many opportunities that come with the role. However, what I have
realized is that it is quite isolating. Having sat at the executive table
previously, stepping up into the CEO role meant that I needed to
make some people changes. I am empathetic but not to the detri-
ment of the company, and these decisions caused me to feel isolated.
I learned that it is not straightforward to take the temperature of
the organization as CEO. You need to be intentional about get-
ting feedback across the business so that you can be connected with
what’s going on in a way that doesn’t disrupt the flow of leadership.
For instance, I love hearing what people are doing. I show natural
enthusiasm. However, I have to be careful about the “office of the
CEO” because people can have time with me which then quickly

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

translates to “Sophie wants …”. You need to be conscious about how

you frame meetings. I now clearly signal when I am there to listen
and learn rather than to make decisions, otherwise you can end up
with unintended consequences and people acting upon your good
intentions.
‘I have also come to recognize that little moments can matter
more than the big set pieces. People are always looking at you, there-
fore it’s important to be present. I describe being present as a “super-
power”. The way you look and listen makes a huge difference through
being present in meetings and demonstrating conscious leadership.
The simple fact is, you are “always on” as a CEO. It is not acceptable
to bring your baggage to work. It’s your responsibility to be aware of
your shadow.’

CEO NOTE
Remove interference to enable the organization to perform and
maximize its potential.

Be Equipped to Succeed: Exec Summary

• Being equipped for success requires you to plan what you
need to succeed.
• Make preparation a priority. This starts with your first 90 days
and never stops. Apply the approach to listen, learn and lead.
Stay curious to strengthen your understanding and awareness
about the business.
• The better your preparation, the better the performance in the
business.
• Set the cultural mix. You are the cultural architect of the organ-
ization. Your shadow sets the tone, whether you like it or not.
Be clear about how you want things to be done around here
and apply symbolic leadership to model the way. If you want

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 Be Equipped to Succeed

equality, treat people equally. If you want diversity, seek dif-

ferent views. If you want inclusion, include people. If you want
accountability, own stuff. Employ a say/do one-to-one ratio,
meaning you do everything you say you will do.
• Unlock potential. Be passionate and relentless about
unearthing the blocks, barriers and obstacles that limit the
organization from maximizing its potential to perform. Most
importantly, make sure you are not part of the interference.
Seek continuous feedback to ensure that you are operating at
the right level, not diving into unnecessary detail that irritates
and disengages capable people.

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809795_How_To Be_CEO_Book.indb 122 24/08/23 10:58 AM
 S TA G E I I

People

So far during How to Be a CEO we have covered the Purpose stage of

the 3P Model, focusing on the insight and approach required to set
the organization up for success:
● Our first step (Chapter 1) looked at putting purpose first from a
personal perspective to ensure you are clear about your ‘why’ and
defining it for the business.
● Our second step (Chapter 2) challenged you to recognize the
role of inspiration and how you bring it to life through defining
vision, setting strategy and energizing the organization.
● Our third step (Chapter 3) nudged you to be equipped for suc-
cess through right preparation, setting the culture and unlocking
potential.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

We now move on to Stage 2: People, which puts forward a fun-

damental proposition. The quality of your people determines the
quality of the business. You can have a shining strategic framework,
a well-­manicured organizational structure and flawless systems, but
without great people working together, you will fail. This stage chal-
lenges you to move from the sentiment of putting people first to
genuinely putting people first.

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 CHAPTER 4

Be Human

Psychological Safety

In the words of Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership

and Management, Harvard Business School, and originator of psycho-
logical safety: ‘I don’t think a CEO is going to wake up in the morning
and think about psychological safety. However, I do think they will
wake up and think about the potential impact of failing to innovate
and create the new products and services required for the company to
thrive in the future. A CEO is responsible for innovation and deliver-
ing excellent performance. In order to prevent failure, you need people
to speak up in a timely way, and to catch and correct problems before
they might turn into headline news. You must be interested in creating
the type of culture where you can deploy the three steps for building
psychological safety:
1. Setting the stage – clarify expectations to encourage taking risk-­
taking, failure, uncertainty and the need for voice.
2. Inviting participation – create forums for input, asking great
questions, listening intently and acknowledging gaps.
3. Responding appropriately – expressing appreciation of contribu-
tions, looking forward, offering help and championing continu-
ous learning.’
Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, Heathrow, is a passionate advo-
cate of psychological safety. In our conversations she shared: ‘It is mis-
sion critical for a CEO to champion psychological safety for people

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

to thrive. Unless people are encouraged to have healthy debates and

challenge in a safe space then the organization is at risk of failing to
innovate and grow. The CEO needs to set expectations at the top and
create an environment where everyone is encouraged to have voice,
challenge with respect and learn from mistakes. When a CEO takes
a stand about the ways of working in a company, it creates safety.’
I witnessed the creation of psychological safety early on in the
tenure of a new CEO. Eric asked me to interview his leadership team
to get an accurate picture about the current state of the business,
operating conditions and culture. Before starting the conversations, I
spoke with the CPO to align on what areas to cover and the best way
of conducting the interviews. I was surprised to receive the advice
to not take my laptop into the meetings and to make no notes. The
CPO informed me that trust levels were so low and fear levels were so
high that an external coach linked to the new CEO asking questions
would be perceived with concern.
I am glad I followed the advice. Team members were suspicious
about my agenda, asking how the feedback would be used. I was very
clear that this round of conversations was not a substitute for their
direct engagement with the CEO. It was an opportunity for the team
to clarify what was working and what in their opinion needed to be
addressed. The more conversations I had, the more I realized that there
was an undercurrent of fear permeating the business as a consequence
of previous leadership. There were stories about people getting fired
for no particular reason, accountabilities being moved without clear
explanation, and favourites being ‘in the know’, leaving others to feel
excluded. At the root of the issue was a lack of trust, which presented
itself as silo ways of working, protectionism of ideas and failing to share
talent across the business.
I initially shared the insight with the CEO and the CPO in a
non-attributable way to maintain the strictest of confidentiality. We
agreed to set up a workshop to address the presenting issues and to
reach alignment about a way forward. The priority was to accelerate
the journey of restoring trust, hence our starting point was to intro-
duce the concept of psychological safety. We referenced the pioneer-
ing work of Amy Edmondson, who first developed her research into
psychological safety in the hospital sector. There she saw how ‘the

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 Be Human

best teams have a culture where workers feel able to speak up about
medical errors, to learn from them and prevent harm to patients’
while ‘in less effective teams nurses remained silent about the errors
they saw’. Amy concluded: ‘In the past two decades, hundreds of
academic studies about psychological safety have been conducted
that measure the positive correlation between psychological safety
and desired outcomes, such as error reporting, quality improvement
and high performance.’
Eric’s approach as CEO was to create a high-trust environment as
the foundation for performance. He was familiar with the research
on trust developed by Paul J. Zak. Research cited in his Harvard
Business Review article, ‘The Neuroscience of Trust’ (2017), show-
ing how the brain chemical oxytocin facilitates collaboration and
teamwork. Zak identified eight management behaviours that stim-
ulate oxytocin production and generate trust, including recogniz-
ing excellence, inducing ‘challenge stress’, giving people discretion
in how they do their work, and showing vulnerability. Eric wanted
to start the workshop with a process to accelerate the formation of
trust. However, it was a risk because there were high levels of scep-
ticism in the team. We used a process known as a ‘lifeline’ where
participants are asked to reflect upon crucible moments, which are
transformative experiences through which people have come to a
new or an altered sense of identity. Sharing these experiences helps
to build trust as it enables intentional relationship building and the
showing of vulnerability.
We allocated ten minutes for each person to share their story of
key crucible moments, which should have taken 90 minutes. Four
hours later we were still locked in a riveting disclosure of life expe-
riences. Eric set the tone by sharing both personal and business
moments which had defined his leadership approach. For instance,
his primary leadership style was to be a collaborator, seeking people’s
views, asking probing questions and looking at how to drive align-
ment. Prior to the session team members couldn’t figure him out.
Eric’s predecessor had a highly directive style, telling people what
to do and dropping into detail on multiple decisions and actions.
The Exec found it unnerving with Eric to be asked questions and
given the autonomy to get on, make decisions and deliver stuff. Eric

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

explained that at the birth of his first child there were complications.
The child’s heart was back to front and therefore needed open heart
surgery. It was one of the first times in his life where Eric was out of
control, had no solutions and needed to place his trust in the hands
of the surgeons.
Thankfully the operation was successful. The impact on Eric was a
profound shift in trusting others’ expertise and letting them get on with
it. He had adopted this in his leadership approach and found that the
majority of people welcomed the freedom to operate within a frame-
work. The team found both the content and his sharing of vulnerabil-
ity disarming. As the researcher and storyteller Brené Brown explains
in her popular TED Talk, ‘The power of vulnerability’, vulnerability is
central to meaningful human experiences. By the time the entire exec
had shared their stories you could sense a tangible shift in the team
dynamic. Genuine compassion, openness, humour and appreciation
were shared. Eric made it very clear that this was the foundation he
wanted for the team working together and leading the business.
Research by the global organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry
entitled ‘Future of work trends in 2022’ positions this age as ‘the new
era of humanity’. The report states: ‘The last 24 months have changed
everything. For businesses. For leaders. For employees. Now, as the
dust settles, one fact becomes clear: power has shifted. From organ-
izations to people. From profit to mutual prosperity. From “me” to
“we”. Employees are now starting to ask human questions about the
work they perform. Why am I doing this? What is it for? How can
we do it better? Many are choosing to leave their jobs. The competi-
tion to attract new talent is growing fiercer than ever. This poses an
existential threat to businesses everywhere. An organization is only
as good as the people it employs; those organizations that want to
survive and thrive in 2022 will need to respond to the new power
dynamic in kind. Look beyond financial goals to consider the needs
of all their people. Treat employees as human beings, not parts of a
machine. Break down silos and overcome remote working challenges
to ensure people feel connected to the company purpose and vision
and each other. Embrace the possibilities of the future and make
work, work for everyone.’

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 Be Human

The basic ingredient in leading with humanity is psychological

safety. In 2012 Google researchers set out ‘to discover the secrets of
effective teams at Google’. Code-named Project Aristotle – a tribute
to Aristotle’s quote, ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ (as
the Google researchers believed employees could do more working
together than alone) – the goal was to answer the question: ‘What
makes a team effective at Google?’ Using over 35 different statistical
models on hundreds of variables, they sought to identify factors that:
● impacted multiple outcome metrics, both qualitative and
quantitative
● surfaced for different kinds of teams across the organization
● showed consistent, robust statistical significance.
The researchers found the most important ingredient for a high-­
performing team was psychological safety, which they referred to as
an ‘individual’s perception of the consequences of taking an inter-
personal risk, or a belief that a team is safe for risk-taking in the face
of being seen as ignorant, incompetent, negative or disruptive. In a
team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks
around their team members. They feel confident that no one on the
team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake,
asking a question or offering a new idea.’
I appreciate the view of Emily Chang, CEO, Wunderman Thomp-
son West, on psychological safety: ‘Simply put, it’s about creating a safe
work environment, where people feel comfortable enough to be vulner-
able, and to be themselves. It’s letting people know you have their back,
so that they can take interpersonal risk without fear of retaliation. It’s
about creating the space for people to speak up with ideas, questions
and concerns. And as a result, psychological safety enables colleagues to
trust each other and feel free, even responsible, for being candid.’
Emily went on to share the impact when organizations lack psy-
chological safety:
● ‘People hold back. They worry that their comments may be per-
ceived as sensitive, threatening, political or wrong. They fear
being criticized, mocked or degraded.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

● People exhaust themselves doing mental math. They’re constantly

calculating the downside of sharing versus the upside of speaking
up. They weigh the positive of improving our business with the
negative of being humiliated or even blamed.
● People are unusually, unnecessarily anxious. The stress of con-
stantly watching how they are being perceived adds a layer of
wearisome stress on top of the daily pressures we all face.’
As CEO you need to be deliberate about building psychological
safety by creating the right climate, mindsets and behaviours within
your immediate leadership team, which sets the tone for the organi-
zation. A starting point is to ensure that everyone on the leadership
team values others’ contributions, cares about others’ wellbeing, and
has input into how the team carries out its work. You need to demon-
strate this through your own actions.
John Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, prioritized the need to
invest in his team: ‘I have learned that you need a diverse team who
are able to work together in an inclusive way, where the whole is
greater than the sum of the parts. As a team you need to reach a point
where you have common values and can leverage different think-
ing styles. I have discovered that having common values has high
importance, such as respect and collaboration, as in situations where
there are different values, conflict can swiftly rise and interfere with
the teams’ ability to lead the business. You definitely need high trust
around the table, particularly in a matrix environment where people
play different roles. The leadership team also has to demonstrate flex-
ibility to navigate challenging times. For instance, at Heathrow when
I took over the business, we were in a stage of continuous improve-
ment with a particular focus on improving employee engagement
and passenger service. We then moved to a period of investing in
growth, delivering a campaign to expand the airport. This was swiftly
followed by the impact of Covid and needing to manage severe cost
cutting. The current phase is organic growth as the skies reopen. Each
stage has required different leadership approaches and our success has
been determined by the quality and flexibility of the team.’
I have been fortunate to support John and his leadership team dur-
ing the different phases of the business. What has stayed consistent

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 Be Human

over the years is their commitment to leading with shared values,

and embracing diversity and inclusion, which has built psychological
safety, enabling them to navigate turbulent times in an effective way.
Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, is another leader who places high
significance on creating psychological safety: ‘As a human business
we try to assume good intent in dealing with others. If something
goes wrong, our assumption is that a genuine mistake was made,
rather than thinking that it was a deliberate act. We bring people
together in various forums to build empathy, which prevents them
from assuming the worst in others.’
An effective way of putting psychological safety into action is to
orchestrate meetings so that each person present has voice and can be
open and transparent in sharing their viewpoints. Use a tool known
as a ‘thinking circle’ to create a safe environment and equal share of
voice. The way it works is to take a topic, such as a strategic focus,
a problem to solve, or an opportunity to go after, and formulate a
specific question for everyone to answer. Allocate some time to think
and then go around the team giving a set amount of time. As CEO,
go last, summarize what you heard, reinforcing any points and/or
making any builds. Give people another set time to reflect upon what
they heard and conduct a second round to progress the conversation.
Upon completion of round two there tend to be some clear themes
to take forward, which you can then take into open dialogue. This
can be particularly effective working in a virtual or hybrid way to
maximize your time.
The principles for a ‘thinking circle’ are:
● Speak in turn.
● Have no interruptions.
● Listen to understand.
● Build on ideas.
● Be present.
In many meetings people listen to reply rather than listen to respond;
they interrupt rather than wait for an appropriate moment to contribute;
they want to be ‘right’ about their point of view rather than capitalize
on ideas; and they are distracted rather than being fully present. Given

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that we are wired to connect, these types of behaviours are interpreted

unconsciously, causing a ‘fight or flight’ reaction in others, which is the
opposite of psychological safety. Being deliberate about developing the
right working conditions for everyone to have a sense of belonging and
care can become a powerful signature of your CEO tenure.
Another way of embedding psychological safety is through creat-
ing a safe environment which enables people to take risk, make mis-
takes and move forward. Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor
and former founder and CEO, Cake, shared his view: ‘When things
go wrong in the company, make sure you help everyone learn from
the mistakes. Have the ability to take the pain by analysing what
happened, understanding where you went wrong, look at processes
and systems, unpick the detail to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Taking this approach turns out to be a bonding experience and ena-
bles you to come out recognizing that you weren’t at your best, but
you have come out stronger as a team.’
He also highlighted the need to protect your employees, which cre-
ates a sense of safety. ‘Operating in the service industry meant every
now and again we would have a very difficult client. On one occasion
we had a client who acted as a bully and treated suppliers as second-class
citizens. This caused real issues with employees to the point of bringing
them to tears. As soon as I got wind of this, I went to the client CEO
and complained. It sent a clear message to my team that I had their back
and I am not afraid to challenge the way we are treated by others.’

CEO NOTE
Champion psychological safety by creating the conditions
where everyone feels safe to speak up without the fear of
negative consequences.

Belonging

As a new CEO coming in to lead an organization in the transpor-

tation section, Lorna was passionate about the equity, diversity and

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 Be Human

inclusion agenda. Her history with EDI was deeply rooted in her
upbringing. Lorna’s father had been an engineer and had wanted a
boy as the first born. Unfortunately, Lorna’s parents were not able to
have more children so the father’s preference for a son was transferred
onto her. It turned out to be a mixed blessing. On the upside, Lorna
got a lot of attention from her father, who introduced her to the
world of engineering from an early age. They made a wide range of
gadgets together, including transistor radios, walkie talkies and train
sets, and once computers came along he introduced her to coding.
Some of her happiest moments were spent ensconced in her father’s
shed surrounded by an engineer’s treasure trove. The downside was
that Lorna felt excluded at school and within a wider social con-
text. Growing up as a woman in the 1970s in southern Georgia, the
STEM topics (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
were not top of the agenda. However, she developed a steely deter-
mination to address this imbalance. Little did she know that three
decades later she would be heading up a company where she had the
opportunity to make EDI a reality.
Thankfully, over the years EDI has become one of the most
important priorities for CEOs and companies in general. Research
by McKinsey & Company in a report entitled ‘Diversity wins: How
inclusion matters’ (2020) covering 15 countries and more than
1,000 large companies shows not only that the business case remains
robust, but also that the relationship between diversity on executive
teams and the likelihood of financial outperformance has strength-
ened over time. The report highlights: ‘Companies need a systematic,
business-led approach to inclusion and diversity, as well as bolder
action on inclusion.’
The authors recommend two key steps:
1. A systematic, business-led approach to inclusion and diversity
(I&D).
a. Increase diverse representation, particularly in leadership and
critical roles.
b. Strengthen leadership and accountability for delivering on
I&D goals.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

2. Bold steps to strengthen inclusion.

a. Enable equality of opportunity through fairness and
transparency.
b. Promote openness, tackling bias and discrimination.
c. Foster belonging through support for multivariate diversity.
Lorna championed both. She developed an effective EDI strategy to
support the company objectives which articulated the rationale for
action and outlined steps to implement, from communication and
training to addressing workplace behaviour and evaluating progress.
She was diligent about adopting a one-to-one say/do ratio, meaning
she did everything that she said she would do. It started by weaving
EDI into most aspects of the company plan. She set clear metrics
about basic EDI factors, including age, disability, race, religion, gen-
der and sexual orientation. Lorna started at the top to address the
inequality of her executive committee. She devised a one-year plan
which would ensure the necessary changes on the team to build a
diverse and inclusive team.
Lorna ensured EDI featured in all her company communications
so that she was visible, vocal and transparent about why she was
championing the agenda, combining her personal experience along
with the moral and business case for building fairer and more inclu-
sive workplaces. Her primary message was that regardless of our iden-
tity, background or circumstances, we all deserve the opportunity to
develop our skills and talents to fulfil our potential, work in a safe,
supportive and inclusive environment, be fairly rewarded and recog-
nized for our work, and have a meaningful voice on matters that we
care about and that affect us. Lorna also articulated the benefits for
the sustainability of businesses and economies when we embrace and
value diverse thinking and ways of working that people from differ-
ent backgrounds, experiences and identities bring to an organization.
Lorna’s number one priority was people, which she translated as
a great place to work where everyone has a sense of belonging and
can thrive. She recognized that to truly enable EDI, everyone needed
learning and development to ensure the common understanding about
inclusion, diversity, bias (conscious and unconscious), workplace
behaviour and communication. Along with her executive committee

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 Be Human

she modelled the way in putting their learning and development into
action, including:
● Collect and analyse high-quality diversity data, e.g. ensuring
employees’ consent when collecting data, making sure that work-
force data is representative, protecting collected data in line with
legal requirements.
● Root out bias in job specifications and selection, e.g. stress-test
job descriptions for EDI to remove bias, ensure that hiring man-
agers are aware of any limiting assumptions they may have that
could result in bias.
● Be ambitious in taking positive action on diversity, e.g. ensure
company and function objectives are aligned with diversity tar-
gets, allocate sufficient resources and effort into delivering the
outcomes of any positive action, guide managers on what to do if
they perceive a tension between EDI and other targets.
Learning boost sessions were set up for all employees to get buy-in
and alignment for EDI. Lorna and her executive committee ensured
they had representation at every session, sending a clear message that
this was an organizational priority. She had observed the impact on
companies when they had to respond to allegations about racial dis-
crimination, such as when Starbucks closed more than 8,000 US
cafes in May 2018 for racial bias training. The company put 175,000
colleagues through a training which the company said ‘isn’t a solu-
tion, it’s a first step’ as it sought to rebuild its damaged reputation.
Lorna was also inspired by CEOs like David Joseph, UK CEO,
Universal Music, who publicly stood up for difference by leading a
quiet revolution in the business, changing the culture so ‘neurodi-
verse’ thinkers could flourish. He explained the case for why atyp-
ical minds, from popstars to activists, are key to the future. It was
a timely initiative. High-profile public figures talked about their
conditions, including Greta Thunberg, the climate change activist
who has been open about her Asperger’s and OCD. Musicians who
volunteered conditions included Billie Eilish, who has Tourette’s,
Justin Timberlake, Solange Knowles, Adam Levine and [Link],
who all have ADHD. Florence Welch has dyspraxia. Of course, the

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

relationship between creativity and quirkiness has always been there.

John Lennon and David Bowie were frequently called ‘hyperactive’.
One of David Joseph’s primary messages was: ‘We want artists to
flourish and that means introducing new styles of working where
people can discuss difference.’
Every leader I interviewed was passionate about taking a stand
for EDI in their own unique way. The importance of the area was re-
inforced by Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and
Management, Harvard Business School: ‘In your role as CEO, be
explicit about the genuine need for diverse talent, ideas and perspec-
tives to accomplish what the business is trying to achieve. Being explicit
in your messaging and actions sends a powerful message that everyone
belongs. Be intentional to override any bias to signal that even if you
are not part of the dominant group in the organization, you belong,
and the company welcomes as many different voices as needed.’
Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society, shared her
strong views: ‘It is a scandal that there aren’t more female CEOs. Part
of the reason I took this job is to support women in leadership. We
need to expand the talent pool available for great roles. As we have
not done a great job with equity, diversity and inclusion over the
years, we have limited our talent pool. Now if you are in a majority,
you can help others by being deliberate about closing the gap.’
Sophie reinforced the importance of creating environments where
everyone has a sense of belonging: ‘Working in advertising and mar-
keting clearly shows the power of diverse thinking required for our
future. I champion conversations about belonging in business. As
CEO, one of my KPIs is about team happiness, which we partly
measure through having voice and psychological safety. We ask our
team every quarter if they feel comfortable to express their opinion in
the team. Measuring voice is an important step to encourage a sense
of belonging.’
Another powerful voice championing female CEOs is Viviane
Paxinos, CEO, AllBright, who shared: ‘I focus on supporting diver-
sity in the workplace and championing more female leaders. Having
more diversity in the workplace drives better business outcomes.
Equity, diversity and inclusion is a leadership issue where all leaders
need to step up and create more inclusive workplaces.’

