An Effective Executive’s Anatomy
What characterizes an efficient executive? In “The Extraordinary Leader,” Zenger and Folkman propose that “the essence of leadership is not what you do; it is what you are.” Thus, to comprehend the effective essence of leadership at the executive level, we must also delve into the realm of ineffective leadership. Not all leaders are created or should be assumed to be good. The authors of this work began with a thesis that something must account for the presence of many leaders who are not effective. Their main inquiry is this: “If leaders are invariably good (or even mostly good), how do you account for the presence of so many leaders who aren’t good?”
A leadership structure enables an organization to function and grow in a strategic direction. But what makes a leader great rather than merely good? This infographic tells a neat little story—it’s an executive directory for the truly capable. Of course, we know that capable leaders do capable-looking things. They have powerful skills and make powerful moves. But why do these moves work, meaning: What is the structure and dharma of the great executive that gives them the bandwidth and the chops to make great executive decisions? Conversely, what doesn’t make a great executive and what shouldn’t be a part of the scene when looking for a great executive? Let’s look at all sides of the equation.
1. Appearance: The Very First Impression
What you wear sends a message about who you are, whether you intend it to or not. And that’s an important first step toward being an effective executive. You’re being evaluated on that first message before you even open your mouth. The infographic states that both men and women at the highest levels of American business tend to wear dark blue suits (or equivalents), light blue shirts (or equivalents), and then tiny details that “function as a full executive presence.” I can’t say whether that’s true—I haven’t exactly done a cross-country tour to inspect the wardrobes of elite executives.
2. Skills: Mastering the Fundamentals
An executive’s toolkit is filled with skills crucial to the role, including these: – Communication Skills: For a leader, it’s non-negotiable to convey ideas clearly and understandably. Their preferred mode of communication may be the first 10,000 words of a lead article, but good leaders live in feedback loops and are endlessly attentive to the murmurs and Yabbits of their teams. – Mentoring Skills: Even if they don’t have a direct line to duress, good leaders have a direct line to the talent pipeline. They dispense wisdom and advice with just the right heft, ensure employees reach their potential, and even sometimes maintain a topline view of that talent in necessary staff meetings.
3. Conduct: Walking the Talk
We believe it’s behavioral traits that define successful business executives and govern how they engage with their teams. These same traits—believe it or not—also seem to distinguish super-effective teams from those that are only kind of effective. Here are some characteristics we’ve witnessed: – Decisiveness: The best executives make tough calls and make them without too much delay. – Infectiously Confident and Optimistic: They seem to have an outlook and vision for their teams that light up the whole joint. – Flexibility and Resilience: More than a few of these top dogs seem able to bounce back from adversity and come up with workarounds when circumstances change. – Integrity: You could probably trust a lot of them with your life. – Fitness: Many of them stay superbly fit and work at a devilish pace.
4. Background:
The Foundations of Leadership A rich blend of education and experience forms the bedrock of executive leadership. – Experience in the Lower Ranks: Too many leaders today can be found mounted atop the shared services ivory tower or the C-suite’s corner office. The best leaders often find themselves back in the trenches, unafraid to engage with their frontline workforce and understand their lived experience. This kind of leadership can earn respect that goes beyond the title. – Graduate Education: Many leaders possess advanced degrees that sharpen their pencil when it comes to the mix of strategy and managerial acumen. – Relevant Field Education: Specialized knowledge ensures they know just enough—not too much and not too little—to inscribe themselves into the narrative of their industry.
An effective executive is a competent and capable leader who is professional and has good executive presence; who knows and masters the key executive skills; and, most important by far, who knows the difference between good behavior and exemplary behavior.
An organization can serve and help itself a lot better when it understands the anatomy of effective executive leadership. The model we use serves that purpose for us. For our clearness of thought, and more important, for the organizations with which we work. And ultimately, for us as we serve and do executive coaching with individuals. But no model can serve all those purposes well and still be simple