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 Be Human

Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky New Zealand, gave her view: ‘In the
New Zealand political sphere, we have outperformed as women.
However, in the business world, women CEOs are few and far
between. My own experience being female and growing up in a
male-dominated legal environment meant that I kept quiet to be
accepted by the machine. Now that I have a big seat at the table I no
longer need to put up with any form of prejudice. I bring a different
lens to the table. Sometimes I use humour to unlock negotiations.
Other times being a woman can help put people at ease. I still come
up against a perception that success as a female is linked to a male as
if I am in role due to a male connection. Overall, though, it hasn’t
been a hindrance and I relish the opportunity it presents me to help
other women succeed.’
Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, translates
equity, diversity and inclusion through decision making: ‘In a global
law firm, the heart of our culture is to have a sense of ownership
spread across all partners. As senior partner, I adopt a collegiate style
of decision making. At the executive level, we make collective deci-
sions. While it might save time for me to make the decisions on
behalf of the firm, it is not our culture to do so.’
Wim went on to say: ‘Leverage cognitive diversity. Bring people
together, define a common goal, create conditions for people to feel
empowered and express views. Encourage different perspectives to
improve the quality of decision making. A good CEO thrives on
hearing different points of view. Be deliberate about how you lead
equality, diversity and inclusion. I am fortunate to be able to select
people for many committees within the firm and therefore can be
deliberate about our selection process to cover all aspects of diversity,
including different ways of thinking, involving the next generation,
as well as ensuring equality of gender, age, ethnicity and other aspects
of diversity. I’m a big believer in operating with a relatively large deci-
sion-making body. Have the next generation involved so that they
can participate, take a role and learn from more experienced people.’
Wim’s passion and commitment to EDI run right through the firm:
‘You have to be deliberate about being inclusive and developing capa-
bility to succeed. Commission formal leadership training to develop
capability based on an assessment of skills and individualized personal

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development plans. Combine academic rigour alongside learning on

the job.’
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK, encourages a learn-
ing mindset to support EDI: ‘Highly effective people tend to be intel-
lectually curious. This can range from engaging with how someone
is going to spend their weekends to deeply understanding their roles
and impact in the business. Be interested and interesting. Learn what
others are passionate about and be open to multiple perspectives. As
CEO, people will constantly bring you ideas and therefore you need
to be able to look at them in different ways.’
Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, is cognisant of gender
bias: ‘I was chosen for this role regardless of my gender. My Board
and the industry have always been supportive of me. My track record
speaks for itself, but I am mindful of needing to prove myself again and
again. In certain situations, I could have been compromised in dealing
with certain stakeholders but I know my stuff and so I have always nav-
igated the terrain in front of me. I think people underestimate a female
in role and we need to change people’s preconceived ideas. I believe
that I have the opportunity to set an example for the future generations
of women in business as well as continuing to create equality between
genders. Getting here was the hard part. Being here is not as hard.’
Another woman who shared her perspective on being a female
CEO was Helen Tupper at Amazing If: ‘I only see advantages to
being a female CEO. I bring different perspectives to the position,
including high empathy, understanding others and the ability to
create psychological safety. As a mother it helps me understand the
priorities and choices people have to make. My breadth of under-
standing can support and inspire people to seek the right guidance
and support from others.’
Keith Barr has championed the EDI agenda as CEO, IHG, and
explained some of the behavioural characteristics required: ‘The next
generation of colleagues expect authenticity and transparency. In the
past people got respect through a position of authority. Now, rightly
so, you need to earn the right to be respected. People judge you on
doing the right things in the right way.’
One of the most significant aspects of EDI is about helping every-
one have a sense of belonging. Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer,

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Heathrow, went one step further in her view, stating: ‘Belonging is the
most important aspect of the equity, diversity and inclusion agenda. The
CEO needs to set the tone. They need a good people team to imple-
ment a robust EDI plan, but the CEO needs to champion a sense of
belonging to ensure everyone can be themselves and do their best work.’
In our conversation, Emily Chang, CEO, Wunderman Thompson
West, highlighted three practical ways to create a culture of belonging:
1. ‘Embrace with language. Resist the impulse to “separately include”
others by extending exclusive invitations like “join us”. Instead,
consider how we might embrace each other by cultivating a lan-
guage of belonging, like “let’s go!”.
2. Mind the optics. Plan ahead to ensure no one is accidently called
out or left out. For instance, make sure there are enough seats,
space and consideration for new hires joining the company so
they feel a sense of belonging and care.
3. Acknowledge contribution. A great way to help people feel a sense
of belonging is to highlight their contributions to the company.
Identify the unsung heroes, or those trying to find their place, and
give them a shout-out.’
Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow, advocates the importance of
understanding others: ‘Listening is one of the most important skills
to demonstrate as a CEO. I mean properly listening to what people
are saying. It’s hard to do when things are busy, however people tell
you a lot in what they say. They will give you valuable indicators to
pick up on. For instance, I was chatting with a team member recently
about the opportunity to go for a new role. They appeared hesitant in
their response. I took the opportunity to ask them what was on their
mind. What transpired was that there were family matters which they
needed to prioritize. It would have been easy to have interpreted their
hesitancy as a lack of ambition or drive, however taking the time to
let the conversation evolve meant that we got to the heart of the issue.
It is vital to learn how to switch on your active listening capability.
My commitment is to ask one more probing question rather than
rushing on to the next task.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

The importance of listening and giving people voice was re-

inforced by Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor and former
founder and CEO, Cake: ‘It’s very easy as CEO to jump into con-
versations, talk over people, or be a poor listener. It’s important to
give people voice. Take the time to listen to what people have to say.
It might be appropriate to give your perspective; however, make sure
you have listened first. For instance, if someone wrote a presentation
and my initial thought was that it was a disaster, I disciplined myself
to sit down with them and work collaboratively to help them learn.
This would send a powerful message to the team about continuous
learning, valuing people and everyone having a sense of belonging.’
Graham Alexander, founder, The Alexander Partnership, applies
it to a team make-up: ‘Ensure there is diversity around the team.
Don’t recruit people in your own image. Have different people who
will do things differently to you.’
Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow, makes the linkage between EDI,
engagement and performance: ‘Most companies are service organiza-
tions providing a service for people by people. We are in a service game,
therefore employee engagement has a direct impact on performance.
The best way to unlock value is to make sure people are engaged.’
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, laid out a simple proposition:
‘It is clear that EDI is a central part of an organizational plan. As
CEO you need to lead from the front and make sure all initiatives
are done from a company and cultural point of view. At Burberry we
have always had a strong reputation to be a people-first organization,
which fits with my own philosophy for creating environments where
everyone belongs.’
As CEO, be educated and articulate about EDI. Formulate your
authentic position, then be visible and vocal about it to champion
the agenda and ensure you create an environment where everyone
belongs and thrives.

CEO NOTE
Make equity, diversity and inclusion personal. Don’t make it a
corporate initiative. One of the biggest contributions you can
make as a CEO is to help everyone feel valued and add value.

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Thrive

I got a call asking for help from the HR director of a high-profile

digital company. The business was experiencing hyper growth; how-
ever, it was haemorrhaging talent. Although it attracted some of the
brightest and best people from top consultancies, the average ten-
ure was 18 months, and some employees were literally collapsing at
work from exhaustion and burn-out. The message from the CEO
was clear. ‘Shape up or ship out.’ I had worked with the HR director
in a previous company and they had hit a wall in their existing role.
The CEO didn’t listen, didn’t care and believed that people were a
dispensable commodity.
I listened to the scenario and gave my honest assessment. Unless
the CEO changed their tone, trying to address the toxicity and
impact on people would at best be a superficial short-term remedy,
but more likely a waste of time. There was one ray of hope. One
of the C-suite leaders on the executive committee understood the
people agenda and was prepared to put their head above the parapet
to try to influence the CEO. When it came to the business agenda
the CEO was a data geek, making the majority of decisions heavily
based by an informed point of view. However, when it came to peo-
ple it was a different story, driven by an obsession for fast, short-term
growth at whatever cost.
I suggested that we meet with the C-suite leader to put together
a business case to present to the CEO about the value of attract-
ing, retaining and developing top talent and the cost of losing great
people. Before we even had a chance to map out the presentation,
the C-suite leader was fired. The CEO got wind of the fact that the
C-suite leader was bringing together the necessary people data and
got spooked. Suffice to say, I also never stepped over their office
threshold again.
This was an extreme case of a CEO taking zero accountability
for the health and wellbeing of their ‘greatest asset’ – people. But
the truth is that until the impact of Covid, many CEOs and organ-
izations paid lip service to wellbeing. I frequently heard supportive
comments like ‘part-timer’, ‘it’s alright for some’, ‘another half-day’

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if people worked from home. Mental health was under the radar
and in most environments, success was measured by permanent
busyness, working fast, being scheduled back to back, and hyperac-
tivity was considered smart. However, some progressive CEOs had
started to embrace health and wellbeing and make it part of their
leadership ethos.
After taking over as CEO in 2009, Jeff Weiner, now Executive
Chairman at LinkedIn, saw the membership base grow from 33 mil-
lion to more than 430 million and revenue from $78 million to over
$3 billion by 2017. On September 28, 2017, Jeff Weiner sent out a
simple tweet to help put things in perspective: ‘One of the benefits of
my getting older: far greater appreciation for three things that are too
often taken for granted: health, love and time.’
Weiner’s leadership philosophy is based on compassion and was
influenced by a book called The Art of Happiness, which is about the
teachings of the Dalai Lama. Weiner describes compassion as ‘empa-
thy plus action’ and references an explanation by the Dalai Lama:
‘Picture yourself walking along a mountainous trail. You come across
a person being crushed by a boulder on their chest. The empathetic
response would be to feel the same sense of crushing suffocation,
thus rendering you helpless. The compassionate response would be
to recognize that the person is in pain and do everything within your
power to remove the boulder and alleviate their suffering.’
Jeff Weiner is a great example of a CEO who invested in his own
leadership development and became an exemplary leader, achieving
a 97 per cent approval rating on Glassdoor in 2019, which was a far
cry from a journalist once describing his management style at Yahoo
as ‘wielding his fierce intelligence as a blunt instrument’.
While the notion of health can take on many forms, Weiner has
always encouraged the use of meditation in the business world. He
uses the Headspace app to meditate daily and talks about the impact
of meditation to stay positive and focus better. Drawing upon the
influence of the Dalai Lama and his mentor Ray Chambers, Weiner
has described five keys to happiness:
1. Embrace mindfulness and live in the present.
2. Prioritize love over being right.

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3. Observe your thoughts, especially during emotional moments, to

foster compassion.
4. Cultivate gratitude by writing down and revisiting one thing
you’re thankful for each day.
5. Actively seek opportunities to serve and help others whenever
possible.
We are in a new era of health and wellbeing. Covid has continued
to have an extensive impact on ways of working and patterns of
behaviour, with widespread implications including hybrid working,
working from home, flexible working, mental health, absenteeism,
presenteeism (working when ill), leaveism (using holiday entitlement
to work), digital technologies, financial wellbeing, bereavement and
trauma. As CEO, you cannot be expected to be an expert in health
and wellbeing, however it is essential to have an informed point of
view and to take a genuine and meaningful approach to ensuring
people can thrive at work.
In my conversation with Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, he shared:
‘Probably the important thing to be known for is that you care. As
CEO you are responsible for many people’s lives and livelihoods.’
Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow, highlighted the importance of
supporting people: ‘Wellbeing is the fastest way to unlock produc-
tivity for an organization.’ He went on to suggest: ‘Create an envi-
ronment where people feel safe with uncertainty. Have a workforce
where people feel confident and resourceful to find solutions. Help
people feel empowered to make decisions, fail fast, share learning
and move on.’ He also acknowledged the need to manage your own
health and wellbeing: ‘On a personal level, catch your mood quickly
and have the tools to bounce back. Ensure that you have the mecha-
nisms to be at your best on a consistent basis.’
This was echoed by Javier’s colleague, Paula Stannett, Chief
People Officer, Heathrow: ‘People will thrive when the CEO cre-
ates the conditions for basic needs to be met in terms of reward and
remuneration, ensures they operate in an environment of psycholog-
ical safety, can play to their strengths, and have access to wellbeing
resources. It is also important for a CEO to sponsor learning and
career development opportunities so that people can keep their skills

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

current. An organization needs to invest in all generations and make

sure everyone has access to varied learning opportunities to build
long-term careers.’
Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth, reinforced the need
to sustain your own wellbeing: ‘Being a CEO is the most stressful
and enjoyable job I’ve had. I find myself waking up at 4am every day
with lots of thoughts swirling. I use the first part of the morning as an
important meditative time to process my thinking and to put ideas
into the right categories. As CEO you get threats from all directions
and therefore the more slings and arrows you get, the thicker your
skin needs to be. You cannot slack off. You are constantly watched
and your performance is constantly monitored. In truth, being a
CEO is a lifestyle, not a job.’
As a mother and leading the global career network for women,
Viviane Paxinos, CEO, AllBright, knows the important of setting
yourself up to thrive: ‘Put wellbeing first. Taking care of your health
is very important. Running a company is a big responsibility and
learning how to manage your wellbeing is key. You have to look after
yourself. Find ways to integrate work and life that work for you. Set
boundaries which your team understand.’
In my coaching of CEOs, I encourage them to look at four differ-
ent capacities to help them thrive – see Figure 4.1.

Spiritual
Purpose–Vision–Values

Mental
Focus–Clarity–Creativity

Emotional
Resilience–Calm–Regulation

Physical
Energy–Vitality–Drive

Figure 4.1 Capacities required to thrive

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 Be Human

1. Physical. What energizes you? What de-energizes you? What

nourishes your physical health? What gets in the way? Physical
health and wellbeing are the foundation for sustaining high per-
formance. What I tend to find is that people know what they
need to do in terms of managing the basics like nutrition, hydra-
tion, sleep, exercise and recovery, but they don’t have a consistent
approach unless they have experienced some form of wake-up
call which jolts them into a supportive routine. On a personal
note, in 2012 I hit a wall. Supporting my young family of three
children, travelling the world with global clients, running my
business and writing books, I was exhausted. I had turned into
what nutritionist Patrick Holford calls ‘a knackered ape’. I set
a personal intent to be energized. I didn’t know what it would
look like, but I started an inquiry to understand what I needed
in place to replenish and sustain my energy. The starting place
was no surprise. Exercise. However, I came up with every excuse
for why I couldn’t do it – too tired, too busy, it’s too hot, cold,
wet. Yet I noticed on the days I did exercise I had more energy.
I decided to make it a non-negotiable and exercise every day.
I decided it was better to do at least 30 minutes’ exercise than
nothing. It became a habit and I have done it ever since. From
a nutritional perspective, having tried a macrobiotic diet, vegan,
vegetarian and eat whatever I want, I have found what works best
for me is to be gluten free. I have an intolerance to gluten and
going gluten free sustains my energy and alleviates other symp-
toms like bloating and headaches. I find sleep the most chal-
lenging to master after years of overcoming jetlag and having
young children. I keep a notebook by my bed and jot down my
thoughts in a random fashion before going to sleep. If I wake in
the night I reach over for the notebook and, without turning on
the light, scribble down thoughts to clear my mind.
  What works for you? I resonate with the idea of the corporate
athlete made popular in the seminal Harvard Business Review arti-
cle ‘The making of a corporate athlete’ by Jim Loehr and Tony
Schwartz (2001). The authors say: ‘If there is one quality that
executives seek for themselves and their employees, it is high
performance in the face of ever-increasing pressure and rapid

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change.’ They go on to say that physical wellbeing is the founda-

tion for peak performance in business. I resonated with the view
from Phil Bayliss, CEO, Infinium, about the role energy plays:
‘When I reflect for myself if I have been successful, the answer
is no. I don’t believe the mindset of a CEO should be to meas-
ure success whilst still on the journey. I think you should direct
your unlimited energy to try to achieve something beyond your
own expectations and those that you work with. For instance, I
achieve less than I think I can in a year, but far more over a five-
year period. The art of the possible keeps growing at a rate of
knots. We use a balanced scorecard to measure success, but the
real primary motivation as CEO is to come up with new things
and remarkable outcomes to achieve.’ I love the ideas from Sophie
Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society: ‘Consciously manage
your energy and the energy of the organization. For example, if
you are in change mode, the pace can be relentless. See yourself
as the chief energy officer, or the chief encourager officer. Make
sure you have moments to reflect on progress and when times are
tough, strengthen your connection with people as they need to
see you are part of the solution.’
2. Emotional. What sustains your emotional health? What derails
you? What helps you feel great? Emotional wellbeing has gained
awareness through the advances made in understanding and devel-
oping emotional intelligence. Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, recognized
the importance of emotional health: ‘To be a successful CEO
requires resilience. You are at the top of the pyramid, and you have
to carry the organization. During Covid, the crazier things got, the
calmer I needed to be. Every day you will have something coming
at you. As well as the global pandemic, in recent times we have had
to navigate a war, energy crisis and an unauthorised intrusion into
our systems.’ Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow, puts significant
effort into improving emotional intelligence: ‘I recognize that
there may be limits to the extent that you can develop EQ. For
instance, some personality profiles are not wired to project emo-
tion. I have one brilliant team member who has had to learn how
to smile more and show others how he feels. However, whatever

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your genetic predisposition for EQ, you can improve on it, and
that starts with self-awareness. Be straight with yourself. Conduct
a simple self-audit asking yourself, “How do I really feel?” Learn
how to clearly articulate your emotional state to help others under-
stand you. When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself, “How
do I want to be today?” Practise interpreting and managing your
emotions so that you can be the leader you want to be and, in the
process, help others develop their own self-awareness.’
  A large extent of my CEO coaching focuses on resolving emo-
tional interference that could prevent CEOs from demonstrating
their value, in particular focused on relationship issues. On one
occasion I coached a CEO who had a major trust issue with one
of their executive committee members. The CEO had got wind
that the executive was going behind their back and trying to
undermine their decision making and credibility. It was hard to
evidence as the executive had a loyal following. It came to a head
when the chairman became involved as they had heard rumours
about the executive behaviour. I introduced the CEO to a simple
communication tool known as Every Fish Needs Batter and Chips:
● Explanation – present the facts.
● Feelings – share the emotional impact.
● Needs – state what’s required to move forward.
● Benefits – offer the win/win outcome.
● Consequences – outline what will happen if a solution is not
reached. Do not share consequences unless you are going to act.
The CEO used the tool to process their thinking, set up a meeting
with the executive member, and communicated in a clear and
rational way to seek a solution. Thankfully they were able to reach
a robust agreement for the way forward which included a series
of regular one-to-one meetings aimed at rebuilding the broken
trust and moving the business agenda forward. Take ownership
of your emotional wellbeing. I have seen CEOs derailed by emo-
tions such as anxiety, anger and frustration, which they take out
in unintentional ways on loved ones or colleagues. This is not
clever and will damage a reputation if left unchecked.

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3. Mental. A CEO is paid to think. The quality of thinking deter-

mines the quality of value added to the business. Therefore,
making mental health and wellbeing a priority is vital to fulfil
the function. Yet even though a CEO is theoretically in charge
of their schedule, quality think-time is usually the first thing
squeezed. Bill Gates is known for taking a self-proclaimed
‘think week’. Twice a year he spends seven days of solitude in
a forest cabin where he reads paper after paper, for up to 18
hours a day, of innovation and investment ideas from Microsoft
employees, relentlessly scribbling notes. Emma Gilthorpe,
COO, Heathrow, is clear about the importance of having time
to think: ‘As CEO, make sure you have a clear focus and nar-
rative for the business so that people can follow. Schedule pre-
cious time to think, to plan and to harness your team to make
sure you are going in the right direction. Carve out quality time
with your executive committee to align on the direction and
narrative. Time well spent early on aligning the leadership team
will save you months of effort later as colleagues will see and
hear consistent messages from their leaders.’ Richard Solomons,
Chairman, Rentokil Initial plc, emphasized the need for mental
agility: ‘As CEO you need to develop the ability to synthesize
everything. At IHG I needed to engage with the owners of our
hotels, deeply understand our colleague and customer needs, be
across the competition and partner with our suppliers. It is vital
to be able to synthesize multiple data points to make the tough
calls. Initially I got accused of doing too much analysis, but
after navigating several global crises I learned to utilize an 80/20
approach. In other words, be prepared to make decisions based
on 80 per cent readiness and get on with it.’
  Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, showed
the importance of mental acuity: ‘One of my biggest learnings
as senior partner is that things are often categorized as “false
dilemmas” – for instance, issues are made right or wrong, black
or white. The challenge is to look for the right balance whilst
accepting that you will never find it, such as trading off short-
and long-term choices.’ Phil Bayliss, CEO, Infinium, also high-
lights the need for mental fitness: ‘The moments that can make

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the biggest difference as a CEO are driven by the agility to flex

your approach or direction of travel and drive change. In order to
make this happen you need to respond to data and people. I have
a bias for data; however, I have learned that having a check-in
call with the most experienced person in the business is as val-
uable as digesting all the data.’ It is helpful to understand how
our brains have the ability to adapt (known as neuroplasticity), as
explained by the neuropsychologist Celeste Campbell (February
2009): ‘Neuroplasticity refers to the physiological changes in the
brain that happen as the result of our interactions with our envi-
ronment. From the time the brain begins to develop in utero until
the day we die, the connections among the cells in our brains
reorganize in response to our changing needs. This dynamic pro-
cess allows us to learn from and adapt to different experiences.’
Make sure you understand when and where you do your best
thinking so that you optimize your mental faculty.
4. Spiritual. On 15 September 2022, as I was writing this chap-
ter, Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor fashion brand
Patagonia, gave his company to a charitable trust. He said any
profit not reinvested in running the business would go to fight
climate change. The brand’s website now states: ‘Earth is now our
only shareholder.’ Thankfully there are multiple CEOs driven by a
bigger mission than profit. John Mackey, co-founder and CEO of
Whole Foods Market, has led the natural and organic grocer to a
$13 billion Fortune 500 company. With more than 370 stores and
80,000 team members in three countries, the company has been
named by Fortune magazine as a ‘Best Company to Work For’ for
16 consecutive years and the ‘Number One Most Admired Food
and Drug Store Company in the World’ in 2012. John was the
visionary for the Whole Planet Foundation to help end poverty
in developing nations, the Local Producer Loan Program to help
local food producers expand their businesses, the Global Animal
Partnership’s rating scale for humane farm animal treatment, and
the Health Starts Here initiative to promote health and wellness.
He co-founded the Conscious Capitalism Movement and co-
authored a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling
book, entitled Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the heroic spirit of

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

business, to boldly defend and reimagine capitalism and encourage

a way of doing business that is grounded in ethical consciousness.
At a ‘Conscious Capitalism’ conference attended by 220 CEOs in
2016, one of the primary messages was ‘CEOs need to become
more aware, more conscious, of the moral and economic virtues
that capitalism advances spontaneously’. It also advocated the
need to recognize the purpose of business and the contribution
of capitalism to human flourishing. A report from Globescan, a
research firm that specializes in corporate reputation, defined pur-
pose as the process by which a company ‘marries business value
with societal value’.
CEOs like Yvon Chouinard and John Mackey demonstrate what
management thought leader, physicist, philosopher and author
Danah Zohar describes as Spiritual Intelligence (SQ). Zohar has
identified 12 principles of SQ:
● Self-awareness – knowing what you believe in, what you value
and what deeply motivates you.
● Vision and value led – acting from principles and deep beliefs,
and living accordingly.
● Positive use of adversity – learning and growing from mistakes,
setbacks and suffering.
● Holistic – seeing larger patterns, relationships and connections:
having a sense of belonging.
● Compassion – having the quality of ‘feeling with’ and deep
empathy.
● Celebration of diversity – regarding other people for their differ-
ences, not despite them.
● Field-independent – standing against the crowd and having one’s
own convictions.
● Ask fundamental ‘why’ questions – needing to understand things
and get to the bottom of them.
● Ability to reframe – standing back from a situation/problem and
seeing the bigger picture; seeing problems in a wider context.

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 Be Human

● Spontaneity – living in and being responsive to the moment.

● Sense of vocation – feeling called upon to serve, to give something
back.
● Humility – having the sense of being a player in a larger drama,
of one’s true place in the world.
It is important as a CEO to find your place on the spiritual dimen-
sion of health and wellbeing. It is not enough today to be a brilliant
strategist and to run organizations. You need to extend your curiosity
to questions about purpose, meaning and value which go beyond tra-
ditional forms of shareholder return. Amber Asher, CEO, Standard
International, shared what is most meaningful for her in role: ‘I love
being with the team. We recently had a big retreat and seeing every-
one working on a shared mission, with a brand they believe in, and
driving global growth together is a joy.’
Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow, put his perspective on spiritual
intelligence: ‘Be the ambassador of the company. Role model the
company purpose, values and inspire people to feel part of the com-
pany. The CEO is the steward of the organization. Accept that you
are the temporary custodian of the brand, and your goal is to make
the company better.’
Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, tapped into the heart of spiritual health:
‘The rewarding part of being a CEO is knowing you have made a
difference. Have the vision and drive to make the company better
and unlock its potential. There will be a lot of bumps along the way.
It’s easy to think that being a CEO is a fun job without seeing all the
challenges behind it.’
Given the size and breadth of the health and wellbeing agenda it
is advisable to chunk it down to make it manageable to progress in a
sustainable way. As with all strategic focus areas there needs to be a
combination of awareness, alignment and application to help every-
one understand what is going on, what is required to make things
work and how to embed the plan into the business using an approach
of continuous improvement.

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CEO NOTE
Role model health and wellbeing for the good of everyone and
the business. For the business to thrive, people need to thrive.

Be Human: Exec Summary

• Psychological safety is not a soft option. It takes courage
and strength to create an environment where everyone has
voice. Set clear expectations to encourage risk-taking, failure,
uncertainty and the need for voice. Invite participation through
forums for input, questions, listening to understand and
acknowledging gaps. Respond appropriately by expressing
appreciation for contributions, looking forward, offering help
and championing continuous improvement.
• Make equity, diversity and inclusion personal. Understand what
it means for you so that you can drive the agenda in mean-
ingful ways, rather than it being a tick-box activity to hit some
targets. Ensuring the conditions are in place for everyone to
belong will drive engagement and translate into performance.
• It is difficult to sustain performance over time if people are
exhausted. Prioritizing wellbeing on physical, mental, emo-
tional and spiritual levels is an investment in your most pre-
cious commodity – people.

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 CHAPTER 5

Be a Connoisseur of Talent

Teaming

On day one as a new CEO, Paul brought the executive committee

together for a half-day meeting. Paul had been successful as an inter-
nal promotion and was familiar with the previous executive com-
mittee led by his predecessor. The outgoing CEO had no interest in
the executive committee operating as a team. They had deliberately
recruited technical experts in role and managed them in silos. It was
an effective way to execute a short-term plan, however it had serious
limitations in terms of creating the necessary shared vision, strategy,
capability and culture to accelerate the sustainable growth of the
business.
Therefore, Paul inherited an executive committee which had no
team identity. It was an environment of low trust, where people
protected their own agenda and resources and collaborated only
when forced. There were some individual relationships on the exec-
utive, however people didn’t know each other and visibly winced at
the prospect of spending time together. I had coached Paul with his
previous functional team, so he invited me to become the executive
committee coach. My initial approach to coaching a team is to con-
duct a set of diagnostic interviews to understand what is working,
gaps to address and to formulate shared outcomes. Given the time
pressure in the business, we had agreed for the first meeting that I
would be an observer and follow up with the team to gather early
views. As we commenced the meeting, seeing people’s body lan-
guage was revealing. Folded arms, crossed legs and little eye contact

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

demonstrated the type of environment we were dealing with. The

most disengaged member actually sat away from the table and, on
occasion, stood up when making their point to create even more
tension and discomfort.
Despite the backdrop Paul wanted to set the team up for success.
He made it clear that this was his ‘A’ team and that he was commit-
ted to building upon the work of his predecessor. His number one
priority was to ensure that the team would have the opportunity
to become a high-performing team. Paul had been influenced by
the insightful work of Patrick Lencioni in his five dysfunctions of
a team model:
1. Absence of trust.
2. Fear of conflict.
3. Lack of commitment.
4. Avoidance of accountability.
5. Inattention to results.
Paul used this as a lens to look through with the team and stated his
intent to address these areas so that eventually the team could work
together in a climate of trust, have transparent conversations, and drive
collective commitment, accountability and results. Paul shared the
starting point for the executive committee, which was for each team
member to see the executive committee as their primary team. This
is usually one of the biggest wake-up calls for executive committees as
they are often wired to think that their primary team is the one they
lead, rather than prioritizing the team with their peers. Paul was clear:
the role of the executive team was to lead the company, which meant it
must be their number one team.
In our conversation, Richard Solomons, Chairman, Rentokil
Initial plc, reinforced the importance of team, recounting his expe-
rience as CEO at IHG: ‘For a CEO to succeed you must prioritize
building the right team. Your ability to plan and execute will be
in direct proportion to your ability to maximize the team. I made
sure that I was surrounded by a diverse and brilliant team who
challenged me. Ultimately your role is to leverage their capabili-
ties to deliver outperformance, so I made sure to understand their

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

strengths and weaknesses, and welcomed the fact that they were
smarter than me.’
Another leader who emphasizes the significance of team is Wim
Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP: ‘Your success as a
CEO is dependent on the success of your team. A CEO needs to
ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them, which
includes having ownership of the strategy and being accountable for
delivering their part of the plan.’
Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow, articulated how a CEO can
embrace the power of teamwork: ‘Probably the biggest watch-out as
a CEO is having an inflated ego and operating with an individualistic
mindset. If people seek to be CEO because they want to be number
one, or they think it is a manifestation of their supremacy, they will
ultimately fail because they won’t create followership. You need to
be ambitious for the company, your people and yourself, but when
it bleeds into a view that you are “better” than others it becomes a
derailer. As CEO you are surrounded by people who are better than
you in many ways, with more skill, experience and capability. Being
a team player and demonstrating humility are critical ingredients for
engaging and inspiring others to follow.’
Back to Paul and forming his new team. He planted a seed by
asking each executive member to recall a time when they were part
of a high-performing team and to highlight one stand-out attrib-
ute. It was a revealing conversation as people shared experiences
of being on teams in turnaround situations, crisis scenarios nav-
igating financial recessions, mergers and acquisitions, and deliv-
ering organizational change. The attributes called out included
trust, openness, clarity, focus, collaboration, consistency and fun.
Paul challenged the team to rate themselves currently against these
qualities. Scores were low. Paul took the opportunity to share that
his initial priority was to build a high-performing team, however
he appreciated the fact that everyone would need to think about
it and to decide if they were on board and fully committed to the
journey.
Paul followed up the meeting with intensive one-to-one con-
versations to understand individual preferences, needs and expecta-
tions. One executive member made it clear that working in a team

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

environment was not for them. They derived their energy deliv-
ering functional objectives, which they had done on a consistent
basis over the last few years, and had been recruited on that basis.
Although it appeared that this individual was an indispensable
member of the executive committee due to their experience and
results, Paul made it clear that the approach was changing and the
team came first. The exit of one of the highest-performing individ-
uals in the company sent a symbolic message to the whole organi-
zation: team first, individual second. In Paul’s other conversations
with direct reports, a mixed picture emerged, including people hav-
ing wanted to form as a team in the past, however any efforts had
been quashed due to the dynamic of the previous CEO, which had
resulted in silo working, competing for resources and lack of per-
sonal connection.
Paul asked me to conduct my first set of diagnostic interviews
to be able to hold up an objective mirror for the team. A clear
picture emerged of a highly talented group wanting to co-create
a shared strategy, develop organizational capability, nurture talent
and beat the plan. In order to accelerate the journey of becoming a
high-performing team we agreed to start by building a relationship.
No relationship, no team. We used storytelling to develop connec-
tion where each team member had the opportunity to share what
had shaped their personal and professional lives and what was most
meaningful for them through the lens of their personal values and
sense of purpose. A strong glue was established which provided the
foundation to schedule a series of strategy days, in close succession,
to co-create and align on a new plan. The team worked diligently
together to form a three-year plan consisting of four strategic pil-
lars which they jointly owned. It is all very well to talk about team,
however a genuine team emerges only once the team members do
actual work together.
The team set up an engagement plan to involve all colleagues with
the refreshed strategic direction and committed to developing a true
team culture, including:
● Form an extended leadership team consisting of the executive
committee direct reports. This team met on a monthly basis and

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

took ownership for co-creating and delivering the one-year stra-

tegic plan. This freed up the executive committee to focus on the
longer-term business and empowered the next generation of lead-
ers to expand their impact and influence.
● Drive a high-performing team development programme where
each senior team in the organization had the opportunity to form
as a team using a simple framework agreed by the extended lead-
ership team: trust one another; engage in great conversations to
build and develop ideas; commit to decisions; hold one another
accountable; focus on achieving collective results.
● Schedule regular all-hands company meetings to engage and
inspire all colleagues with the strategic direction and team ways
of working model.
● Align performance management with a balanced scorecard focused
on how colleagues would deliver their objectives using team-based
behaviours.
● Recognize team performance by shouting out wins and great
behaviours across multiple channels.
● Provide cross-functional internal coaching and mentoring oppor-
tunities for colleagues to drive their technical and behavioural
development.
Paul and the executive committee stayed consistent in their approach
to create a great place to work based on high-performing teams.
Multiple benefits were cited as a result, such as:
● retaining top talent
● increasing employee engagement
● embracing innovative thinking
● having an uplifting work environment
● feeling recognized.
The business was also able to demonstrate a clear linkage between bet-
ter teams and better results through hard data with improvements to
finance, attendance, safety, health and wellbeing, customer care and
reliability.

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I appreciate the perspective of Amy Edmondson, Novartis

Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business
School, on the significance of teaming: ‘A CEO needs to aim high
for something meaningful and ambitious. They need to create and
implement stretch goals that require innovation. However, the pri-
mary way innovation takes place is teaming across silos. The CEO
needs to build an enterprise perspective where everyone shows up
with the belief that our collective success is my personal success,
as opposed to a silo mentality where people think my success is
at the expense of your success. Although it is an obvious require-
ment to deliver company-wide innovation, it needs to be stated
clearly because the traditional mental model is if I win, you lose. It
is the role of the CEO to help everyone understand the model that
when we win, we really win. Therefore, if you do well, it helps me
and if we do well together it helps everything. This is an enterprise
mindset which creates opportunity for colleagues to team up, get
to know each other and make rapid progress when crossing disci-
plinary boundaries.’
Neil Jowsey, CEO, Cromwell, captured the significance of teaming:
‘It is essential to surround yourself with great people, however it is
more important to develop a strong sense of teamwork. I would take
good talent and build into a great team, rather than have great talent
who don’t work together. Make it a priority to build cohesive teams
based on a high degree of trust. When you have trust, you can go faster
and get more done due to the fact that people are not trying to sec-
ond guess each other. Trust is a magic ingredient and helps you to not
waste energy.’
This point of view was reinforced by Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO,
Burberry, who stated: ‘Your success as CEO is about your team. A
key priority is to develop a world-class team focused on the same
purpose, vision, values and culture. Once you have your immediate
team aligned with shared goals it will impact the whole company.’
Viviane Paxinos, CEO, AllBright, also emphasized the impor-
tance of teaming: ‘CEOs lead the business through building a great
team. It is impossible to achieve the organizational goals without the
right people. The role of the CEO is to build a team you can trust

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

with complementary skills to share the vision and passion for the
business and who can deliver the plan.’
A great CEO has a clearly developed point of view about why
high-performing teams matter, what great teamwork looks like and
how to develop it. Most importantly, they don’t just talk about it.
They live and breathe teamwork with their leadership team. They
make it a priority every day, rather than when they think they have
the luxury of some time to focus on teamwork. Effective CEOs build
teamwork into the fabric of the mindset, behaviour and actions of
the company.
Define your approach, reflecting upon the characteristics of a
high-performing team, including:
● Ensure team members know exactly what is expected of them.
● Think team first, individual second.
● Have open and transparent conversations about the company
strategy, capability, talent and culture.
● Demonstrate alignment and one voice, once collective decisions
have been made.
● Take collective responsibility for the delivery of the strategic plan.
● Have the necessary tools and resources to deliver and, if not,
work together to make the right trade-offs for the good of the
business.
● Ensure team meetings are informative, energizing and effective
through the use of right governance, data and decision making.
● Discuss ways of working in team meetings to ensure the right
focus on mindset, behaviour and business issues.
● Help team members to feel safe so that they can take risks and be
vulnerable in front of each other.
● Enable team members to provide high levels of support and chal-
lenge to each other.
● Recognize that the work you do together as a team matters and
helps make the world a better place.

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I am not a big fan of translating sporting examples into business,

however there is one parallel worth noting: practice. A high-perform-
ing sporting team spends the majority of its time on practice. Teams
in business spend the majority of their time on work, with occasional
moments of practice. One CEO I supported was a big advocate of
what she called ‘time off the pitch’. Elaine had done track and field
at a high level and was fully bought into the concept of practice.
Together we developed a systematic way of building high-performing
teams focused on four key stages:
1. Diagnostic. Elaine was passionate about having a regular pulse
about how her team was performing together, not just analysing
the standard dashboard metrics. She asked me to conduct diag-
nostic interviews with her immediate team each quarter cover-
ing big topics like strategy, capability, talent and culture. We
debriefed the insight with her CPO and shared it with the team
to highlight key issues to address any outcomes to achieve.
2. Design. Informed by the diagnostic findings I brought together
a draft agenda to drive the development of the team. There were
standard agenda items such as:
a. Check in to understand in depth what is on people’s minds
and how they are feeling about the business, team and their
own learning and development.
b. Review team progress, challenges and gaps to drive the busi-
ness forward.
c. Align on strategic direction and the required behaviours to
deliver the plan.
d. Give and receive feedback between team members to resolve
any issues and ensure people are working together to succeed.
3. Deliver. Schedule an overnight session on a quarterly basis to
develop the team, progress the strategy, strengthen relationships
and drive high performance. It was imperative that any output
emerging from the offsite was integrated into day-to-day busi-
ness. In my experience leadership teams are so busy that any
activity which falls out of the plan will simply not get done.
We devised 90-day sprints focused on key priorities, messages,

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

behaviours and symbolic actions to reinforce the vital work to

be done.
4. Debrief. It is vital to demonstrate the value of team development
through aligning on some measures to evidence progress. These
are usually linked with the employee engagement survey or an
external body, like Great Place To Work. However, it’s powerful
if the impact can be linked with the delivery of the strategic plan.
Working with Elaine’s leadership team in the retail sector meant
that they focused on metrics like customer centricity, sales, avail-
ability, digital as well as employee engagement.
As a coach it has been interesting observing the trends in team devel-
opment. A few years ago, I found executives sceptical and resist-
ant about investing in team building. However, as pressures have
increased to accelerate growth, and new business priorities have
emerged (such as EDI, ESG, health and wellbeing), combined with
the crisis of a global pandemic, sentiments have changed and I am
now finding CEOs hungry for the contact and time with their teams.
Paul Dupuis, CEO and Chairman, Randstad Japan, takes this further
by stating: ‘Developing a high-performing team is the most impor-
tant building block for growing a high-performing organization and
starts by choosing the right people.’ Paul referenced the seminal work
of Jim Collins who in his book Good to Great developed the con-
cept ‘First Who, Then What’. Collins wrote: ‘Those who build great
organizations make sure they have the right people on the bus and
the right people in the key seats before they figure out where to drive
the bus.’
As Paul Dupuis reinforced: ‘Attracting the right people to join
the organization isn’t enough. It is equally important to ensure each
person is in a seat where they can shine.’ He went on to say: ‘Along
my journey I discovered that high IQ does not necessarily equate to
the highest performers. In fact, the common denominator among
the highest performers I’ve observed is a strong value set, which is in
line with the values of the organization and the leader. They value
being natural team players, possess the humility to look in the mirror,
and when they face a decision and aren’t sure which way to go, they
ask for help.’

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Someone who has coached more leadership teams than most

is Graham Alexander, founder, The Alexander Partnership. His
perspective for CEOs: ‘Co-create a plan that excites the team. It
is essential to have a game worth playing for people and to con-
stantly communicate about it to make it real. Be clear about why
the team would work for you rather than anyone else. Make sure
you develop an exciting, stimulating, purposeful culture at the top
of the business.’
Graham recognized that one of the biggest challenges for CEOs is
to create great relationships around the executive table. He said: ‘It is
difficult due to potential conflicts in the business, or personal issues.
However, you need to set up the conditions for openness, honesty,
support and challenge.’
Graham also advised: ‘Figure out if you are going to create an
inner team that will deal with certain issues within the business. This
can be particularly useful in a crisis, for instance, working closely
with the CFO, COO and HRD to move things faster. However, it
can create tension with other members of the executive committee,
so you need to be clear about why you are doing it and transparent
about the process.’
I resonate wholeheartedly with Graham’s final words: ‘Build a
strong executive team with a track record for running and delivering
a business and you will succeed.’

CEO NOTE
Success as CEO is dependent on the quality of your team.
Make it a priority.

Succession

As CEO one of your immediate objectives coming into role is to

identify your successor. Ideally you want to have three potential
internal successors whom you champion from your early days on
the job. It is rare in my experience to come across CEOs who make
this a priority, however it is the right thing to do in order to build a

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sustainable organization. When I challenge CEOs about why they

don’t prioritize CEO succession, I get comments about factors such
as busyness, perceived lack of capability, readiness and not wanting
to create favouritism. However, I suspect there are other concerns at
play, including relinquishing control, accelerating the development
of others, or risking being challenged for supremacy earlier than
intended. Whatever the reason, it is your responsibility to provide
robust succession plans for the organization. Doing it from day one
in role sends out a powerful message about the importance of devel-
oping talent.
Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and
Management, Harvard Business School, takes a strong stand about
succession: ‘It is simple. As CEO if you don’t put sufficient focus and
thought into your succession you are not fulfilling one of the most
important aspects of the role. The opportunity to develop others and
leverage the tacit knowledge, skills and behaviours of existing col-
leagues usually outweighs the benefits of bringing in someone from
the outside. On occasion it is the right thing for the organization to
recruit an external successor; however, if this is the case, it is usually
the result of failing to build up a robust pipeline and the necessary
bench strength for internal succession to occur.’
When I asked Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, about what keeps him
awake at night, his response struck a chord: ‘How to attract and retain
the best talent I need.’ He went on to say: ‘You cannot deliver the
business yourself. To drive sustainable high performance, you need a
great team in place, right succession plans and to have the right people
in the right roles.’
Keith is deliberate in his approach to developing talent:
‘When building your team, be clear about the mix of skills and
styles required to be high performing and deliver the strategy. It’s
important to make the distinction between the jobs that need to
be done really well versus having great people and putting them
in the job. The job needs to come first. When I restructured the
company, I told everyone that their job was at risk as we needed
to change the operating model. I started with my top team. We
designed the organization first and then put the right people into
the roles. Be conscious about your top talent and where they fit

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in the business. Be methodical about ensuring your top talent

go into the top jobs. Do it on a constant basis by understanding
where your talent is and how you are going to develop it. Make
sure that you have people in jobs who are more talented than their
predecessors.’
Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway, shared his view on the matter:
‘There is a tendency in the project world to bring your old team
with you when you move organizations. I made a conscious decision
not to do this as it is disempowering for the rest of the company.
A CEO needs to recognize the fact that if you surround yourself
with people like them, it is unhelpful. It is vital to have a range of
disciplines and behaviours in order to have creative tension in the
business and to enable neuro-­divergent thinking. The blueprint for
a high-­performing organization is to have diversity even when it’s
uncomfortable. It’s unavoidable to have preferences for people, but
the goal is to be effective.’
Andy continued: ‘In order to attract, retain and develop a strong
talent pool it needs to be based on hard, practical reasons to be
diverse and to ensure full representation. I have found that there
is a strong argument that people in the organization should rep-
resent the society they serve. When leading multi-billion-pound
infrastructure projects, the main leadership representation tends to
be white, male and older as a result of previous tenure and expe-
rience. Therefore, it is important for a CEO to get out of the way.
Don’t wait for people to prove they have the talent. Give people
the opportunity to stretch and grow faster than you did. In my
experience very few people intentionally make mistakes. I believe
that if you are not making at least two mistakes a year, you are not
trying hard enough. Put people in positions where there is a high
chance that they can get things wrong and be open-minded when
you look at their progression. Give people a chance and keep an
eye on them. Your intent is to reach the point where you are not
needed any more.’
I found it heartening that every CEO I spoke with prioritized
people. Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK, had a clear
approach about putting people alongside the strategic direction of
the business: ‘Alongside developing the plan, it is critical to build the

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

right team around you to execute the strategy. You need to be aware
of the many pitfalls that leading people brings. Some businesses have
a culture of hiring and firing whereas others have a culture of no fir-
ing and accepting mediocrity. My approach is to ensure that I have
the right people for the big roles and that I have enough people who
could be successors for the CEO role. Whilst assessing people I con-
sider four key criteria:
1. Intellect. Having the curiosity and right cognitive capacity to
think ahead, problem solve and create innovative solutions.
2. Energy. Having the passion and drive to overcome challenges
and execute the plan.
3. Empathy. Having deep compassion to understand others, appre-
ciate difference and ensure everyone belongs.
4. Values. Having a cultural fit through shared values to create a
great place to work where everyone can thrive.’
Will went on to say: ‘When I spend time interviewing people, I don’t
waste time revisiting technical qualifications on the CV – instead I
look for evidence of these four areas. That’s what really matters.’
Paul Dupuis, CEO and Chairman, Randstad Japan, has led
organizations across different countries and sectors and arrived at a
similar conclusion: ‘I have come to realize that what is more impor-
tant than the service or product you offer is people. A primary mis-
sion as CEO is to find your replacement. Make it one of your top
priorities to search and raise your successor from within. Look for
people who have high potential and demonstrate high performance.
I use great conversations as an approach to developing talent, which
means that I have ongoing and fluid conversations about people’s
learning and development. It is vital to keep your finger on the
pulse with your leadership team to identify potential successors for
every role. Come up with a shared action plan to develop your
people. At Randstad we call it the People Review, where we identify
successors for every role and commit to an action plan to develop
and mentor them.’
Paul gave more perspective about developing talent: ‘I do
believe that past performance is a predictor of future success.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

When someone has a track record of delivering performance, over-

coming obstacles and making courageous decisions, it is an indi-
cator of future performance. I have found that, typically, people
who deliver high performance with impact are consistent. In order
to get to the next role, they need to demonstrate the desire to get
there along with behaviours aligned with the organization and a
reliable track record of performance. An important watch-out is
to not push someone into a leadership role against their will. They
must have the ambition to take on the role, otherwise they can
crumble.’
When I asked Paul about his approach to attracting talent, he
shared the following: ‘When recruiting it is important to define
what a high performer looks like. I believe it is a mixture of char-
acter and track record. Find a way to measure attributes through a
selection process. When assessing resilience, I ask candidates about
their education. On one occasion a candidate described how whilst
at university he worked four jobs. His father worked for the gov-
ernment, his mother was sick, and they had financial difficulties at
home. This individual had to support himself through university. I
knew that he had resilience and self-reliance. This approach helps
me understand if the candidate has the values to take the business
forward. I have found that skills can be learned, however, values
are formed in the past. At the end of the day my deciding factor
for pulling the trigger on hiring people is a gut feeling. Once you
have tested the evidence for performance, I believe it is an instinct
based on wisdom and the battle scars of getting your selection right
or wrong.’
Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor and former founder
and CEO, Cake, described his approach to getting succession right:
‘Take the time to find the right people to work for you who are differ-
ent to you. Initially I created mini versions of me. Hiring people like
me led to failure. You need to hire people who are different to you to
have the creative friction taking your business to another level. Take
the time to hire the right people as when you get it wrong it’s a big
waste of resource and energy.’
I love the perspective of Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow, about
talent: ‘People are born great. The role of a CEO is to remind them

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

how great they are and to create the right environment for them to
flourish. Watch out for creating processes and behaviours that cause
people to forget how great they are. As CEO you don’t have to be
the best on every dimension. It is the role of your leadership team
to cover all bases. Surround yourself with the best talent to lead and
deliver the plan.’
An essential dimension as CEO is to codify your approach to
attracting, retaining, developing and deploying talent in order to
apply a thoughtful and robust plan. This could include:
● Make talent a key priority. Some CEOs make talent excellence
their number one goal. This sends a powerful signal to the com-
pany about the importance of creating the right conditions for
great talent to thrive, and recognizes that however strong your
strategy, unless you have the right people in the right roles to
deliver you are at risk of missing your targets.
● Focus your top team on talent. The CEO must ensure that the
company has leading-edge analytics software that can help track
the progress of key people, and even evaluate the likelihood of
success in the next steps on their career paths. Use this data to
have talent conversations on a regular basis. In our fast-paced
world, relying on one or two structured talent reviews puts you
at risk. Talent needs to be discussed on a monthly basis to ensure
that you have the right people in the right roles performing at the
right level. This also gives visibility and transparency about talent
in the organization and helps to build a consistent approach to
the talent agenda.
● Engage the Board with the talent agenda. CEOs who prioritize
a talent-first organization work with the Board to leverage talent
as a strategic differentiator for the company. Although it is diffi-
cult for a Board to have direct contact with the top talent in the
business, they can make sure that the CEO and top team are held
accountable for the recruitment, deployment and development
of talent.
● Be a magnet for talent. Be clear about what it takes to become
an employer of choice. If you are not in a position to provide

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

financial rewards in the upper quartile, there can be a host of

other factors that can make great talent want to join your com-
pany and encourage top talent to stay, such as:
⚪ great leadership – provide inspirational, supportive, empower-
ing leadership focused on development
⚪ great company – have meaningful purpose, values and culture
within a business that delivers high performance and makes a
difference to society
⚪ great roles – create valuable opportunities for growth and pro-
gression, with impact and influence
⚪ great rewards – give recognition and benefits that go beyond
financial metrics.
● Match talent to key roles. Get the best people into the most
important roles. Take a systematic approach to identifying the
roles that create the most value and how top talent contributes
to the company success. Sometimes key roles are not promi-
nent in the organization chart, yet they are critical to current
performance and future growth. Be aware that important roles
and performers can sit sometimes two or three layers below the
executive committee and identifying them is hugely motivating
for employees.
● Act decisively with those who are in key roles and underperform
or undermine the company culture. Probably the biggest regret I
hear from CEOs is failing to move swiftly on those who do not
fit within the organization. The options are to move them out
of important roles or exit them out of the business. It is vital to
weigh up the potential drain on time, energy and attention given
to managing those who are not in the right role, not performing
at the right level, or not demonstrating the desired behaviours.
The reasons for making changes quickly are, on a practical level,
to ensure that the right leaders are in the right roles, and symbol-
ically, to send the right message to the company that what you
deliver and how you do it matter.
● Champion learning and development opportunities. With the
rapid pace of change and the level of complexity to be navigated,
it demands learning in real time to fuel an organization. The

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

learning agenda ranges from longer-term areas like leading sus-

tainable growth (ESG) and creating an environment of belonging
(EDI) to ­shorter-term needs such as technology, digital, data and
systems. Set the example by putting learning and development on
the agenda for the executive committee. This means that the right
mindsets, behaviours and tools are modelled from the top down
and creates an inclusive culture where everyone takes ownership for
building a better future.
I will give the last word on succession to Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, who
offered a powerful sentiment: ‘As CEO it is important to know when
the right time is to go and to have robust succession plans in place. It
is time to go if the following have happened:
● You have lost the vision, or passion for the business.
● You are in a status quo mode.
● You think the company is complete.
● You become complacent.’
Keith continued: ‘You need to be driven by the highest levels of
self-awareness and insight into the company to make it better. If there
is any risk of these diminishing, set your successor up for success.’

CEO NOTE
Identifying and developing your successor demonstrates
your commitment to championing talent.

Learning and Development

It was remarkable watching Suzanne in action. Despite her full

schedule she would allocate a half-day to prepare her annual per-
formance reviews for each direct report on her executive committee.
However, measuring objectives was the smallest part of the conversa-
tion. Suzanne spent considerable time reflecting upon the ambition

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of each direct report, how they were progressing and the key oppor-
tunities they could focus on for the forthcoming year. She was very
close to both the personal and professional aspirations of each direct
report and prepared detailed feedback that covered both areas. The
result was that team members thrived and recounted that their per-
formance reviews were a career highlight.
This approach was not an accident. Suzanne had experienced
the good, the bad and the ugly of line management. In her varied
career she had experienced bosses who were genuinely committed
to her success and took precious time to care. They sought to under-
stand what success looked like for Suzanne both at work and in her
life. They supported and challenged her in a way that brought out
the best in her. They accelerated her career progression, giving her
stretching opportunities to demonstrate her capability, and on one
occasion protected her during her first maternity leave. Suzanne
also had line managers who used her for their own gain, showing
little regard for her career and wellbeing. Conversations were about
task. Any reference to personal, leadership or career development
was simply a tick-in-the-box activity. In one case the line manager
made it perfectly clear that they had no interest in Suzanne’s pro-
gression. In fact, they saw her as a threat and made her well aware
of the fact that she would not be moving ahead unless it was ‘over
their dead body’.
As a consequence, Suzanne made a personal vow that if she
made it to CEO, investing in her people would be a top prior-
ity. She started the process ahead of commencing her first CEO
role. Suzanne requested a week’s immersion in her new company
before her official time in office. She scheduled one-to-one sessions
with each direct report in which she asked for their views across
a range of topics about the business strategy, organizational capa-
bility, talent and culture. She also took the opportunity to lay the
foundations for meaningful development conversations. Suzanne
asked each direct report to reflect upon their ideal vision, what
great looked like for them in five years, both personally and profes-
sionally, and how she could help. She recognized that this would
probably be unnerving for some, but she wanted to set the tone for
how she would continue.

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

Suzanne led by example, sharing her own vision about what

was most important for her, including obvious areas like growing
the business, beating the plan, improving capability, as well as her
passion projects including developing next-generational talent and
being the best boss possible. With this in mind she wanted to under-
stand how she could help her direct reports fulfil their potential. She
created a psychological contract with them that a core part of her
role was to champion their careers and lives where appropriate, and
in return they would be transparent with her about their aspirations
and concerns if they were not thriving in the company. Suzanne had
one member who showed visible resistance to this approach. In her
disarming way she inquired about the apparent scepticism. The team
member explained that Suzanne’s predecessor had little interest in
their development, so it was an unusual first meeting, but they wel-
comed the change in approach.
Suzanne wanted to demonstrate her meaningful commitment to
their development and followed up her initial conversation by divid-
ing her first one-to-one meetings in the business between task and
development. She asked each direct report to explain how they liked
to be led and what engaged them from a development perspective.
As expected, Suzanne received a variety of responses. Some preferred
a formal approach including an annual deep dive to define and align
on a meaningful development plan covering personal, leadership and
career focus areas accompanied by milestones with a trackable action
plan. Others preferred a more relaxed way by agreeing a key theme,
which they would develop through mentoring conversations. Suzanne
adapted her style accordingly. She then put development on the
monthly executive committee agenda. This time was dedicated to pro-
gressing their collective understanding and approach to igniting and
driving development within the business. Team members were initially
uncomfortable with these conversations as they didn’t appear to drive
immediate decisions or actions. However, what emerged was a col-
lective commitment to being a genuine learning organization where
personal, leadership and career development was institutionalized and
linked clearly with the progression and delivery of the strategic plan.
Each CEO I spoke with had their own unique experience of
development, but there was no doubt that they shared common

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ground about the impact of learning and that their careers had been
super-charged through multiple development opportunities and, as
a result, they were committed to accelerating others’ development.
Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, shared: ‘My back-
ground as general counsel in the organization enabled me to inter-
act with every department and develop a view about what worked
and what needed improvement, which definitely prepared me for
the role of CEO.’
She went on to say: ‘It is critical to have a business mindset to
deeply understand the organization, what makes it tick and where it
can fail. As a consequence, having multiple experiences is a great help
as CEO. My background in finance, strategy and general counsel, as
well as being in a broader role as company president, gave me the
required experience to become CEO.’
Viviane Paxinos, CEO, AllBright, fast tracked her success
through an insatiable appetite to learn and grow: ‘I have always had
a passion for understanding all parts of business. I had high curios-
ity about what drove customers, consumers and different parts of a
business. I developed my personal brand on being helpful, bringing
people together and learning something new every day, which ena-
bled me to acquire great organizational breadth, including product,
technology, data, performance, marketing, finance, as well as my
core skills of sales and marketing. I was always very open about
wanting to be a CEO and believe that we shouldn’t shy away from
our ambition.’
As CEO of a global career network, Viviane is a personal advo-
cate of blending your network with learning: ‘It’s important to nur-
ture your CEO network. Find other first-time CEOs to develop a
network where you can connect, share challenges and learn from
each other. It can be isolating as a CEO, so having a broad and
deep network is essential, as well as having an executive coach for
support.’
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, was also passionate about the
importance of learning and development, both on a personal and an
organizational level: ‘It is vital to keep challenging yourself to grow. I
took the role at Burberry to learn more. Coming into a bigger organ-
ization provided the opportunity for growth. Watch out for getting

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

stale. You need new challenges to keep your energy levels up.’ He
went on to say: ‘Organizations need to provide the workforce with
clear pathways to grow in the company, which goes beyond financial
reward. Make sure learning and development opportunities are in
place to support employees to continuously improve.’
Helen Tupper, CEO, Amazing If, made a direct link between
learning and success: ‘You cannot afford to be a static CEO. The
world is changing. Everything is evolving all the time. To be a suc-
cessful CEO you need to be a successful learner. You need to create
a learning culture for the company. You need to be learning as much
as you are leading.’
Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow, reinforced this perspective:
‘It takes time to ready yourself to be a CEO. The organic approach
that many take is to give your best in every role, then most of the
time you will build a reputation second to none. With that in mind
it’s important to be thoughtful about what you take on, balancing
what’s in it for you with what’s in it for the business. Think beyond
task to what are you going to learn, how is it going to broaden your
experience and demonstrate new skills, and what you can give in the
role to propel the business forward. Figure out the roles where you
can outperform and then run hard with every opportunity. When
something doesn’t feel like a fit, listen to your instincts so you own
and drive your career.’
Emma reflected: ‘In the past people were bred to be CEOs and
the path would have been laid way in advance. In today’s world a
good CEO has built up a range of experiences along the way in
different contexts, with diverse challenges, successes and failings. It
is the collective endeavour of your career that gives you the breadth
of judgement to help you succeed. To become a CEO, luck and
patience play an important role. Grab a CEO role which is not
right and you will crash and burn. And sometimes great leaders can
be overlooked for CEO because they hang on too long in a support
role. You need a healthy dose of luck and patience combined with
having excellent judgement about people, decision making and
context.’
Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore, paints a compel-
ling picture about the importance of championing development in

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a business: ‘My founding belief about people is that it is our human

right to achieve our potential. We are given a set of skills and talents,
and in the right environment those skills and talents can do anything.
My responsibility as CEO is to create an environment where people
can succeed. One of the main challenges is to help them understand
their self-­limiting beliefs and to unleash their true potential. I ensure
that leaders in the business use this type of language and have the
right conversations to make this happen, which is relatively unusual
in business.’
Justin takes a very broad view to development and breaks down
barriers between work and life. He went on to say: ‘I believe it is
essential to take the whole person very seriously. In the business we
might only see someone 8–10 hours in a day, however it’s impor-
tant to recognize the full 24 hours we all have. I don’t believe in
work–life balance. We have 24 hours in a day and everyone has
their own scorecard of what they want to achieve across a day,
week, month, year and decade, such as getting a promotion, sing-
ing a song, looking after a parent, attracting a partner or having a
family. The modern workplace needs to understand that work is a
part of life.
‘As a CEO you need to create an environment where people can
tick more of those boxes than elsewhere. I used to work in banking
and the scorecard was simply to get to work before your boss and
to leave after they left. My approach is to recognize that as long as
a colleague gets their work done, I don’t care where they do their
job or how they do it. We are clear about the mission and objec-
tives to deliver, but if people can do their work in their preferred
time, good for them! It might mean that the business gives them a
few more objectives to deliver, but flexibility allows people to feel
better about ticking boxes on a balanced basis. We have people who
choose to take their kids to school in the morning or exercise in the
day. Trusting people and giving them the autonomy to thrive is an
effective route for them to succeed more.’
Paul Dupuis, CEO and Chairman, Randstad Japan, has made it
his mission to embed development into the organization. ‘Create a
culture where people aim to be better than yesterday. This starts with
a mindset that reflects the intent, “Let’s be better than yesterday.” In

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order to make this happen it is essential to create the environment

where ambitious people can feel part of a movement to be better.
As a CEO you must prioritize learning and development. You need
to generate a learning environment and allocate resource to it. For
instance, taking learning and development from a lower priority to a
top priority. Once you have defined the strategic direction for learn-
ing and development, set measurable goals about how many people
will be attending the programmes and how they will perform as a
result. Leverage the learning. Look for high potentials to be devel-
oped and turn them into growth opportunities.’
It is essential to have an informed and broad view about the role
and return on investing in personal, career and leadership develop-
ment. Research from the employee experience platform Culture Amp,
conducted in the midst of the Great Resignation, with over 100,000
employees who exited companies between January and August 2021,
showed that ‘a lack of growth (in their career or development oppor-
tunities) was selected by one in three employees as a top reason for
leaving at the time of exit’.
Having supported CEOs and organizations for nearly 30 years
in the world of development, I believe that best practice for a com-
pany is to drive one primary collective development area each year
championed by the CEO and executive committee. When John
Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow, started in role he was a passion-
ate advocate for a leadership and cultural development programme
entitled ‘Leading with Purpose and Values’, which I had co-created
with Paula Stannett, Chief People Officer, and her team. The organ-
ization had shifted its cultural identity from infrastructure, where
they invested several billion pounds each year in operating, building,
maintaining and expanding infrastructure systems, to a service com-
pany, where they redefined their vision: ‘To give passengers the best
airport service in the world.’
The programme was influenced by John’s personal experience: ‘I
have got the most out of work where my values have been aligned
with the company I’m working with. On the other hand, I have
found the most stressful times at work have occurred when my values
were challenged by the organization. I appreciate that when you’re
working in a company it’s harder to align personal and organizational

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values because you don’t set the agenda, but it’s often a deal breaker
if they are too at odds. One of the priorities I have always set whilst
working on executive committees, and now as a CEO, is to utilize
the opportunity to shape the company values in order to create strong
alignment with the people I work with, which makes work far more
enjoyable. You can also get a sense of real achievement in terms of
what matters beyond financial reward.’
John also recognized the significance of learning and development:
‘My parents were both teachers and as a result I grew up in schools
24/7. One thing I learned is how education is a great leveller and allows
people to fulfil their potential. In one of the first companies I worked
for, the people who did the best were not necessarily those who went to
the “top” schools. However, work gave them the opportunity to fulfil
their potential which had not been nurtured by our educational sys-
tem. I came to believe that it doesn’t matter where you have come from
because what matters is where you are going. It shaped my belief that
my primary role is to help people unlock their talent and to achieve
where they want to go.’
In order to design ‘Leading with Purpose and Values’ we engaged
a cross-functional group of high-potential leaders in the organiza-
tion who tested the ideas and approach. It was agreed that the pro-
gramme should take people on a personal journey of self-discovery,
as well as providing the opportunity to enhance leadership skills
and the cultural climate. We piloted the programme with John and
his executive committee, which accelerated the formation of his
team, as well as ensuring that they could apply their learning back
in the business and set the tone for the company. Over the next few
years, every colleague had the opportunity to attend a version of the
programme and make an authentic connection between their own
sense of purpose and values and Heathrow. The emphasis placed on
leading and working with purpose and values infiltrated the organ-
izational system, including recruitment, onboarding, performance
management and skills-based training, and was measured by the
company’s participation in Great Place To Work, as well as its inter-
nal employee engagement survey.
As well as aligning leadership and cultural expectations through
development, one of the other key areas to address as CEO is the

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 Be a Connoisseur of Talent

quality of line management. Research from the global analytics and

advice firm Gallup states: ‘The quality of a manager accounts for 70
per cent of the variance in team engagement.’ The research goes on to
say that poor line management is one of the main reasons employees
don’t leave companies, they leave managers.
Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, believes strongly in the impact
of line manager excellence and is championing the company to focus
on continuously improving the quality of its management. Joel rec-
ognizes that great managers help to connect every part of the busi-
ness, from purpose to performance to wellbeing. He has monthly
one-to-ones with his direct reports in which he combines a mix of
leading, managing and coaching in order to meet people’s needs.
Joel shared: ‘Be conscious about what you’re doing. I like to see how
people have evolved, as well as managing the checklist. However,
my drive is to only do the things I can do in order to have the right
conversations focused on what’s important, not urgent. If there isn’t
a burning platform, then I ensure we are able to have the conversa-
tions about the critical success factors for the long term and make
sure we are setting up the conditions to deliver. Sometimes you are
required to seek more clarity in the short term, otherwise I find
people appreciate having meaningful conversations about the future
and developing a shared understanding about how to get there.’
At the end of the day the majority of CEOs I speak with say that
delivering the numbers and achieving big targets fade into the dis-
tance, but what is always constant is the impact of making a tangible
difference in people’s lives. Sophie Moloney, CEO, Sky New Zealand,
captured this sentiment in our conversation: ‘There is a real magic in
asking great questions. When you ask a great question and truly lis-
ten, it’s amazing what you can unlock. As CEO, recognize that you
don’t have all the answers and don’t think for a second that you need
to. When things don’t feel quite right probe more. Ultimately, learn
to be yourself with more skill, which will help others along the way.’
One of the greatest privileges and responsibilities as CEO is the
value you can add by helping to develop others. Whether you do
this directly through your own provision of leadership, management,
coaching and mentorship, or more widely through ensuring the
organization allocates sufficient resource and time to development

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

activities, it lies at the heart of building a sustainable organization.

I will leave the final word on the strategic impact of creating a cul-
ture of learning and development to Amy Edmondson, Novartis
Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School:
‘For a CEO to set the example for lifelong learning and development,
what matters is to combine high levels of self-awareness about how
they show up and the impact they have on others with the required
depth of expertise to navigate the challenges of the industry. This
means continuously progressing their general knowledge about strat-
egy, organizational capability and financial requirements which lead
to excellent decision making. The combination of developing techni-
cal and personal skills cannot be overstated.’

CEO NOTE
Champion learning and development as a fundamental
ingredient of your leadership agenda.

Be a Connoisseur of Talent:
Exec Summary
• Teaming: your success is dependent on the success of your
team. Build the right team. Develop an exciting strategy
together. Get out of the way and let them deliver.
• Succession: one of your key priorities is to identify and develop
at least two successors. Be bold. Challenge yourself to align
with your chair and Board about who can replace you and
invest in their growth.
• Learning and development: create a genuine learning organ-
ization by embedding learning into the strategy. Recognize
that in order to deliver a stretching plan, everyone will need to
build the right capability to perform.

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 CHAPTER 6

Be an Architect of Culture

Climate

London has relied on a 150-year-old sewer system for a popula-

tion less than half its current size. As a result, millions of tonnes of
raw sewage spills, untreated, enter into the River Thames each year.
Tideway is building a 25km Super Sewer under the Thames to inter-
cept these nasty spills and clean up the river for the good of the city,
its wildlife and people. If you were responsible for delivering such a
challenging project, you might be tempted to get immersed in the
technical requirements and spend the majority of your time solving
problems. However, Tideway’s CEO, Andy Mitchell, takes a differ-
ent view. In our conversation he said: ‘As CEO your main responsi-
bility is to be the architect of the organizational culture. Therefore,
it is vital to understand the culture in which you are leading, both in
terms of the external environment as well as your internal corporate
culture. It is valuable to bring and retain an independent point of
view in order to be most effective.’
Andy went on to say: ‘At Tideway it was like a start-up. We had
a clean sheet of paper with no past baggage, therefore we had the
opportunity to develop and evolve our own culture. It was a great
opportunity to say: “how do we create the Tideway approach”, and
to define how we behave rather than have written-down values.
I saw huge passion for the project to clean up the River Thames,
which went beyond a focus on engineering. However, the language
being used had its origins in legal or technical engineering speak,
rather than the emotional language that existed behind our passion.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

I suggested that we explore questions like, “If you heard people talk-
ing about Tideway in the pub, what would you want them to say?”
And, “If this was the best company in the world, how would it be?”
The development of our culture focused on our lost love affair with
the River Thames. We tapped into the emotion about what we are
doing. For instance, we looked at why we no longer see people fish-
ing in the river. The challenge was to go beyond our engineering
capability to have the right conversations about how we do things,
not what we do. This curiosity has underwritten everything we do
and is at the heart of how we present the company now.’
Andy concluded: ‘As CEO I recognize that I am the most influ-
ential person shaping the corporate culture, which in the case of
Tideway is about looking after the emotional health of the company
and how we can all be fit, healthy and creative as an organization.
On a personal note, as an engineer I found that the more I spoke in
emotive language, the more it helped me connect with others and
feel authentic.’
Culture is simply described as ‘the way things are done around
here’, which translates into the unique way that your organization
lives out its company purpose and delivers on its brand promise
to customers. Culture can appear intangible, yet a great company
culture is a competitive differentiator for attracting, retaining and
developing talent, as well as being a magnet for attracting customers
and turning them into brand advocates. Culture can be measured in
multiple ways, such as:
● Surveys: cultural surveys are a great tool to get honest feedback
from your entire workforce. Most companies run periodic engage-
ment surveys using internal indicators which help to understand
overall employee sentiment and highlight any trends or issues
that need to be addressed. It can also be valuable to use external
surveys such as Great Place To Work certification, which uses a
research-driven Trust Index™ to show what makes your workplace
unique.
● Key performance indicators: an organization needs to correctly
identify, measure and regularly monitor the company cul-
ture’s relationship to key performance indicators such as safety,

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 Be an Architect of Culture

innovation, quality, revenue, profit, efficiency, diversity and inclu-

sion, absenteeism, promotions, environment, sustainability and
governance.
● Anecdotes: pay attention to anecdotal feedback to uncover pat-
terns or common themes, for instance from exit interviews,
Glassdoor reviews and social media posts. As CEO you can also
set up a direct feedback loop where employees are invited to share
feedback with you on an informal basis, either electronically or
directly in writing.
● Tracking behaviours: there are different tools that can be used to
understand the prevalence of the behaviours associated with the
company values, which can be a useful indicator of your culture’s
strength. For instance, if ownership is one of your values, with
associated behaviours like doing what you say you’ll do and not
walking past problems, you can ask managers and team leads to
report on the frequency of colleagues taking ownership in the
business. You can also use tools like Culture Amp, Humu and
TINYpulse to increase communication and transparency, and
improve and measure culture.
On one occasion I was coaching a CEO who, even before starting
in role, could sense the complacency in the business. Originally
the company had been number one in its sector for service, qual-
ity and efficiency. Growing from a family business it had a loyal
customer base who went out of their way to shop with them. The
larger the business became, the greater the disconnect became from
its original values and ways of doing business. For instance, the
company used to have a strong partnership with suppliers where
trust played a big role in working together. This relationship had
eroded to such an extent that during a recent economic downturn
the company tightened the rope with suppliers, causing many to go
out of business. Employees used to work across the organization,
willingly leaning into company issues to solve rather than staying
stuck in siloes which had emerged, causing bottlenecks to getting
stuff done.
The CEO recognized the idea that culture is an outcome of lead-
ership and in order to change the culture they needed to change the

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

way the company was led. With this in mind I was engaged with
a team of coaches to deliver a cultural development programme to
build the right leadership capability to turn the business around. This
involved a series of stages, including:
1. Conducting a deep-dive set of diagnostic interviews with the top
50 leaders in the business to get under the skin of what was going
on culturally, what great looked like and what it would take to
get there.
2. Redefining what great leadership looked like in the business
and setting clear expectations about the desired behaviours to
demonstrate.
3. Refreshing the company values to make them relevant and aligned
with the leadership expectations.
4. Aligning the leadership behaviours and values with the company
strategy, including the purpose, vision, priorities and key perfor-
mance metrics.
The company formed an internal steering group to guide the work and
act as a conscience for the business. We worked in partnership with
the steering group, which was an essential element, to ensure all ideas
had the best chance of working. At the outset we had a regular slot at
the executive committee monthly strategy meeting to give the work the
right priority and profile. The CEO took personal accountability for the
programme and kept up a consistent narrative to the organization about
each stage of the work to ensure visibility and buy-in. We involved col-
leagues to test all ideas and made changes to reflect the feedback.
Expectations grew. Energy increased. Eventually the company
launched a new goal, values and set of leadership behaviours to help
make the company great again. We delivered a leadership develop-
ment programme for all 1,000 people managers in the business,
designed to provide the opportunity to understand expectations and
what it would take personally and collectively to make it happen. The
CEO and executive committee set the tone by attending the first pro-
gramme and then collectively ensured that they had presence at each
programme going forward. What emerged out of the programme
was an aligned set of expectations about the intended behaviours to

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 Be an Architect of Culture

reset the culture, such as taking initiative, working together and own-
ing it, as shown in Table 6.1.

TABLE 6.1 JOINT PICTURE FOR GOING FORWARD

Take initiative Work together Own it

• Define common • Rebuild trust • Ensure projects
goals together for between the and deliverables
the good of the organizations. are on time and on
business. • Commit to being a budget.
• Use the cus- partner of choice • Have visibility and
tomer lens as the based on close transparency of
driver for high collaboration. projects.
performance. • Leave the legacy • Recognize and
• Consistently seek contract behind reinforce great
to improve shared so that it is not performance.
services. referenced at every
meeting.

The CFO set a great challenge for everyone – to do one thing

better every day to improve the culture. They saw the opportunity in
having 1,000 managers taking personal accountability for the culture
going forward and the ripple effect it would have across the company.
The company set up ‘success walls’ around the office where col-
leagues posted stories and examples of the improvements being
made to build momentum. The refreshed strategy was referenced
in every main leadership meeting, including both the ‘what’ (pri-
orities, metrics) and the ‘how’ (values and behaviours). These
were reinforced in one-to-one meetings where people managers
had meaningful conversations with direct reports about how they
were working to deliver the agenda, not just what they were doing.
‘Shout-outs’ were added to team meetings where evidence of the
desired behaviours were recognized and celebrated. The changes in
the internal culture soon began to spread externally. Meetings were
set up with existing suppliers to reset relationships and to explore
what it would mean to take initiative, work together and own stuff

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

together. Behavioural charters were set up with new suppliers and

included in contracts to give equal weighting to ‘what’ and ‘how’.
As part of the rebuild with suppliers, I was asked to facilitate a
workshop to help navigate a particularly difficult supplier relation-
ship which was having a major impact on the overall culture. There
was a legacy contract in place which no longer served either party,
however it had to be fulfilled. I set up a strong psychological contract
at the start of the session to ensure an aligned learning mindset was
in place to allow the right conversations to be held. I gave equal time
to both parties to share their experience of the working relationship,
to challenge each other’s perspective and ultimately to reset the rela-
tionship. There were some high-tension moments, however I asked
each side to play back what they were hearing to ensure no assump-
tions were made and to deepen empathy. What emerged was a good
intent from both sides, which had been diluted by years of mistrust
and frustration. We now had sufficient goodwill to rebuild the part-
nership going forward. Focusing on what a great culture would look
like evidenced by shared behaviours, we created a new joint picture
of how they were going to work together going forward.
The CEO socialized the cultural change with the chairman and
Board. Updates were made on a quarterly basis and made their way
into the annual report to strengthen the importance of having the
right culture to deliver the plan.
Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advisor and former founder
and CEO, Cake, is a passionate advocate for culture. He shared:
‘Early on in my career I had the good fortune to work for Richard
Branson. One thing I learned was his ability to build a brilliant team
and culture. He had a work hard, play hard approach. Building a
strong culture means people will go the extra mile for you every time.
One way of doing this is to celebrate success. As CEO, if we won a
pitch, I made sure it was a moment to remember. Celebrating success
brings a team together and breeds a culture of success.’
As CEO it is vital to stay closely connected to the culture as
there is a risk people only bring you what they think you want to
hear. Mike had a clear way of managing this risk: ‘As a CEO you can
get removed from the day-to-day running of the business through
the inevitable hierarchy which can get destructive to the culture.

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 Be an Architect of Culture

In order to make sure I stayed highly connected to the “shop floor”

each week, I scheduled time to walk the floors. I made it my busi-
ness to get around the building saying hello, checking in with people
and asking what was going on. I would also do it in an evening to
check in with people who were still in the office to understand what
they were doing and to make sure they had what they needed. On
occasion if a team was pulling an all-nighter I would be there with
the troops, which gave me a valuable pulse check about the organi-
zational climate and sent a powerful message to everyone about how
much I cared.’
BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, with $10 trillion
in assets under management as of January 2022. Each year Larry
Fink, CEO, BlackRock, writes an annual letter to CEOs on behalf
of BlackRock’s clients, who are shareholders in their companies. In
his 2022 letter entitled ‘The power of capitalism’, Larry Fink writes:
‘When my partners and I founded BlackRock as a start-up 34 years
ago, I had no experience running a company. Over the past three
decades, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with countless CEOs
and to learn what distinguishes truly great companies. Time and
again, what they all share is that they have a clear sense of purpose;
consistent values; and, crucially, they recognize the importance of
engaging with and delivering for their key stakeholders. This is the
foundation of stakeholder capitalism.’
Consider having a culture based on a clear sense of purpose, con-
sistent values, engaging with and delivering for key stakeholders. This
is a simple and powerful way of thinking about what is at the heart of
a great culture and translates as ‘the way things are done around here’.
Being deliberate about the way things are done around here is
vital to the success of a CEO. Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor
of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School, stated:
‘CEOs have an outsized impact on the company culture. It comes
with the territory, as the more visible you are, the more your behav-
iour and words influence the sense-making of others. People will
consciously and tacitly size up what works around here, including
how to get ahead and learn to do what the cool kids do! As CEO you
cast a large shadow, therefore it is part of your responsibility to be
aware of your intentions and impact. The best CEOs are interested

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

in knowing the impact they have on others and seek the relevant data
through feedback to make sure their good intentions do not get lost
in translation.’
In my conversation with Viviane Paxinos, CEO, AllBright, she
echoed the impact of your actions: ‘People act as you act. As a CEO,
recognize that everything you do, even off the job, is an expression
of your values and influences others. In a start-up culture it is really
important to act in a certain way to set expectations. If you have
someone who is not in sync with the company values, it will have a
big impact on the culture and you need to act accordingly.’
Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, is clear about
his role and impact on culture: ‘My role is to be the guardian of the
business and the culture. I need to leave it in a better place and the
next generation of leaders need to do a better job than me so that we
continue to improve our global platform.’
The significance of the CEO’s role on culture was highlighted by
Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow: ‘Spend time on what really mat-
ters to your business and you. For instance, if you say safety matters
and you’re not doing a safety walk every month, what signal does
that send? If you say diversity and inclusion matters but you’re not
taking visible personal action to improve equity, how credible is that?
Decide what you want to champion that is critical to the business, its
culture and values and be resolute and consistent in how you drive it.’
Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, echoed the sentiments about the
impact of a CEO on culture: ‘We live in a world where leading with
humanity in the workplace is the fundamental ingredient to create
the right environment for people where they can be engaged and
resourced to perform at their best. I have found that actions speak
louder than words. You need to lead by example, which means that
whatever you say you must follow up with action. Focus on being a
good human. Be clear on your own purpose in terms of what drives
you and gives you energy. On a personal note, what’s important to
me is to help people be at their best and to have real relationships.
This means that I put a lot of attention on making sure that col-
leagues are enjoying being in the company we are co-creating, which
helps improve the culture and motivates me going forward.’

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 Be an Architect of Culture

These points were reinforced by Graham Alexander, coach to

CEOs and founder of The Alexander Partnership: ‘A CEO is the role
model for the culture. You have to live what you want in the business.
If you want a culture of openness and honesty, you have to live it.
Everything you say and do is interpreted in the business. If you are
out of sync with what you want in the culture, you will be in trouble.
Remember, as CEO you cast a big shadow.’
Graham continued: ‘If you are coming in as a new CEO, find out
about the existing culture. Once you have defined where you want to
take the business – own the culture or change it so that the culture
is fit to deliver the strategy. It will be individual to each business. A
culture consisting of high pace and action may be inappropriate for
some businesses which require a slower burn and more cerebral way
of working.’
As the pandemic eases and organizations continue to recover
from the aftermath of Covid, CEOs need to assess how their cul-
ture has changed. The global lockdown and travel bans have upended
assumptions about the nature of work and corporate interactions.
People have discovered that they don’t have to be in an office, that
they can get most things done remotely. They do not need to com-
mute to work.
Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, shared some of the impact from his
viewpoint: ‘From a cultural perspective we want to create a human
company. We try to provide guidelines and principles rather than
rules and regulations. We championed flexible working long before
Covid made it the norm. We have tried to keep our structure flat
and non-­hierarchical, and have stressed the value of relationship in
role effectiveness over deferred authority or decision rights. This has
helped us to stay flexible, adaptable and informal but there is a cost – a
degree of somewhat organized chaos, which is fine for those comfort-
able with ambiguity, but perhaps less so for those who are not. We
ensure that our people are ready for this, for instance making cultural
orientation a priority in our approach to recruitment. If you foster a
culture where you are encouraging everyone to be curious, you have
to expect that meetings can take longer and decisions can be harder to
make. You have to be prepared to take the downside with the upside.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

CEO NOTE
The way you lead determines the way things are done
around you. Be deliberate about the example you set.

Relationship

Business is relationship. The quality of relationships determines the

quality of business. You can have a great strategic plan, organiza-
tional capability and talent, however in the absence of having great
relationships with multiple stakeholder groups you will either fail to
deliver superior performance or it will be an uphill battle. I would
go as far as saying that the primary responsibility of a CEO is to
build great relationships, out of which all the other requirements to
develop a sustainable organization follow.
One CEO who goes out of their way to invest in relationship
is Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK. In our conversation
he shared his rationale: ‘As a CEO you need to be passionate about
building relationship at every level in the organization, and exter-
nally. If you are not interested in people, it makes it really hard to
run a business. I had a supplier share recently that they would have
given up their business during Covid as it was so challenging, but
it was the quality of our relationship which helped sustain them.
On one occasion I learned an important lesson about investing in
relationship. I led two teams who worked in the same office. They
were situated in different parts of the office, and it just so happened
that the kitchen and bathroom area were closer to one team than
the other. For some time, I used the amenities and engaged with the
team closest to them without consciously thinking about the impact
on the other team. I had Ben facilitate a team-building workshop
for both teams and what emerged in a feedback exercise was that the
team further way from the amenities felt neglected by my actions.
It was a significant moment for me to learn how to deliberately use
office space – from entering the building, to riding in the elevator, to
walking the floors in order to connect with colleagues and build rela-
tionship in real time. This really pays off when times get tough, and

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 Be an Architect of Culture

people understand you care. Make sure that the passion for people
doesn’t get squeezed out due to task.’
CEOs who prioritize relationships form genuine partnerships
with diverse groups of people, internally and externally, seemingly
without effort. They tend to have an infectious quality that evokes
trust and good will. They have an ability to create followership
which becomes a great asset for the business. CEOs with this skill
have an intense curiosity about people. They spark up meaningful
conversations every day by asking questions of the multiple people
they meet and listen carefully to the answers. They remember per-
sonal points about people’s work and lives which they can recall to
powerful effect.
Steve was one of the most loved CEOs I have had the privilege
to encounter. I use the word ‘love’ deliberately as everyone who
encountered him had a personal reference based on a meaningful
connection they had made with him, including colleagues, cus-
tomers, consumers and shareholders. Even analysts warmed to his
personable style. These connections often turned into long-lasting
working partnerships and, on occasion, friendship. I was fortunate
to deliver a leadership development programme in Steve’s company.
He would always join for an intimate ‘fireside’ chat with participants.
Despite his full schedule Steve always showed up prepared. He had
done his homework to understand who would be attending, what
role they had in the company and a recent accomplishment they had
delivered. Steve was an open book. He would start each chat by going
around the group, referencing people’s roles and achievements and
inviting everyone to ask him any question, personal or professional.
We would then be enthralled by his ability to share relevant stories,
weaving in the questions as he went. Nothing went unanswered. On
one occasion Steve was asked how he spent his time. His immediate
response was to say, ‘I do nothing.’ He went on to elaborate that
he believed his greatest value to the company was to build relation-
ship, both internally and externally. Given Steve’s natural propensity
to being relational, this in his mind equated to ‘doing nothing’. I
would add that he had mastered the art of ‘doing nothing with style’.
Given Steve was leading a company with several hundred thousand
colleagues and myriad stakeholders, he orchestrated his relationship

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

building in very intentional ways to maximize everyone’s time and

have the biggest impact for the organization.
Focusing heavily on relationship is not every CEO’s preference.
However, as a CEO you need to have a strategic approach to relation-
ships that adds value, particularly in this age where factors like build-
ing high psychological safety and creating a deep sense of belonging
are fundamental requirements for a high-performing organization.
You cannot afford to leave it to chance. One way of looking at the
value of relationship is social capital – which in an organizational
context is defined as the presence of networks, relationships, shared
norms and trust among colleagues, teams and leaders, acting as the
glue that holds the company together. Research by McKinsey on
social capital shows that ‘employees who feel more connected with
people in their networks are two times more likely than those who
feel less connected to report higher levels of sponsorship (or advocacy
from a senior leader or colleague for their career advancements), and
one and a half times more likely to report a sense of belonging at
work, and one and a half times more likely to report being engaged
at work’.
One of the most effective ways to build social capital across
an organization is a company conference. I often see a conflict in
companies where the CEO sees the conference as an investment,
whereas the CFO clocks it as an expense. I would say that the days
of blowing the company budget on a conference are virtually over,
and there is no need. Simply the act of bringing people together
and creating the environment where they can get to know each
other is significant enough without having to go over the top! Joel
Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, is a great believer in the value of build-
ing social capital across his extended senior leadership team, know-
ing the ripple effect it will have back in the business. He schedules
two events each year in different locations and combines an effec-
tive mix of strategy, collaboration and fun. Joel spends initial time
with his executive committee to clarify and align on the company
strategic plan. Precious time is then spent in cross-functional work-
ing groups with his broader senior leadership team, understanding
and challenging the plan. Joel champions purpose-led leadership
and encourages relationships to be built on an understanding of

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 Be an Architect of Culture

people’s deepest motivations, as well as scheduling sufficient social

time for relationships to be built, knowing that it will strengthen
collaboration back in the business.
Since the global pandemic there is a clear intent from CEOs to
prioritize meeting in person, with the awareness that not everyone
is going to feel comfortable travelling and mixing; however, contin-
gency measures are put in place to ensure everyone has a sense of
belonging. One CEO I coach places a high emphasis on relation-
ship and ensures her executive committee meet on a quarterly basis,
focusing with an equal mix on strategy and relationship. One of the
primary tools they use to strengthen relationship is feedback. There is
sufficient trust and understanding within the team to give and receive
meaningful feedback, which makes a big investment in their relation-
ship. The feedback can revolve around the creation or delivery of
the strategic plan, or it can be behavioural focused on the company
values, or the experience they have working together.
Relationships are like emotional bank accounts. It is essential to
make deposits on a regular basis, which as a CEO has high leverage
and could include:
● checking in regularly
● listening to understand
● asking reflective questions
● demonstrating objective empathy
● helping solve problems
● sponsoring career development
● making personal introductions
● providing recognition
● nurturing wellbeing
● supporting non-work aspirations.
Jeff Weiner, Executive Chairman at LinkedIn, demonstrates a high
relational orientation, which is very appropriate when you have
grown one of the world’s largest business-related social network-
ing websites. In a popular speech he gave at Wharton’s graduation

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

ceremony in May 2018, Weiner states how compassion builds better

companies and that it’s hard to make better decisions faster when a
company’s culture lacks trust and empathy. In Weiner’s own words:
‘I vowed that as long as I’d be responsible for managing other peo-
ple, I would aspire to manage compassionately. That meant pausing
and being a spectator to my own thoughts, especially when getting
emotional. It meant walking a mile in the other person’s shoes, and
understanding their hopes, their fears, their strengths and their weak-
nesses. And it meant doing everything within my power to set them
up to be successful.’ He went on to say: ‘I’ve now been practising
this approach for well over a decade. And I can tell you with absolute
conviction that managing compassionately is not just a better way to
build a team, it’s a better way to build a company.’
Great Place To Work has an extremely rigorous, data-based
model for quantifying employee experience based on surveys with
more than 100 million employees around the world. They have used
those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust.
Within their Trust Model there are some important relational traits,
including respect and camaraderie. It is nigh on impossible to build
an effective relationship without respect. Given our wide range of
differences, I don’t believe it is possible or realistic to expect that you
will like everyone at work. However, respect is about the apprecia-
tion of someone’s ability, qualities or achievements. I observe that
once a CEO has lost respect for an employee in the business, their
tenure can be short-lived unless they are able to navigate a swift
turnaround.
Stuart was a visionary chief information officer. He saw the big
picture and was an effective communicator, generating excitement
about the art of the possible. He was a popular figure and admired in
the industry. However, he failed to deliver on the CEO’s expectations
and despite clear requests from the CEO about what was needed,
performance did not improve. What was more significant than the
actual results was the CIO’s inability to be upfront and transparent
with the CEO about delivery issues, which the CEO interpreted as a
lack of respect. Unfortunately, once the respect eroded there was no
turning back.

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 Be an Architect of Culture

It is the CEO’s responsibility to lay out clear expectations in order

to manage relationships effectively. There is a useful model to remem-
ber about how to manage expectations:

Appreciation

Familiarity

Expectations

Disappointment

Grievance

Being right

Figure 6.1 Managing expectations

The model works in the way shown in Table 6.2

TABLE 6.2 HOW THE MODEL WORKS

Appreciation At the outset in a relationship there can be mutual

appreciation. This is often influenced by reputation
or first impressions. A CEO needs to be mindful
about the information they are given about people
as not everyone operates with an objective agenda
and can try to influence a CEO in biased ways.
Familiarity After a period of time a relationship reaches a com-
fort zone. A CEO has to watch out for how behav-
iours show up at this stage as guards can come
down and unconscious bias can be demonstrated.
(Continued)

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

TABLE 6.3 ( CONTINUED )

Expectations Many expectations in relationships are not commu-

nicated and therefore not met. It is a CEO’s respon-
sibility to set out clear expectations across multiple
dimensions, including attitude, behaviours, perfor-
mance and contribution. Effective relationships are
the result of expectation management.
Disappointment A CEO needs to recognize that if expectations
have not been met, frustration can set in. Before
acting on frustration, a CEO needs to understand
if it was the genuine intent of someone to cause
disappointment or an unintended consequence of
mismanaged expectations.
Grievance No one is perfect. Everyone has strengths and
weaknesses. A CEO needs to adopt a clear
approach to relationship management, otherwise
it is all too common to write people off as incom-
petent, or not being the right fit, without having all
the facts or sufficient understanding.
Being right Watch out for having blinkered vision and wanting to
be ‘right’. A CEO must possess high self-­awareness
to manage their own triggers. Once the amygdala
(the integrative centre for emotions and emotional
behaviour in the brain) has been activated, it is vital
to stay objective and fact based in relationships.

It is possible to move back up the sequence through expecta-

tion management. A relationship is a psychological contract. Make
sure you lay out your dos and don’ts so that people understand your
expectations and can navigate them accordingly.
I resonate with the sentiment of Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway,
who as an engineer demonstrates an objective point of view about peo-
ple: ‘People want to do a good job and to see how good they are. Create
safe environments where people can dare to be themselves. Help them
make decisions that are important to them, with a clearly held view

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 Be an Architect of Culture

about how you do things around here. Make sure that they have the
right technical competence and are empowered to do a great job. Very
few people have the lack of competence to make critical mistakes.’
If as CEO you have taken these steps, built a strong relationship
and someone chooses not to maximize the opportunity you have pro-
vided, then it is understandable that respect may no longer be present.
In terms of camaraderie, I would like to reference a quote from
my last book, LoveWork, where my co-author Sophie Devonshire
and I suggested that our ability to feel good about our work is
linked to other people. One of our contributors, Paul Snyder,
Executive Vice President Stewardship, Tillamook County Creamery
Association, shared his perspective: ‘Love is the most underused
word in business. It seems to be incongruous that as human beings
we carve out 8–10 hours of our day to live in environments where
love is supposed to be absent! I believe that most people love some
of what they do, but what’s really important is to love who they
work with. Can anyone say “I love my job” without loving who
they work with? Love has been programmed out of business and
we need to bring it back. Be open to loving the people you work
with and letting them know as it would be very difficult to develop
a mindset of loving your work if you can’t share it.’
The best CEOs create environments where relationships thrive.
They recognize that functional relationships are at the heart of effec-
tive collaboration and high-performing teams. They champion the
most important relationship that employees have in organizations –
the line manager relationship. They demonstrate exemplary line
management with their own direct reports and hold line managers to
account for essential line management skills, including:
● connecting individual objectives to the company direction, to
ensure employees understand why they are doing their work and
how it contributes to the bigger picture
● ensuring employees use their strengths on a daily basis to be ener-
gized and fulfilled in what they do
● coaching employees to continuously improve and develop the
required mindsets, skillsets, behaviours and relationships to
succeed

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

● providing honest feedback on different dimensions such as per-

formance, impact, influence, commerciality and stakeholder
management to become better
● recognizing and rewarding excellence – the majority of people
thrive on genuine praise and encouragement for doing good work
● sponsoring career progression by understanding employees’ aspi-
rations and helping them shape a path to getting there
● caring beyond work – everyone has a life and life happens in
ways that can have a major impact on work. A great line manager
understands what is going on in team members’ lives and pro-
vides the necessary support and guidance to help them navigate
situations to the best of their ability.
The final area I will mention concerning the importance of rela-
tionship is the view that it is lonely at the top. In the words of John
Holland-Kaye, CEO, Heathrow: ‘People often talk about the lone-
liness of a CEO. This is not my experience. The reality is that you
have a variety of people around you to support and it’s vital to be
able to lean on them. The only time I have found it lonely is when
I have had to lead from the front and convince others to follow,
however this has been rare. If you find that you are having to lead
from the front on your own on a frequent basis, it probably means
that you have failed to take people with you and will probably result
in you getting fired!’

CEO NOTE
Build great relationships to be a great CEO.

Influence

‘As CEO I do not control. I have never had it and don’t want it. My
primary function is to create the highest-performing company I can.
One way I apply this function is to stay at the right level of decision
making. I genuinely believe that I have made less than ten big decisions

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 Be an Architect of Culture

over an eight-year period. Adopting this approach means that as CEO

you only get the major decisions coming your way. I have trained
myself to step away from solving problems. It’s not my job. I take the
unavoidable decisions if I have to, but I only step in when I think that
we are about to do something that is not right for the sustainability
of the business. At times I have watched people make decisions that
I don’t think are right, however there is no point in stepping on their
toes, as I will only get pulled into a level of detail that is not right for a
CEO.’ I applaud this approach by Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway. As
an engineer, Andy is a trained problem solver and historically had roles
that contained ‘Control’ in his title. However, Andy quickly realized
that to succeed as CEO, being intentional about not taking on control
is one of the most powerful ways to influence an organization.
This view was reinforced by Andy Cosslett, CEO, Chair, ITV
plc and Kingfisher plc , who recounts the day he took over as CEO,
IHG. Sitting in his office leading a global company consisting of sev-
eral hundred thousand employees, as well as several thousand hotels
over which he had no control, Andy realized that what he did have
was influence, which he needed to master in order to create the con-
ditions for others to succeed. In all my work with CEOs, making the
shift from control to influence is one of the most profound require-
ments to step into CEO shoes. Before becoming CEO, the most
common measures of success are usually evidenced through control,
whether it is formulating a strategy, delivering numbers, managing
a budget, driving efficiencies or improving systems. Some weight is
given to the ability to influence senior stakeholders once a CEO is at
the selection stage for role but, even then, the need to demonstrate
the successful delivery of proof points takes precedence.
Once in role, influencing takes centre stage, which initially
starts with communication. Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, gave his view:
‘One of the key characteristics of a CEO is to be a clear commu-
nicator in order to build followership with all stakeholders. It is
vital to understand where your messaging needs to be consistent
and where it needs to change. Think about what resonates with
your stakeholders. Understand what’s important for them and their
point of view. Be clear about what you want them to think and
walk away with.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Graham Alexander, CEO coach and founder of The Alexander

Partnership, reinforced this perspective: ‘As CEO you need to be the
internal figure head, be visible and communicate with the business.
As an outward-looking role, the priority is to communicate exter-
nally to the media, and investors.’
To validate the importance of communication to influence
I turned to Simon Baugh, Chief Executive of the Government
Communication Service: ‘There is a variety of levers to achieve
change as a CEO, including setting budgets, allocating resource and
making critical decisions to shape the future. However, outside those
types of areas the primary way to make things happen is commu-
nication. In the Government Communication Service I have 7,000
people to influence. The only way that I am going to reach them is
through communication. It is the biggest single lever I have.’
Simon went on to say: ‘The secret to effective communication is
to simplify the message to such an extent that it feels embarrassing
to share it over and over again. On one occasion when I was heading
up a communication department, we had a high-energy CEO who
pumped people up. His ability to motivate was fantastic, but the
delivery in the organization didn’t work. I then supported another
CEO whose primary communication style focused on continuous
improvement and meeting the deliverables for our customers. The
results were spectacular. He had an ability to use communication
which changed mindsets and drove behavioural change to improve
the customer experience. He also had an ability to create an envi-
ronment where people could speak up and be honest. He recog-
nized that communication is two-way. It’s about listening as well as
talking. He would get out to the front line and listen to people. I
have modelled that practice and spend one day a week in different
parts of the country listening to what people are thinking, under-
standing their concerns, and spotting the things that are holding
them back from doing their job. In a diverse organization such as
Government Communication Services with over 300 departments
around the country, it is vital to be visible, understand what’s going
on and make sure that you are not just spending time at number 10
Downing Street.’

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 Be an Architect of Culture

Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, shared his experience:

‘Influencing requires different approaches with different stakehold-
ers. With my team I have a consistent focus about the strategy and
priority projects. If we are drifting away from what’s important for
the long term then I bring the team back to where we are, where we
are going and what it will take to get there to ensure clarity about
key deliverables and who is doing what. We have a game plan with
defined metrics which I can see any time, however I need my team to
be thinking 3–5 years ahead. I reinforce the need for them to equip
their teams to deliver the short term so that we can shape the longer
term.’
Joel also acknowledged the dynamic of leading in a global com-
pany across, upwards and downwards: ‘With CEO peers in a global
company, we need to build relationship across the organization so that
we get to know each other, which then helps in terms of influencing
and getting things done. One of the secrets to influencing upwards
is knowing when to push. You can’t get everything you want all the
time. I believe in the sentiment, “Don’t get even, get what you need to
deliver your plan!” When it comes to influencing the next generation,
it’s important to find the right hook to be relatable. On one occa-
sion I was engaging with a group of next-generational female leaders.
I thought about how they could make an authentic link with a mid-
dle-aged male CEO. I shared a story about my daughter who played at
a mixed sporting event where initially none of the boys passed her the
ball. I encouraged her to keep going until finally she got the ball and
was able to help the team perform. Given the fact that many of these
female leaders had needed to break through glass ceilings to reach their
position, it was an analogy that built connection. In order to influence,
it’s essential to make sure you know your audience, their objectives and
how they like to receive information.’
Back to Simon Baugh, Chief Executive of the Government
Communication Service, to strengthen this view: ‘As CEO it is crit-
ical to understand the key relationships you need to influence. In
government it is with the secretary of state and politicians, which
are comparable to a Board in an organization. I believe that the
starting point is to immerse yourself in their agenda. I have found
that if you are not successful it’s probably because you haven’t asked

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

the probing questions to understand what your key stakeholders

really want and what drives their decision making. You must be
able to demonstrate that you are delivering their agenda.’
Simon went on to explain: ‘I have multiple stakeholders to influ-
ence. The trick is to make each person feel that you are spending the
majority of time on their agenda, whilst staying true to your vision.
You need to achieve what you want in role whilst presenting it in a
way that represents their agenda. Part of my learning when I came into
role and did my original pitch was that I realized people nodded their
heads, however my message didn’t really land. Now with the challenges
we have faced with our prime minister position, I have flipped my
approach. I am investing time with key stakeholders and asking them:
“How can we help you achieve your priorities? What is your vision for
government?” I am offering some ideas about what could help deliver
their objectives, but the priority is to get agreement on the plan and
track it relentlessly to demonstrate progress. Effective CEOs get align-
ment and track the plan so that they can show what they focused on
and the difference it has made.’
In my role coaching executives, one of my main observations
about influencing is that you cannot leave it up to chance, or to
simply be good at what you do. On the way to the top, I often hear
leaders exclaim how their results should speak for themselves, but
they don’t! Metrics are not enough. High performance is a given.
Therefore, it is critical to be thoughtful and astute in the way you
plan your stakeholder management and to think ahead. On one
occasion I collected feedback on behalf of an executive committee
member who was aspiring to the CEO role. Peter had a track record
second to none. He had traversed several senior roles in the organ-
ization across different disciplines and had delivered success every
time. However, when I asked Board members and the existing CEO
about their view of Peter, there was very little commentary about
the delivery of results, but there were common themes linked to the
importance of influence, including:
Identity:
● If Peter became the CEO, what would it look like? How would
he spend his time? Develop his identity before getting the title.

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 Be an Architect of Culture

● Be Peter. Define his own identity rather than becoming some-

one else.
● Peter should use the time he’s got in his existing role to demon-
strate change and to become a brilliant communicator. Get in the
limelight.
Impact:
● Find the optimal point for being compassionate and assertive.
Peter runs the risk of becoming overlooked. I want to see the
edge. He does a great job, but he can be deferential. Be prepared
to challenge and push back.
● Show strong leadership with the CEO and Board. Manage up
more. Connect with gravitas and impact. Peter needs to demon-
strate he is the right person with the right vision for the future
to convince the Board. Board members look for leadership, ideas
and drive.
● Peter should focus on his own profile for owning outcomes.
Demonstrate more visibility for results so others can’t ignore him.
Influence:
● Peter needs to be vocal about the key drivers of value. Be factual,
be clear. Deliver his elevator pitch. Peter doesn’t need to justify the
detail as he has credibility.
● Speak truth to power. Have the confidence in his own ability and
advice. It can feel risky when you’ve worked your way up the
organization, however he has earned the right to be at the top.
● Peter can improve his ability to demonstrate clear articulation. Be
concise. Have the ability to succinctly describe strategy to come
across as focused and passionate.
Peter took this feedback to heart. It provoked him to create a robust
stakeholder plan to act swiftly on what he was hearing. He used the
feedback as a platform for going back to the Board, personalizing his
approach to understand what success looked like for each of them
in a future CEO, and developing his campaign accordingly. With

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

some Board members that meant keeping up a consistent dialogue

about business developments and seeking their counsel on specific
issues. For others it meant a lighter touch, however Peter sought rel-
evant opportunities to meet in person within the business context in
order to keep influencing alive. Peter also focused on having more
transparent conversations with the existing CEO about succession.
Understandably it is a sensitive topic to look at influencing a CEO
while in role, however it is the responsibility of a CEO to create the
right conditions for others to influence them in constructive ways
which are right for the business.
Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, reinforced the need
to influence wisely: ‘You can only succeed by having the support of
others. In my case that meant being supported by my predecessor,
as well as the Board.’
Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, shared his experience: ‘The best way
to get buy-in is to show a strong ability to grow the business in order to
get the alignment for investment. If you are influencing upwards, keep
it simple and focus on the success criteria you need to unlock.’
Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, built upon this view: ‘Make sure you
invest the time to build relationships with Board members in order
to understand how they want you to add value and to get the nec-
essary benefits for the business. Don’t treat Board relationships as a
transactional process.’
Neil Jowsey, CEO, Cromwell, strengthened this perspective: ‘The
Board is important in the creation of the right culture for a company.
Often business challenges are driven out of how the Board operates. It
can have a profound impact on the organization subject to how close
they are to the business. CEOs need to think about how the Board is
going to enable them to deliver and how they can influence accordingly.’
Another critical relationship to influence is the chair. Keith Barr,
CEO, IHG, recounted a story about a fellow CEO: ‘The biggest mis-
take they admitted to making was to not spend enough time working
out who they needed to have as their chair for them to be successful.’
Keith went on to say: ‘Although the CEO doesn’t make the chair
decision, they can influence it and therefore it is important to think
about what type of chair is needed for the company and how to be
able to work well together.’

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 Be an Architect of Culture

Keith also pointed out that once in role as CEO: ‘Beyond the chair
make sure you have what you need to get the best out of the Board
and for the company. Define the experience, style and skills needed. If
you end up with a poor fit, it can be a risk to the business. Sometimes
it is better to have Board members with functional expertise that can
advise on specific areas, whereas at other times it can be more appro-
priate to have members with high levels of C-suite experience.’
I have witnessed a variety of chair and CEO partnerships with
varying degrees of success. In one highly effective dynamic there was
a very complementary fit. The chair had vast business experience sit-
ting on numerous Boards and could bring an informed and relevant
external lens to the organization. The CEO had deep sector and com-
pany knowledge, having worked in the field for many years. The chair
was extroverted and a compelling communicator in public settings.
The CEO was introverted and had their biggest impact in smaller set-
tings. They evolved a plan to use each other’s strengths across multiple
stakeholder groups to maximize their influence. With the Board they
agreed to both step back in order to enable Board members to have
voice, which provided them with diverse views and supported align-
ment in decision making. With the executive committee they gave
each exec member a platform to showcase their agenda with the Board
and to have sufficient exposure in order to support engagement and
buy-in. With shareholders and investors, they devised who would lead
on different topics subject to the outcome they were trying to achieve.
With the media they shared a profile for the good of the business.
Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth, shared his experience
of influencing: ‘Success as a CEO is heavily influenced by character.
Being an extrovert means that I am able to use my style to broach a
wide range of stakeholders, from those who are supportive to those
who are highly challenging. I am able to play a strong commercial bat
with customers, colleagues and community. It is vital to understand
and include all stakeholders so that you can create a business narra-
tive that helps everyone buy into the strategy and to put their hearts
and minds into the journey.’
Sneh also highlighted the need to simply be human: ‘As a CEO
it’s important to expose vulnerability in the right way. You need

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

to allow people to see your humanity to build trust, empathy and

followership.’
I will bring back Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway, to have the final
say on influencing: ‘I have learned to be totally authentic and human
with people. This approach runs the risk of baring your soul in shar-
ing where you are coming from and how you are feeling. However,
my commitment is to help people be as clear as possible about where
I am coming from, which means exposing my innermost thoughts.
The biggest influence you can have is your example.’

CEO NOTE
Move from control to influence to have
the right impact on the organization.

Be an Architect of Culture: Exec Summary

• The CEO is the architect of the organizational culture, so be
very intentional about the way you do things as it sets the
tone.
• Invest in your relationships as they are the currency to make
things happen.
• Become a master influencer as it is the primary lever to travel
in the direction you want to go.

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 S TA G E I I I

Performance

Let’s check in with our journey so far. In Stage 1: Purpose, we

explored the importance of aligning your personal North Star with
the company direction you want to go:
● Chapter 1 looked at how to be yourself with more skill so that you
can adapt your authentic self to the job at hand.
● Chapter 2 challenged you to create a compelling vision and define
your big bets in order to unlock brilliant performance.
● Chapter 3 encouraged you to invest in the necessary preparation
to set the organization up for success with the right capability and
to remove any barriers.
We then moved on to Stage 2: People, challenging you to put talent
at the heart of your value proposition:

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

● Chapter 4 invited you to lead with humanity and create the con-
ditions for everyone to have a sense of belonging and be their best
selves.
● Chapter 5 inspired you to prioritize the talent agenda, build
high-performing teams, create robust succession, and ensure
development becomes embedded in the fabric of the organization.
● Chapter 6 suggested that as the cultural architect of the company,
you set the climate in which relationships can thrive and have the
mandate to influence others.
We now move on to the final part, Stage 3: Performance, which is
where the rubber hits the road and is the ultimate test for a CEO.

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 CHAPTER 7

Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

Deliver Results

As a new CEO for a global company, Jane was responsible for the
overall performance in more than 70 countries, with main hubs in
Singapore, New York and London. On the outside results looked
good. There appeared to be a growth trajectory based on metrics
such as market share, sales revenue, net profit margin, gross margin,
customer loyalty, retention, profit, net promoter score and employee
engagement. However, as Jane dug into the detail, the veneer of suc-
cess began to peel away. She had a gradual awakening that the results
had been manipulated to paint a glossy picture to shareholders, how-
ever they didn’t tell the whole picture. Jane brought her executive
committee together for an extraordinary meeting to address the facts.
She set the context by creating a safe environment for the truth to be
put on the table. The dawning realization hit each executive member
in turn. The minor adjustments of numbers added up to a brutal
reality which needed to be addressed immediately.
Call me naïve but my starting point is that people show up at
work with good intent. If behaviours and actions don’t match the
good intent, then there will be a reason. I often find that once discov-
ered, these reasons are not deliberate ways to undermine a company,
cause failure or damage a reputation. Having witnessed different
corporate failures I believe that often the causes have their roots in
fear. The fear of speaking up when a fundamental operational flaw is
known, but no one wants to take accountability for it and potentially
get fired. The fear of presenting bad news and getting hauled over

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

the coals. The fear of going over budget or being late on a deliverable
so coming up with excuses to delay the inevitable conflict with the
powers to be.
Jane had sufficient awareness to understand that the only way she
would be able to make the necessary changes and take people with
her was to give people the benefit of the doubt and to collectively
find a solution. She recognized that the previous culture had created
an environment where people needed to present everything as ‘good
news’, which meant results getting manipulated to fit the message.
Jane was a firm believer in the power of psychological safety and put
the steps into action. To set expectations and ensure everyone had
voice, were prepared to take calculated risk and admit to mistakes,
Jane took accountability for failing to dig into the detail sooner. She
explained her preferred leadership style was to give people autonomy
and to stay out of the detail, but recognized that given her time in
role she should have moved faster. Jane’s humility set the tone. Team
members came forward with their version of reality, explaining how
the need to deliver positive results meant painting over cracks. Jane
responded to this level of participation with the focus on looking
forward and finding solutions together.
The starting point was to review the key metrics being measured.
The team aligned on a refreshed dashboard consisting of ten suc-
cess metrics to deliver, which boiled down to three main areas – col-
leagues, customers and cash. Beginning with the end in mind, the
team identified the outcomes for each metric, from which point they
were able to align on vital priorities to drive. They broke these down
into major projects, which if delivered on time and budget would
move the business in the right direction. Each executive team mem-
ber took accountability for key areas and agreed to work in 90-day
sprints to provide absolute transparency of outcomes and activities.
The next step was to define the required behaviours to deliver the
plan. The team agreed it was vital to keep them real given the previ-
ous dilemma. They agreed on three primary expectations:
1. Talk direct – be open, honest and transparent.
2. Own it – take accountability for actions and outcomes.
3. Make it happen – ask for help, give help.

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The team devised a collective approach to communicating the

plan, developing the right mindsets and behaviours, and embedding
what they called a ‘performance culture’ in the business. Jane fronted
the shift in focus by delivering a clear and compelling message in the
next company town hall. She presented the facts in the most trans-
parent way possible so that people could understand the severity of
the situation without creating unnecessary anxiety. Jane laid out the
future direction through the new performance plan. Each executive
member then brought to life their chosen priorities with the associated
behaviours required to be successful. They personalized each request
in order to match the human factor with the business challenge.
On the back of the town hall, the executive committee quickly
mobilized a system to engage their immediate teams with planning
sessions to deliver the results, and made sure everyone was resourced
for success. These planning sessions rippled through the organiza-
tion. The ‘performance culture’ began to create its own currency. The
behaviours ‘Talk direct, Own it and Make it happen’ were referenced
in everyday meetings and conversations. Rather than delivery simply
being seen as a transactional effort, the ‘performance culture’ cap-
tured hearts and minds. It broke down previous silos. Teams started
collaborating across boundaries. New partnerships were formed and
accurate results were delivered.
Jane was deliberate in how she positioned the approach and nar-
rative with her chair and Board. She was concerned about undermin-
ing her executive committee as she knew she was under massive time
pressure to turn around the status quo. Jane decided to take her chair
into her confidence about the past ways of doing things. The chair
recognized that the Board was also collectively responsible for creat-
ing an environment where the pressure to present ‘good news’ drove
unintended consequences. Thankfully the chair’s support meant that
Jane was able to present the historic results with the solution to fix
stuff at the next Board meeting. Agreement was reached to spon-
sor the ‘performance culture’ method. Bringing this message back to
her executive committee gave a confidence boost and reinforced the
actions being taken.
Research from Harvard Business Review echoes Jane’s approach. In
an article entitled ‘Leaders don’t have to choose between compassion

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

and performance’ (February 2022), the authors said that for leaders
to achieve a balance of compassion and performance over the long
term, they require data, prioritization, proper setup, and collabora-
tion. I found their recommendations of figuring out what matters,
making time for compassion, increasing transparency and co-creat-
ing solutions mirrored insight from the CEOs I interviewed. In the
words of Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore: ‘It has been
difficult to separate being CEO from being the founder of the busi-
ness. As a founder of a company, it is a different role to leading an
established big business. One of the most important requirements
is to set your team up to perform. In the early days of the business,
the focus was about not giving up. The easy option would have been
to quit. You need to keep faith whilst understanding where value
is really created in order to extract it. I found it important to use
analysis and passion to keep going. Performance is about combining
head and heart in order to keep everyone focused and energized. In a
start-up you will have as many losses as wins. As a founder it is your
energy that makes the difference. I have found the successes thrill-
ing, but the failures hurt more. As CEO you need to manage people
through the ups and downs of the performance cycle.’
With an organizational purpose focused on soulful hospitality,
Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, is mindful about what it takes to deliver
results aligned with the company culture: ‘The CEO needs to find a
rhythm to manage performance. We have dashboards and scorecards
across the business and have a systemized approach focused on review,
oversight and escalation. I need to see the business at 30,000 feet, but
I want to know that people are looking at the business performance
at all levels. It’s not the job of a CEO to manage performance all the
way through the business, however it is the job of a CEO to set up
a governance system to ensure that any enduring underperformance
does not go unaddressed. It is critical that everyone in the business
understands in their role what is going well, what isn’t and has a plan
in place. As a CEO, develop an approach that means you don’t have
to devote every hour interrogating the business. It is not the job of
the CEO to solve performance issues. It is their job to make sure that
those accountable are supported to do it. As a CEO you need re-
assurance that people’s fingers are on the pulse, however I know many

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CEOs who stare most of the day at business performance, which is

not the best use of time.’
Jan Smits, CEO and Deputy Chair, APAC, Pro-invest Group,
has spent many years refining how to deliver results across the world:
‘As CEO it is essential to have absolute clarity and alignment about
what you are going to deliver and how you are going to deliver it.
This starts by clarifying your strategic plan and designing the right
organizational structure so that you have the right people in the right
roles for delivery.’
Jan always links purpose with performance to deliver optimal
results: ‘To build a performance-driven culture requires having
a clear purpose, setting up delivery targets, measuring milestones,
communicating progress and celebrating wins. It is vital to have an
environment where people can provide open and honest views about
ongoing performance and to encourage each other along the way.’
Jan emphasized the need for a CEO to be visible in how they
manage performance so that people can see what is important. He
stated: ‘The principle, what gets measured gets done, is timeless. I
firmly believe that everyone wants to do a good job and therefore the
CEO role is to enable people to perform. If you have them set up for
success and they are not able to deliver, they are in the wrong role.
One of the biggest mistakes you can do as CEO is to tolerate under-
performance as it sends the wrong message to the business.’
Jan also acknowledged the importance of having the right struc-
ture in place: ‘Make sure your organizational design is aligned to
what you are trying to do. The way you will know if you have the
right organizational design is if you are running a smooth operation.
If not, employees will be suboptimal in their performance and even-
tually burn out. You can also understand the effectiveness of your
organizational design through measuring employee engagement,
which will show your pinch points and what you need to address in
order to be fit for purpose. To ensure successful delivery you must get
the right balance between the teams who go out and win the work
and the teams who deliver it.’
Jan’s approach was reinforced by Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy
CEO, The Francis Crick Institute: ‘To manage performance against
the company ambition it’s vital to be clear about how it translates

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for all individual functions. At the Crick, every team has their own
objectives that are set on a three-year horizon and against which they
create their KPIs. As an organization this means we can make deci-
sions in the context of the overarching scorecard. To track and mon-
itor performance we initially had multiple software systems, which
were not set up to produce centralized data. We changed this to ena-
ble us to have a view about how the business was performing as a col-
lective. We benchmarked against each service and created a heatmap
about where we were and how well our services were landing with
our scientists.’
Sam went on to say: ‘Performance matters. It is essential to have
a clear view of the organization’s operation with an evidence-based
approach. Understanding performance affects where you prior-
itize and put resource. To achieve this, we created our “Crick Data
World”, a company dashboard, created from the bottom up, which
enables us to see relevant data to help drive our performance. At
Board level we create our top 10 metrics against which our perfor-
mance is measured.’
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK, emphasizes the need
to have the right processes in place to maximize results: ‘As CEO you
need to assess how the organization operates and if the right processes
are in place proportionate to the business needs. It’s important not
to be afraid to reduce or add to them. Even if you have a compelling
strategy based on a differentiated truth with a clear framework and a
great team, unless you enable the business by putting in the right pro-
cesses to drive the right decision making and optimize the business,
your efforts will be compromised. Getting a clear RACI (responsible,
accountable, consulted and informed) model and making it stick is
very difficult. You will need to invest time in constructing, aligning
and setting everyone up to implement. In big companies the role of
the centre can overlap with the role of the region. You need to under-
stand the overlaps to avoid unnecessary tension. When I worked at
Disney we had two regular meetings – a policy meeting and an execu-
tion meeting. The creation of two-matrix-structured meetings broke
down barriers. They provided the right forum to challenge perceived
tensions. The discipline of mandatory meetings forced participants
to discuss issues, which yielded better outcomes.’

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The role of the CEO to enable performance was clearly articulated

by Wim Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP: ‘As CEO,
you need to have the overview about the drivers of performance to
make sure people take the right opportunities and have a clear under-
standing about how the strategic plan fits together, combined with
ownership of individual objectives across the business whilst know-
ing where people can collaborate together to succeed.’
This perspective was reinforced by Justin Basini, CEO and
co-founder, ClearScore: ‘A critical differentiator between low- and
high-performing organizations is the way standards are set and met.
This starts at the top. One of the most important roles a CEO plays is
to set high standards and hold yourself and others to account. There
is no question that if something is being well run, it is led from the
top. You see it all over, from schools to hospitals to businesses. The
head of the organization sets the tone and the standards. To deliver
results you need to ensure there is sufficient data to create fast feed-
back loops. In the early days, our COO put in a data system which
gave a high level of transparency across the organization about per-
formance in the business, including our revenue, profit and prod-
uct. When you democratize data, people are able to self-diagnose
problems and take appropriate action. My approach to delivering
results is to set high standards and then provide the right data with
transparency. By empowering people to make decisions at the front
line, whilst knowing where to go for advice, speeds up delivery and
allows you to achieve superior results.’
Another advocate of setting people up for success is Jamie Bunce,
CEO, Inspired Villages: ‘To deliver great results you need to create a
culture where people are empowered and free to own and partake in
more than the delivery of task. Results need to be linked back to the
company purpose so that, when people are in task mode, everyone
can understand how their role impacts the business, from frontline
cleaners, cooks and housekeepers to the Board.’
Jamie concluded: ‘Make sure people have personalized objectives
and key results in order to understand the role they play in deliver-
ing the big company targets. To be successful, people need to feel
successful. If someone feels like it is their result to deliver, you stand
a much better chance than if it feels imposed on them. Celebrate

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

delivery with rewards which are beyond monetary. Understand what

gets endorphins flowing. Make sure roles are more than just about
having a job and receiving a pay check. As CEO enable people to
understand their value in helping the business perform.’
Graham Alexander, founder, The Alexander Partnership, coaches
CEOs to ensure there is a clear strategy broken down into clear deliv-
erables for the business so that everyone has defined and monitored
KPIs. Graham shared: ‘The role of the CEO is to unlock the poten-
tial of the business to grow and perform. This involves having great
people running the business who are excited about where you are
trying to get to and having a clear and aligned strategy translated
into KPIs. The CEO then needs to monitor performance, stir the pot
when necessary and celebrate success along the way.’
To bring in the perspective from the world of finance, Javier
Echave, CFO, Heathrow, stated: ‘The CEO is the performance
driver of the business. Organizations need to deliver for investors,
colleagues and the community in a sustainable way.’ Javier uses the
fable of the golden goose as an analogy: ‘Set up the business to collect
the golden eggs without killing the goose.’
One CEO who is renowned for the delivery of results is Jonathan
Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, who shared: ‘To create the right conditions
for delivery, make sure everyone knows what is expected of them.
Find the right cadence in terms of meetings and check-ins to stay
connected. It is vital to free teams up to execute. When things don’t
go your way, and they won’t, stay focused and calm. Being focused
is about having clear and aligned goals in place, enabling the right
mindset to recognize that it’s not a rigid plan and that you have the
flexibility to make it work. As CEO, keep communicating about the
strategic goals, focusing on what is most important. Repetition is
essential to keep everyone on the same path.’
John Murray, CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation,
gave a range of valuable points linked to delivering results: ‘Make
sure you have accomplished people in your key roles as they will hold
themselves accountable to high standards and set the tone for the
business.’
John echoed a point all CEOs I spoke with shared: ‘Set clear goals
and targets and make sure everyone is aligned and held accountable.’

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

He went on to say: ‘Make sure people have the right tools to perform.
If they have the right tools and underperform, address it immediately.
You need to have the whole organization hitting on all cylinders.’
John also shouted out the need to recognize the achievements of
others: ‘Nobody succeeds as CEO without the hard work of a lot of
people. In the hotel business, if colleagues are not getting our service
right then guests aren’t happy and stop staying. Make sure you recog-
nize everyone who is contributing to your success.’
Neil Jowsey, CEO, Cromwell, described his approach in the
following way: ‘As a CEO your accountability is super clear – the
company results. I have learned that my focus has to be the success
of the company, which I combine with other elements I love like
seeing people thrive and contributing to customer happiness. At the
end of the day your success is measured by the performance of the
company.’
Neil also advocates the power of planning for performance: ‘In
one business I spent 26 days with my executive committee co-cre-
ating our business plan. This ensured alignment, as well as mitigat-
ing the risk of any cracks at an executive level becoming gulfs in
the organization. Once developed, you need to translate the busi-
ness strategy into functional plans. I suggest creating a compelling
visual on a page which can be used as a communication tool in the
company. Make sure that people are continuously involved in the
evolution and execution of the plan so that they feel listened to and
have ownership.’
Neil concluded: ‘Once the plan is in place, the performance of
the business demands relentless and disciplined focus on execution
and the delivery of results. As CEO you need to move boldly and stay
focused on what really matters. I call it acting with intent. Highly
effective CEOs provide exceptional leadership, build great teams and
ensure that the right resources are available to drive brilliant results.’

CEO NOTE
Delivering great results is a prerequisite for being a great CEO.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Lead Today

As I write about leadership today, in the autumn of 2022, the chal-

lenges for CEOs continue to multiply. On a global scale many busi-
nesses have had to stop, start, reassess and reconfigure on a daily
basis. As stated by the World Bank (2022): ‘The global economy
continues to be weakened by the war through significant disruptions
in trade, food and fuel price shocks, all of which are contributing to
high inflation and subsequent tightening in global financing condi-
tions.’ The World Health Organization (2022) predicted that ‘rap-
idly escalating Covid-19 amid reduced virus surveillance forecasts
a challenging autumn and winter in the WHO European Region’.
In the UK the combination of Brexit and the political uncertainty
caused by changes in party leadership and policies led to Shevaun
Haviland, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce,
saying that the next prime minster needs to ‘return both political
and economic stability’ (2022). Other issues include:
● New, unpredictable and unplanned scenarios mean CEOs having
to diversify or adapt their product or service in real time. For
instance, in response to Heathrow Airport maybe needing to limit
passenger numbers for Christmas, John Holland-Kaye, CEO,
Heathrow, told the BBC’s Today programme the airport wanted
to ‘get back to full capacity as soon as possible. We don’t want to
have a cap at all. The reason for having a cap is to make sure we
keep supply and demand in balance’ (2022).
● Lack of resources, including people, finance and supplies, can
cause projects to be put on hold, slow down or stop. The com-
bination of the Great Resignation, spiralling costs and supply
shortages is putting extraordinary pressures on companies to
deliver, requiring CEOs to make tough choices for the good of
the business.
● Fear is often systemic and is experienced throughout an organi-
zation when impacted by local or global uncertainty. Colleagues
can be afraid of losing their jobs or have concerns about organ-
izational change, which impacts engagement and productivity.

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

CEOs need to be highly attuned to the emotional climate and

provide sufficient clarity, humanity and transparency to counter-
act anxieties.
● Increased emphasis on colleague wellbeing might look like a drain
on a business, but prioritizing mental health and physical well-
being is a vital investment for the company culture and perfor-
mance. CEOs must address this at all levels in the organization.
Data shows the C-suite are struggling alongside Gen Z employ-
ees. Deloitte reported around 70 per cent of high-level executives
are seriously considering quitting their jobs, largely to improve
their emotional wellbeing (2022).
I appreciated the view of Phil Bayliss, CEO, Infinium, about how to
navigate this type of agenda: ‘As a CEO you need to be a visionary
and have the ambition to change the world. You need to be able to
inspire exceptional behaviour and performance in others, creating a
culture and environment for them to be at their best while maintain-
ing an unwavering belief that you will succeed. You need to develop
a big strategy that inspires people to be part of something extraordi-
nary. One of my current company’s prime areas of concentration is
the creation of a new sustainability-focused asset class, which brings
together commercial real estate and electric vehicle infrastructure to
drive efficiencies, create a better working environment for last-mile
delivery service providers and combat climate change. We have the
opportunity to be bigger than all the existing oil companies com-
bined. The traditional indicator of success as a CEO is to put down a
scorecard and deliver it, driven by messages like “measure what mat-
ters” and “get after a clear set of objectives and outperform them”.
However, reflecting upon my various roles, the flashing green score-
card is in fact a lag indicator. Our world today is so dynamic that
you need to measure success differently. For instance, if you made
the measure of success about driving growth and size, you could end
up a busy fool.’
Phil went on to look at the relationship between thinking big, act-
ing small and balancing both in today’s age: ‘I have unlimited energy
for the top-line, exciting, big-picture thinking. However, I have had
to learn how to dive deep into the small stuff and do it well, such

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as having individual conversations or focusing on small operational

matters. As CEO it’s important to be able to drop like a stone into
detail and then come back out to help people perform strongly. It’s
important to learn the skills of being a balanced leader. I have seen
most CEOs needing strong understanding in finance, marketing and
business planning, alongside operational delivery, executing revenue
budgets and driving back-of-house functions. Making high-quality,
informed decisions is the realm of a brilliant CEO. You need to take
informed risk, which is not about taking risk at any cost but creating
the environment for others to do the same. It is essential to keep
making the small, incremental gains that build a sustainable future
for the business, whether it is managing the finances right or build-
ing deeper personal connections. As a CEO it is essential to walk the
floor and make real connections with employees at all levels, engag-
ing on family and personal interests. It is vital to use your behaviour
to set the standard for the expectations you have of others.’
Phil shared: ‘Upon awakening it can feel that I have conflicting
priorities, both big and small. For instance, I need to discipline myself
when going into a meeting by thinking about the desired outcome. I
ask myself, “What am I here to do? Is it to sit down with a team and
show I care, or is it about setting exciting new priorities?” They can
sometimes appear to be competing characteristics; however, I need to
operate at both levels.’
Sneh Khemka, former CEO, Simplyhealth, reflected on the
ongoing shifts for CEOs in today’s unpredictable world: ‘The cul-
tural and societal expectations for CEOs today are very different to
the past. Historically, the primary role of a CEO was to run the P&L,
and to lead with a command-and-control style producing profit for
shareholders. Now a CEO has to demonstrate true humanity and
to lead in a conscious way across a range of topics far beyond the
P&L. A CEO needs to understand the political, demographic and
changing needs of the workforce and customer base. They need to
be a rounded individual who can deal with the socio, political and
economic environments to progress the business.’
Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society, recognized
the impact of the global pandemic: ‘We are playing catch-up from
Covid. There is tension and tiredness across the business. However,

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

wellbeing has to be balanced with the delivery of business needs.

Within this environment we decided to give people time sovereignty
and to focus on outcomes, rather than hours worked. We are build-
ing it as a culture based on an acceptance that the way we drive per-
formance has changed in the workplace.’
Sophie also acknowledged the need to celebrate success along
the way: ‘What we sometimes forget is the thrill of achievement. It’s
vital to show people the progress they have made, which also boosts
energy. It is very motivating to be part of a team that delivers and to
have pace driven by progress.’
Managing pace was a theme also addressed by Viviane Paxinos,
CEO, AllBright: ‘Unless you are starting a company it’s important
to remember that the business existed before you. If you are inherit-
ing an organization with a culture and a set of relationships, it takes
time to grow. It is unlikely that you will turn the business around
overnight, therefore your focus should be on what you can influence
going forward. I use the analogy with my team that our goal is to
reach base camp, not Everest. As CEO it’s easy to come up with
big ideas. The challenge is to solve problems one step at a time to
drive the next phase of business growth. This involves the real skill of
deciding what to say no to. We have three clear strategic pillars and
if things don’t fall into them, we say no. You need the right mental
capacity to focus on the right areas.’
The challenge of leading today was clearly articulated by Amy
Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management,
Harvard Business School: ‘As CEO you must hold the dual focus of
value creation and delivery. You create value by investing in innovation
and deliver it through operational excellence. You need to be willing to
invest in the uncertain work of innovation and be prepared to exper-
iment with new ideas and markets. You then need to rally people to
deliver.’
Jan Smits, CEO and Deputy Chair, APAC, Pro-invest Group,
brought in a combination of strategy, capability, people and perfor-
mance to succeed: ‘As CEO these are some of the most challenging
times in which I have led. It is like white water rafting and hav-
ing to navigate the rapids as they come at you. You can’t influence
the geo-political issues going on, so your best bet is to clarify what

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winning looks like, translate it into your strategy, focus on building

organizational capability, nurture talent and execute.’
He went on to say: ‘One of the biggest challenges at the moment
is the change in the working environment. Boundaries are changing.
The next generation coming into the workforce have a very different
view of the world and what work looks like. Many people are now
clear that unless they can work from home at least some of the time,
they don’t want that job. It is a disruptive environment where people
are also focused on the cost of living. As CEO you need to listen
and take the next generation on a journey to manage expectations
and set them up for success. Be balanced and compassionate in your
approach. Provide greater transparent communication about what
you are trying to do and where you are going.’
Emily Chang, CEO, Wunderman Thompson West, reflected upon
what daring CEOs from across industries and the globe are doing to
create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world, and
the difference between East and West: ‘1) The way we define failure.
There’s a fine line between failure and learning. In the West, we set
clear milestones to ensure a high likelihood of success. In the East,
we prioritize speed to market, getting something launched quickly so
we can learn and iterate. 2) How we embrace the “and”. In the West,
we often think in terms of “either/or”. Even the construct of AB testing
assumes an either/or approach. However, in the East, a company may
concurrently launch two products and monitor purchase intent. In set-
ting up this construct, the company learns quickly and immediately
produces the more desired product, launching with a high degree of
certainty in purchase intent.’
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO, Caffè Nero UK, provided his point
of view about leading in today’s evolving environment: ‘It is essential
to take the complexity of a business and create a simple narrative to
tell the story so that people quickly get what’s going on. Simplifying
complexity is a real skill to master. You need to have a framework
to build the narrative. I use a structure based on a house which
builds the story consisting of the vision, purpose, priorities and cul-
ture. To create the framework, be immersed in the business, stand
back and ask, “What are we about? What are our key focus areas?
What are the strategies we need to focus on?” Develop a clear and

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simple framework. Make sure that the level of detail is the same for
a non-executive member as for frontline colleagues. When engaging
the Board, headline key points supported by a pack with the depth.
If you have done the narrative well, the Board won’t need to dig into
the detail and will appreciate your clarity and rigour.’
Will continued: ‘Accept that people will look to you for the macro
and micro view of the business. The best CEOs know when to stay
high level and when to get into the detail on the right things. There
is an interesting paradox that as you evolve up the chain, you tend
to not get your hands dirty in the detail, however you need to be
ready to plunge. Sometimes it’s only you who can ask the right ques-
tion. You might have an intuition based on experience and need to
test and validate it. Other times, through your listening and sensing
when something is lightweight, you will need to push down to see if
there is anything of significance to unearth.’
Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore, shared a clear mes-
sage about leading ambiguity: ‘As a CEO, leading in today’s age of
uncertainty requires a real commitment to a meaningful mission both
personally and for the business. ClearScore is a business dedicated to
helping our users improve their financial wellbeing. People rally to our
mission, especially the next generation who self-select companies based
on what they stand for. It is vital to be able to bring everything back to
the mission. Each time we focus on revenue targets with the team we
also talk about how this revenue is millions of positive actions for our
users and sales for our partners. We talk about user first, partner next
and revenue last. The result of our customers being happy is a healthy
business.’
Justin went on to say: ‘One of the challenges in today’s climate
is navigating the need for diversity and creating level playing fields
where everyone can learn and unlock their potential. In an environ-
ment where you need to set high standards it can get difficult quickly.
I want an environment where everyone can succeed, an organization
packed full of people committed to ClearScore and who build our
culture. We need to make sure that we connect with people who
believe in what we believe, irrespective of background. I find that the
best companies create a set of standards where a diverse set of talents
can perform and belong within a clearly defined culture.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

One of the most important roles that a CEO plays to impact

performance is in creating the right conditions for effective decision
making, particularly when a company needs to make important
trade-offs in the short term which can impact the longer term. Andy
Mitchell, CEO, Tideway, put it across in the following way: ‘As CEO
it’s important to work hard to be clear about the delegation of deci-
sion making and authority. In the early days of the business with my
leadership team, we used the analogy of red buttons to define the
key decisions we were accountable for, and if anyone was going to
press the red button it would be us. We couldn’t have everyone in the
business making the big financial decisions. However, outside of the
hard final decisions, we needed to agree how many other things we
wanted to be brought up to the exec level. Initially we had a long list.
We challenged each other and boiled it down to a few vital areas. It
wasn’t a hard list as there is no such thing, but we agreed that unless
it was a decision with massive implications, and it was not fair to let
someone else make it, then the decision would sit with us. We estab-
lished an effective decision-making governance and worked within it.
We agreed not to meddle and to stay out of people’s way. Over time
it has become second nature. People still try to bring decisions to the
Exec because they want comfort, so we talk through the rationale for
the decision in order for them to own it.’
Graham Alexander, founder, The Alexander Partnership, has
coached more CEOs than most on how to enable effective decision
making: ‘A CEO focuses on what only they can do. They are brilliant
at delegating and letting others get on with delivering the business. A
CEO should only do what they can uniquely do, including:
● know what’s going on
● be as open and honest as possible to create an environment of
high trust
● be available to support and challenge when needed
● have a constant process of raising your self-awareness through get-
ting input from others about how they think you’re doing.’
Graham went on to say: ‘We live and work in challenging times where
many of our political, cultural and ecological systems are broken.

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

Leading a business by breaking it down into a set of component parts

is a limiting approach. To thrive as CEO today you will need to think
differently, including how you can collaborate with competitors and
who are your key thought partners to help you think creatively and
see things differently. It is essential to have a place for blue-sky think-
ing and scenario planning to think about the future in a deeper and
broader way.’
Another thoughtful perspective about the role of the CEO in
decision making came from Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry:
‘To make effective decisions you need to balance information and
instinct. I am a commercial specialist, which brings a natural instinct
about running a business, such as flexing costs and other ways to
supplement the company. It’s important to have a select group of
people around you to partner and help make the right decisions. It is
not about you as CEO being the decision maker. It is about making
sure others have a voice and that you have the right team with you
when critical decisions arise.’
John Murray, CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation,
shared his experience: ‘Once you have enough information, be pre-
pared to make quick decisions. Trust your instincts, knowledge, and
watch what happens. You can’t let your ego get away from you. If you
make the wrong decision, own it, take time to course correct and go in
a different direction. It is important to recognize and correct mistakes.’
Each leader I spoke with had their own way of navigating the cur-
rent climate, providing clarity for the organization and enabling peo-
ple to perform. Amber Asher, CEO, Standard International, draws
upon her strengths to stay energized and have maximum impact: ‘I
am skilled at coming up with a plan, getting everyone aligned, bring-
ing the team together and delivering together. I am highly effective in
a crisis and will always come up with an answer. I have an ability to
do deals and stabilize the business to drive performance.’
Emma Gilthorpe, COO, Heathrow, reinforced the need for
CEOs to demonstrate these types of characteristics: ‘To be a CEO
you need to evidence that you can think through complex problems
and navigate ambiguous strategic situations, give teams what they
need to thrive in difficult circumstances and execute the plan, and
in modern business you need a high level of emotional intelligence.’

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Emma’s executive colleague Javier Echave, CFO, Heathrow,

stated: ‘As CEO you need to create a plan in an ambiguous environ-
ment and make the big choices. It’s useful to have a framework to
ask the right questions. One simple model I have seen work well to
structure thinking is the following:
1. What does success look like? What are the objectives to achieve?
2. What options are available?
3. What the opportunities, threats and mitigations for the options?
4. Execute the plan and review based on new information.’
Jonathan Mills, CEO, EMEA, Choice Hotels, started in role during
turbulent times: ‘My baptism of fire coming into a new business as
CEO in a Covid environment was not straightforward, however it
forced me to be even more diligent in my initial interactions:
1. Listen to stakeholders directly. I made sure that I understood
things first hand. Do not rely on others’ opinions. I started by
engaging with senior executives across the company and then
drilled through the layers of the company to understand the busi-
ness and the marketplace. I went outside the business to a variety
of stakeholders, in my case this included customers (franchisees)
and partners (online travel agents) to understand their perspec-
tives and needs.
2. Experience the experience. I made sure to regularly experience the
customer journey. In my world this involves making hotel book-
ings through different channels and staying in different hotels.
3. Understand the competitor and parallel industry organizations so
that you can benchmark your business and learn from the great
work of others.’
Keith Barr, CEO, IHG, offered sound advice when there are so
many variables to your agenda: ‘When something goes wrong, get
to the root cause of the issue. You have to accept the fact that you
are constantly going to be disappointing someone about something.
Everyone has a point of view about what you should do, however
you are the decision maker. Make sure you look across the entirety of

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

the landscape. Decide how you will prioritize and sequence, and be
comfortable that not everyone is going to agree with your choices.’
Keith continued: ‘I believe that doing the right thing and being
resilient is a good formula. You can’t do everything. Be clear about
why you are making the right decisions and mobilize others to
deliver.’
I appreciated the perspective of Jamie Bunce, CEO, Inspired
Villages, who recounted: ‘I will never forget the day my father said to
me, “Without data you’re a loudmouth with an opinion.” Ever since
that moment I have developed a thirst for data to help me understand
what things mean. I have a variety of sources which inform how I
shape my response to today’s climate, including what is happening in
the land market, construction, colleague engagement and customer
sentiment. All these various data points go to frame my view about
how to lead today. In particular I look at the key modes that can
make a massive difference and help us deliver our results. As I speak,
we are in the middle of massive uncertainty. We operate in the build-
ing sector. The open housing market is down 50 per cent just in the
last month. I am looking at what happened in the last recession and
assessing what happened to our sector of the open housing market. I
am then facing into the reality now by understanding the sentiments
of our residents. These data points shape my understanding of our
customers’ behaviour, for instance how to respond to the cost-of-
living crisis by creating an incentive package to help our residents
release more income.
‘My approach is to let data be a foundation to help shape deci-
sions. I come to my own conclusions and socialize them with my
management team so that we arrive at an aligned decision. We then
disseminate our decisions across the business through co-creating
objectives and key results with colleagues. A dictatorial approach
doesn’t drive performance in today’s world.’
Neil Jowsey, CEO, Cromwell, was cognisant about the need to
strike a balance between operating in the present and tomorrow.
‘A CEO must balance time, energy and resources for now and the
future. Having a clear process to create a strategic plan forces you
to think about the future, where you are heading and how you are
going to get there. The planning process is a key part of spending

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

time in the future, however in today’s dynamic environment it has to

be matched with the ability to see round corners. You need to inter-
pret information from all sorts of places, e.g. the market, customers,
suppliers and external predictions. Once assimilated you must decide
what it is telling you and where to go. Your ability to predict the
future in ways that are not obvious will be a key differentiator. Be
bold about where the business needs to go when it’s not obvious to
everyone else.’
Being bold is a major obstacle for many organizations. Wim
Dejonghe, Senior Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, shared his dilemma:
‘One of the biggest challenges I face is the appetite of people to take
risks. Lawyers are paid to identify risk. However, given the nature of
our business, we can’t stop at identifying risk. We need to be able to
take them as well.’
Wim also described the challenge of needing to move fast when
an organization is at risk: ‘Our business is based on having an inclu-
sive approach. However, our scale makes it challenging to ensure all
630 partners have a sense of ownership. In a law firm, I recognize
that creating ownership is the opposite of a corporate culture, which
tends to adopt a top-down approach. In times of crisis, I implement
a top-down approach as there is a business-critical need to take hard
decisions. However, in my whole career I have only needed to do this
on a few occasions. People expect you to do it when the going gets
tough. An effective CEO has to be prepared to stand up, act at pace
and get on with what the business needs to do.’
Dr Sam Barrell CBE, Deputy CEO, The Francis Crick Institute,
echoed Wim’s sentiments about taking risks: ‘In these current times
my focus is to build long-term financial sustainability, given the
ongoing inflation and energy crisis. It’s obviously challenging but
also offers opportunity to think big and be ambitious. We cannot
tinker around the edges, which drives stimulating conversations
about where we want to go and how to get there.’
Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore, reinforced the
need for visible and symbolic leadership in challenging times: ‘As CEO
you have to give a shit. I think that is easier as a founder of the business,
but perhaps harder if you are a non-founder CEO, but demonstrating
how you much you care for the customer and the team will be critical.

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

It comes down to not what you say but the symbolism of where you
spend your time and effort. We survey our financial institution cus-
tomers every quarter around the world. If any of these partners say they
aren’t satisfied with our service, then I reach out personally to speak
with them and understand their issues. They are often surprised to get
an email from me, but it is a signal that their business, our company
and our services are critically important, and we listen.’

CEO NOTE
Leading today is a paradox of thinking big and acting small.
Galvanize people with the big picture and connect them in
human ways to ensure clarity and alignment.

Develop Tomorrow

Probably the most important role of a CEO is to build a sustaina-

ble organization that helps leave the company and the world in a
better place. This can cover multiple levels, including the creation of
a long-term growth strategy, building enduring organizational capa-
bility, developing a robust talent pipeline and enabling an inclusive
culture. Korn Ferry published a fascinating report entitled ‘Future
of work trends in 2022: A new era of humanity’. They set the con-
text for organizations in the following way: The future holds a mix
of opportunities and challenges, including climate change, digital
acceleration, supply chain issues, and ever-changing customer prefer-
ences. To thrive, businesses must prioritize customer needs, adapt their
models, and implement flexible production methods. Emphasizing
people and technology to enhance productivity is vital, along with
fostering a strong sense of purpose and interconnectedness within the
organization. The journey ahead is both exciting and daunting, but
success hinges on embracing continuous change.
As CEO you need to be at the front end of anticipating and cre-
ating a sustainable future. In his foreword for Heathrow Airport’s
strategic brief, John Holland-Kaye, CEO, states: ‘This Strategic Brief

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

document brings together everything that we represent at Heathrow,

creating a clear set of aspirations for a future Heathrow in 2040. It will
provide the basis to guide, inspire and evaluate our business plans and,
in particular, the expansion programme over the next 15 to 20 years.’
In such unpredictable times it is a big undertaking to focus on
shaping the future, however it is a vital part of the CEO role.
I resonated wholeheartedly with the way Keith Barr, CEO, IHG,
assesses the value of a CEO for delivering sustainable success: ‘It is
important to recognize that there are certain things only you can do.
At the top level there are four key areas to lead:
1. Strategy: have crystal clarity about the plan.
2. Capability: have the right machine to deliver the plan.
3. Talent: have the right talent to deliver the capability.
4. Culture: have the right culture to deliver the strategy, based on
an environment of openness and transparency, to enable you to
move quickly.’
Keith continued: ‘Develop real clarity of purpose and strategy. You
need to be very articulate about the direction and take people on
the journey. When I took over the company, I had developed a clear
picture about what we needed to do in five years which included buy-
ing and launching brands, transforming our cost base, technology,
loyalty programme and owner proposition. As a result, we are hiring
people today who wouldn’t have considered working for us in the
past and we have owners working with us who wouldn’t have worked
with us before.’
In terms of the personal challenge for a CEO to develop tomor-
row, Keith commented: ‘Be a good strategic thinker. You need the
ability to take a complex set of data and synthesize it down to what
matters. It’s important to understand where the noise is and what
really makes a difference. You need to be able to see around corners.
It’s relatively straightforward for executives to think about what they
have to do next year. However, as CEO you need to think longer
term and have the ability to anticipate the future without having
clarity about all the moving parts. You need to ask yourself big ques-
tions like, in 15 years from now, what will success look like? Where

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

do we want to be? How could we get there? You need to think big-
ger, longer term and help your team to expand their thinking about
the future. Recognize that the decisions you make today will impact
the company in five and ten years. You have to manage the short and
long term. As a public company I have to manage the delivery each
quarter, each year, as well as steering the long-term growth.’
Jan Smits, CEO and Deputy Chair, APAC, Pro-invest Group,
gave a telling picture about the challenge for CEOs in developing
the future: ‘No one can tell what tomorrow will look like, however it
will look very different from the past. A CEO needs to look five years
ahead, but plan in shorter cycles. Tomorrow will have an even greater
focus on people and the need to build capable and aligned teams.
Given the scale of what we will face, having a capable team puts you
in the best possible place to overcome challenges and make the most
of opportunities. Make sure you prioritize succession and have the
right depth and diversity of talent in the organization. As CEO I am
constantly learning how to use technology for our advantage and
take the noise out of the system.’
Justin Basini, CEO and co-founder, ClearScore, reinforced the
focus on people: ‘A CEO needs to help lay out a sequence of pro-
cesses and experiences which take the organization forward, have a
plan for the long term while solving the first problems first. We are
currently investing in leadership and training to ensure we get the
best out of our amazing talent. This was less important in the past
when we were smaller and the senior and most experienced leaders
were managing most people. Now we are bigger and we have the
high-class problem of how we scale our management and leadership.
We are democratizing the translation of our strategy to help everyone
understand the business and be empowered. If we get it right, the
company has a better chance of succeeding in the long term and can
deliver real progress against our mission, irrespective of if key people
leave and move on in their careers.’
I was intrigued by the approach of Paul Dupuis, CEO and
Chairman, Randstad Japan, who also took a people-centric approach
to developing tomorrow: ‘My philosophy to building a sustaina-
ble organization is People + Growth = Output. For instance, Japan
is the second largest business in what we do. We are growing at an

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

unprecedented growth rate on our top line. What I notice is that when
a CEO talks about growth in a business, the typical expectation is that
it will be about the numbers. However, I had an ‘a-ha’ moment in the
India business. We were losing budget. I chose to change our approach.
I brought great people together and gave them a clear purpose focused
on creating an environment where everyone could be the best version
of themselves. We redefined growth and moved it to the following
definition: An environment where everyone can shine, be enabled and
equipped with the right tools to grow.’
Paul went on to say: ‘With a clear formula we agreed that meet-
ings needed to start by focusing on people, not the financial outputs.
We set up our time to discuss how we were developing people and
providing the tangible evidence to demonstrate what we were doing.
At the end of meetings, we focused on the financial output. It was a
challenging concept for colleagues, like when the Finance team got
together it took time for them to adapt to starting meetings by dis-
cussing people rather than the numbers! However, doing it persis-
tently and consistently meant that it became part of the company
culture where people knew that they would finish with the output.’
Paul also shared in our conversation: ‘I believe that the measure-
ment of CEO effectiveness is what happens when you leave. I watch
with deep interest what happens to organizations when I leave and find
that my reward comes when I witness that what we worked on together
has been taken to new heights. The ultimate contribution of a CEO is
to build a sustainable organization and do good in the world.’
Joel Burrows, CEO, Ghirardelli, invests considerable time with
his management team to develop tomorrow. He stated: ‘As CEO you
need to develop a shared understanding and alignment through the
organization of the future you are trying to create and the challenges
and problems to solve.’
Joel’s principles centre on the following: ‘As a CEO it’s critical to
focus on three key areas to set and deliver the strategy:
1. Where have you been? Immerse yourself in how the business has
developed. Take time to uncover the amazing stories and people
in your company’s history and how that story has evolved.

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

2. Where are you now? Make a very honest assessment of where

you are right now. Understand what is working, what needs to
improve and if the company is measuring the right things to
determine progress.
3. Where are you going? Be clear about where you want to go. Identify
the key success factors for sustainable, long-term growth and what
resources you need to get there, such as cost, quality, time and people.’
Top of the agenda for developing tomorrow is the sustainability agenda,
and not just the environment. As Stephen McCall, CEO, edyn, put it:
‘The ESG agenda needs to be one of the top things to focus on. You
cannot get away without scrutiny. In the future the impact of CEOs
will start with sustainability and end with performance. The social con-
text is key for the business. Elements like employee wellbeing, EDI and
integration in the community are fundamental. We have a super inclu-
sive environment, but I get called out for being a white, straight, mid-
dle-class guy. Most people will ask you about inclusion and you need to
have a thoughtful answer.’
Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO, Burberry, shared the importance of
having an intentional approach to the ESG agenda: ‘As a purposeful,
values-driven brand, we are committed to being a force for good in
the world. As CEO it’s important to make sure your customers are
aware of how your product connects with the ESG strategy and that
you get the right balance between governance and execution.’
This is how Andy Mitchell, CEO, Tideway, addressed the topic:
‘We need to live in a more sustainable way, therefore as CEO make
sure your focus on sustainability is within the broadest context
through the lens of ESG. You need to understand the societal bene-
fits, as well as the environment and governance ones. I firmly believe
that if you do things in the right way, you will get good business per-
formance, which is a major investment for the future. We have made
decisions that cost us a lot of money. When we awarded our initial
contracts, we needed to move things by river. It was the right thing
to do. But to create a more vibrant and commercial movement on
the river cost us £50 million. We didn’t need to do it, but it has paid
back massively with our shareholders as it signified what we stood
for. We had to raise £4 billion to deliver the project. At the time it

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

didn’t matter if as a company you had a good sustainability story. You

could borrow money cheaper if people knew that you could make
money. Now if you don’t have a good sustainability story, you might
not be able to borrow money. The markets have caught up. Do the
right thing and the right things will happen. You need to recognize
that at some point the right decisions will pay off.’
Andy also commented: ‘We are a single-project company. Our
remit is to do ourselves out of a job, which means that we have deliv-
ered. However, we still always try to do more. I don’t have a long-
term career to offer anyone, but I can develop people to be stronger
and better for their next role. Although we are a time-limited project,
the best thing I can do is to help others be the best they can be.’
To develop the future success of an organization, a CEO needs to
think about the long term. By creating a picture of what they want to
see happen and making a strategy that is a representation of the big pic-
ture, CEOs have the ability to step back and make important decisions
in the direction they want to go. The risk of operating with a short-term
focus is that the amygdala, best known for its role in fear and threat
detection, takes over, preventing you from being able to think clearly
and reducing your ability to tap into your long-term prefrontal cortex
to think longer term. Going into the future and beginning with the
ultimate outcome means that you are able to figure out what things
have to happen for that future to occur. Whether it’s a bold vision about
sustainability or some other large issue you want to solve, developing
and articulating tomorrow’s future, and recognizing the milestones it
will take to get there, is what helps you plan for a better tomorrow.
Emily Chang, CEO, Wunderman Thompson West, blended the
idea of thinking long term with the value of consistency: ‘No one likes
being called “predictable”. It feels boring – a predictable CEO may
be seen as someone who doesn’t stand out. But what’s the other side
of this coin? A predictable CEO eliminates the disruptive churn that
comes from trying to guess how the boss is feeling today. Someone pre-
dictable can be counted on. Developing expected routines and exhib-
iting predictable behaviour creates a sense of comfort and safety. And
when a CEO is predictable, people know what to expect. This reduces
the emotional investment that goes into trying to guess after, adjust
around, or manage the boss.’

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

Emily gave more insight about what being a predictable CEO

looks like, which goes to help develop a better tomorrow, including
scheduling regular:
● one-to-one meetings to set clear expectations and check progress
on a regular basis
● team meetings with a clear agenda, attendee list, location and
timing expectations
● town halls for broader groups, so people know when they will all
come together
● aligned updates or escalation paths, which give people a clear
route to resolution
● consistent leadership visibility that enables regular connects that
break down the walls of hierarchy.
Jamie Bunce, CEO, Inspired Villages, spends considerable time look-
ing into the future and trailblazing new paths: ‘I am blessed to work
in a sector where the demographics clearly indicate that things will get
better. We have new investors interested in the sector of later living,
with existing investors who are inquisitive and supportive. To reach
this point we needed to build the foundations to have our business
engine running well through our team. We have invested in radical
thinking to make a positive transformational change in how people age
in the UK and the world. If we continue to do it right and approach
growth in a systematic way, I believe that in the future people will have
the opportunity to think differently about aging. As CEO you need
to think ahead of the organization. Make sure you are connected with
colleagues in each part of the business. As CEO I look at the horizon
and take soundings on the basis that we will hit our goal to be the
world-leading retirement community operator. Somebody has got to
do it and I my preference is that it is us.’
Francesca Lanza Tans, CEO, The Alexander Partnership, reinforced
the need to be bold: ‘When thinking about future-proofing the busi-
ness, an easy trap CEOs can fall into is to avoiding making the wrong
calls at all costs. As CEO your job is not to play safe. You need to think
like an entrepreneur, question the status quo, stick your neck on the
line and understand the unspoken rules. Experiment. Have a fail-fast

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

mentality. You learn most from the mistakes you make. If you plan the
future based on what has worked in the past, you may preclude yourself
from exploring something entirely new. But if you allow yourself and
others to be driven by curiosity, openness and the courage to try some-
thing different, you might come up with a game-changer. You won’t
always get the result you expected, but pick yourself up and start again.
Foster a culture that is open to the outside world. Read as much as you
can and learn from others. Acquire knowledge from peers, competitors
and organizations in other sectors. Understand others’ mistakes. Be
outwards facing, and resist the temptation to navel gaze too often.’
The ability to think differently and innovate was a consistent
theme for future success. Mike Mathieson, Chairman, NED, advi-
sor and former founder and CEO, Cake founder and former CEO,
Cake, shared: ‘The key to building a sustainable business is reinven-
tion. If you rest on your laurels today, you will be history. The perfect
model is to have people in the company who are innovating on a
consistent basis. Constant change is a necessity, particularly in the
service industry. Consumers are changing all the time. You need to
make sure you have digital natives around you to challenge and move
the business along. You need a brilliant executive team to develop
the culture, and to live and breathe the core purpose of the business.
Everyone in the business needs tangible KPIs to ensure responsibility
and accountability. Be at the forefront of ESG principles. If you shine
from within, consumers will buy into your passion.’
A CEO needs to be plugged into tomorrow. Ensure you are attuned
to different ways of thinking, different ways of working and different
networks to establish a clear and compelling way to develop the future.
One movement to be aware of is B Lab: ‘A non-profit network trans-
forming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and
the planet.’ As B Lab states: ‘There’s no Planet B. Our international net-
work of organizations leads economic systems change to support our
collective vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.’
As CEO you could go down the route of seeking B Corp certification
to measure your company’s entire social and environment impact.
Another resource to note is Conscious Capitalism, whose phi-
losophy encompasses the following intent: ‘We believe that business
is good because it creates value, it is ethical because it is based on

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 Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth

voluntary exchange, it is noble because it can elevate our existence,

and it is heroic because it lifts people out of poverty and creates pros-
perity. Free enterprise capitalism is the most powerful system for
social cooperation and human progress ever conceived. It is one of
the most compelling ideas we humans have ever had.’
To develop tomorrow, build a solid company foundation consisting
of a clear strategic plan, robust organizational capability, great talent and
an inclusive culture so that the company delivers superior performance
today, which allows you the space to lift up and chart a compelling future
enabling you to do good for the world and do good for the business.

CEO NOTE
Probably the greatest privilege of being a CEO is to
help create a better tomorrow for all stakeholders.

Be an Enabler for Sustainable Growth:

Exec Summary
• Don’t wait to be a CEO.
• Every day you have the opportunity to deliver great results
which will be a blueprint of your success.
• Every day you have the opportunity to lead through today’s
complex world, which will equip you to think big and act small.
• Every day you have the opportunity to build a better tomorrow
by being a leader of the future.
• Think like a CEO today.
• Put your company agenda first.
• Help make sure the strategy is fit for purpose.
• Evolve the organizational capability.
• Unlock talent.
• Contribute to an environment of belonging.
• Make being a CEO an act of service to create a better world.

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 Epilogue

Acting upon the lessons in How to Be a CEO can help in your quest
to be a CEO, however no amount of books, advice, skills, knowledge
or experience can prepare you fully for the reality of being a CEO. It
is similar to parenthood. For those who have been fortunate enough
to experience the nine-month pregnancy period where you try to
cram in as much preparation as you can, the actual reality of having
a new-born in your arms is indescribable. As CEO, no matter how
ready you are, it takes at least the precious first 100 days to accli-
matize. Recognize that there is no such thing as the perfect CEO –
similarly there is no perfect parent. Immersing yourself in the prin-
ciples from How to Be a CEO will accelerate your journey and, most
importantly, challenge you to create your own framework to being
the best CEO you can be.
One of my biggest learnings from coaching and working with mul-
tiple CEOs is that it is rare for them to have codified their CEO plan
and approach before coming into role. Would you go on a journey
without a map? I do know some people who relish the opportunity to
leave a vacation unplanned and love to wander. However, even setting
aside a specified amount of time to travel on a whim is an outcome.
Start with the end in mind. Have a clear intent to become a CEO.
Whether you ultimately achieve this outcome is a different matter.
Developing a mindset to be a CEO is essential to testing whether it
is genuinely the right destination for you. Mapping out your route to
becoming a CEO will give you the best possible chance.
There is no right plan to make, however using the 21 steps in How
to Be a CEO will give you a robust path for the way ahead:
1. Purpose. Be clear about your big why and the difference you
want to make in the world. Combining this with the ability to

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

build and lead a purpose-led organization will be a competitive

differentiator as a CEO.
2. Values. Take a stand for what matters beyond financial profit.
People will want to understand your personal brand and, if it is
something that is meaningful, it will inspire them to follow.
3. Strengths. Understand where you add the most value and have
the biggest impact. Being a CEO demands extraordinary grit and
drive, so using your strengths will help you be on top of your
game and sustain you for the long run.
4. Vision. Develop the ability to think big and differently. The role
of a CEO is to provide clear direction, therefore it is essential to
lift people up by painting a compelling picture of a desired future
state.
5. Strategy. Become brilliant at combining insight and data with
judgement and courage to create a roadmap for an organization
to follow. Ensure everyone can translate the strategy to their per-
sonal objectives to create a golden thread from individual to com-
pany targets.
6. Energy. A CEO is the weather setting the climate for infectious
positivity and performance. Make sure you are the type of CEO
who lights up a room when you walk in, not when you walk out!
7. Preparation. Mastery takes practice. It is uncommon to stum-
ble into becoming a CEO. Be clear about the capability required
to be a CEO in your specialism. Do you need to build huge
credibility in your existing domain, such as law? Do you need to
become a brilliant generalist covering commercial, operational,
strategic and financial areas? Once you are in the fortunate posi-
tion of landing a CEO role, be ahead of the curve with a robust
90-day plan containing a proposition of the initial big bets you
will take.
8. Capability. Learn what great looks like to build an organization
fit for delivery. Have sufficient understanding about the company
machine, including data, technology, procurement, process and
systems, to be able to assess and develop the organizational capa-
bility required to succeed.

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 Epilogue

9. Blockers. The success of an organization is equal to its poten-

tial to perform minus interference. From an internal perspective
this can include factors like unclear priorities and plans, broken
systems and technology, turnover, lack of productivity or limited
innovation. External factors can be political instability, market
conditions, recession or global pandemics. You will need to be
equipped to navigate blockers in agile ways to ensure the com-
pany drives performance at pace.
10. Safety. In a climate of uncertainty and anxiety, learn how to create
an environment of psychological safety where everyone has voice
and contributes ideas without the fear of negative consequences.
In an age of humanity this will set you apart from leaders who do
not deliberately orchestrate the opportunity to invite participa-
tion, encourage risk-taking and champion continuous learning.
11. Belonging. Your strategic and technical competence needs to be
balanced with your awareness and expertise in creating the condi-
tions where everyone has a sense of belonging and can be them-
selves. Championing the equity, diversity and inclusion agenda is
the foundation for creating a highly functioning and performing
organization.
12. Thrive. As CEO you need a deep appreciation of the physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual capacities for people to be the
best version of themselves at work. This means being at the lead-
ing edge of managing health and wellbeing, working patterns,
learning and development, and enabling people to do the work
they love and love the work they do.
[Link]. The only way you will succeed as CEO is to build
your own super-team, as well as breaking down any organiza-
tional silos so that all teams can work together across bound-
aries in agile ways. The majority of company agendas require
cross-functional teamwork to combine the required mindsets,
skillsets and tools to deliver at pace.
14. Succession. The success of a CEO can be directly linked
to the depth and breadth of the company succession plans.
Championing the talent agenda through recruitment, retention

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

and development is a major priority of a CEO and needs to be

treated accordingly.
15. Learning. The ability of an organization to learn faster than its
competitors is a sure-fire recipe for success. The number one qual-
ity that people need to embody is curiosity. This needs to be role
modelled as a CEO through being present, asking questions, lis-
tening to understand, requesting feedback, being prepared to say
‘I don’t know’, and showing a willingness to make mistakes and
adapt at pace.
16. Climate. A CEO is the cultural architect of a company. It is
essential to understand how to develop the right cultural con-
ditions to enable the delivery of the strategic plan, and to stay
highly attuned to the reality of the way things are done so that
behaviours match the cultural intent.
17. Relationship. Your success as CEO will be significantly deter-
mined by your social capital. In other words, to maximize your
relationships with multiple stakeholders including the chair,
board, shareholders, colleagues, consumers, customers and com-
munity. Draw upon a network of shared values and resources to
enable people to work together to achieve a common purpose.
18. Influence. As CEO you have a relatively small circle of control,
however your circle of influence determines your success. Your
ability to understand others’ agendas, meet them where they are,
take them on a journey to align needs and put the company first
is a competitive differentiator.
19. Delivery. Demonstrating consistent delivery is point of entry for
becoming a CEO. However, the big shift to make once in role is
to create the conditions for excellent execution. This will require
you to have your finger on the performance pulse in real time so
that you can pull the necessary levers to drive it forward when
needed.
20. Today. We are living in unprecedented times of complexity,
ambiguity and unplanned scenarios, which demands CEOs to
combine a mix of thinking big, understanding the detail, having

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 Epilogue

conviction, acting swiftly, and mobilizing people to demonstrate

extraordinary levels of resilience, agility, drive and optimism.
21. Tomorrow. The test of CEO greatness is to build a sustainable
organization. This means ensuring the four fundamental areas of
a company – strategy, capability, talent and culture – continue to
improve. The ideal scenario for a CEO is to spend 80 per cent
of their time focused on the future. The best way of making this
happen is to do what only you can do.
Now is the time to reflect upon the formation or evolution of your
CEO plan. Different scenarios I encounter are:
● Aspiration: Next-generational CEOs who have genuine ambition
and drive to progress into the role.
● Succession: CEOs on the company succession plan, performing in
role and positioning themselves for a future opportunity.
● Transition: CEOs who have secured the dream role and are pre-
paring themselves for a great start.
● Established: CEOs in role who want to challenge themselves to
become better and/or strengthen succession plans.
Whatever your situation, the proven methodology of How to Be a
CEO will provoke your thinking and planning.
Purpose, People and Performance are timeless parts of leading a
sustainable organization. Every CEO I spoke with shared the priv-
ilege of being in a role where they have direct impact on significant
environmental, societal and economic issues. In their hands lie the
following opportunities:
● Creating cultures of belonging and elevating individuals tradi-
tionally underrepresented in business.
● Sponsoring learning and development opportunities to grow
employees and cultivate future leaders.
● Contributing to a world where people make a sustainable living
and have prospects for betterment.

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

7.
Be an
enabler
for growth
Stage III Performance Deliver & grow
6. Be an
architect of culture

5. Be a
connoisseur of talent

4. Be human

Stage II People Connect & influence

3. Be equipped to succeed

2. Be inspired to inspire others

1. Be skilled to be yourself

Stage I Purpose Think & plan

Figure 8.1

● Prioritizing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health

of employees and their families through education and quality
care.
● Championing sustainability practices and combating climate
change to ensure a thriving planet for generations to come.
● Engaging local communities to support development and growth
where we live and work.
Alongside the above, a CEO is accountable for defining purpose,
vision, values and corporate culture; setting and executing organiza-
tional strategy; building the senior leadership team; and making capi-
tal-allocation decisions. Combining these is a potent mix and as CEO
you can integrate life-changing scenarios with robust company plans.
However, you are not an island. Another key insight in writing How
to Be a CEO was the recognition that you will succeed only through
engaging others. Starting with your chair and board, extending to
your executive committee and rippling out to colleagues, consumers,

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 Epilogue

customers, community, shareholders, investors, governments, regula-

tors and the media, you will need to generate followership to succeed.
To build your coalition, be highly attuned to your stakeholder
agendas. Everyone will have a different nuance. Have the human-
ity to understand what is important for them and demonstrate your
commitment to where they are coming from. Make the necessary
trade-offs to appeal to the majority while putting the company first.
By investing in your network you are not alone. You are surrounded
by valuable knowledge, experience and capability to help you navi-
gate the organizational climate and to make the big decisions. Have
the humility to seek the right advice to test and evolve your thinking.
Be bold to pull the trigger on the highest-level calls. Stay vigilant to
progress made and adapt at pace when needed. Keep listening. Keep
learning. Keep leading.
Being a CEO is one of the most privileged opportunities in the
world today. I sincerely hope that wherever you are on your own
journey, How to Be a CEO will make a difference to the quality of
your thinking, approach and impact. My purpose is to develop better
leaders for a better tomorrow. If this book nudges you in this direction,
I am sincerely grateful.

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 About the Author

Photographer: Noel Yeo,

Nudge Photography

Ben Renshaw is one of today’s foremost leadership thinkers. Speaker,

executive coach and author, Ben’s innovative work with leading organ-
izations, senior executives and entrepreneurs has brought him interna-
tional acclaim. Formerly a classical violinist, Ben now plays a different
tune, getting the best out of people. He writes about how to lead and
be successful in today’s volatile world and is the author of 11 popular
books, including LoveWork, Being, Purpose, Lead! and Super Coaching.
Ben’s leadership development programmes include ‘Leading with
Purpose’, ‘Leading Change’ and ‘Leading Sustainable Growth’. As an
executive coach and leadership consultant, Ben has worked with cli-
ents including Allen & Overy LLP, Aman Resorts, Barclays, Britvic,
BT, Choice Hotels, ClearScore, Diageo, Entrepreneurs Organization,

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 HOW TO BE A CEO

Ghirardelli, Government Communication Service, Heathrow, Heinz,

Henley Business School, HSBC, Hyatt, Imperial Business School,
Inspired Villages, InterContinental Hotels Group, KPMG, Lindt
Canada, M&S, National Highways, P&G, Sainsbury’s, Sky, The
Standard Hotels, Transport for London, UBS, Unilever, Virgin Media
and Warner Bros.
To find out more about Ben Renshaw’s speaking, executive coach-
ing, team and leadership development programmes, or for media
requests, please visit [Link]
Email: hello@[Link]
LinkedIn: [Link]/in/ben-renshaw

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 Acknowledgements

I am blessed to partner with inspiring leaders who, through our

work together, constantly challenge me to learn and grow. How to
Be a CEO is a direct result of the generous insight of all the con-
tributors recognized at the start of the book. However, I do want to
shout out to Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership
and Management, Harvard Business School; Andy Cosslett, CBE,
Chair ITV plc and Kingfisher plc; and John Holland-Kaye, CEO,
Heathrow, who graciously wrote the foreword.
Thank you to my mentors who have been a rock in my own lead-
ership development: Andreas Thrasyvoulou, Chairman, New World
Hospitality; Graham Alexander, Founder, The Alexander Partnership;
and Simon Woodroffe, Founder YO! Sushi.
Thank you to the brilliant team at Nicholas Brealey Publishing,
an imprint of John Murray Press, for their expertise and commit-
ment: Jonathan Shipley (commissioning editor); Meaghan Lim (pro-
ject editor); Matt Young (marketing manager).
Thank you to my father, Peter Renshaw, for his generous support
in reading the manuscript, and to my amazing children, India, Ziggy
and Zebedee, who make it all worthwhile.

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 LoveWork: The Seven
Steps to Thrive at Work

BY BEN RENSHAW
AND SOPHIE DEVONSHIRE

Life provides a unique opportunity to do great

things and help make the world a better place.
Given that a staggering 90,000 hours of our
lives (on average) will be spent working, how
many of those precious hours will be
meaningful or memorable?

Authors Ben Renshaw and Sophie Devonshire believe it’s possible to make the time
you spend at work more rewarding and enjoyable. In LoveWork they share seven
simple steps to help you find new ways to build a more positive relationship with
your work.

This book is for you if:

● You are moving up through your work or moving on to a new role
● You’d like to move faster or go further
● You want to find, rediscover or nurture your love of work.

You’ll learn how to unlock your thinking to trigger a renaissance in your work
experience, to embrace dynamic working and to discover, develop and then
deliver new ways to thrive at work. If you want to love life, you’ll need to
LoveWork. It’s time to stop counting the hours and start making
those hours count.

“LoveWork offers a step-by-step framework for doing the work you love and loving
the work you do. It is filled with illustrative scenario-based examples to nurture the
free expression of ideas and help you thrive.”
From the foreword by Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and
Management Harvard Business School

Hardback 978-1-52936-853-6
Audiobook 978-1-52936-856-7

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 Ben Renshaw
Developing purpose-led organizations to deliver sustainable performance & growth

Speaking | Leadership Development | High Performing Teams | Executive Coaching

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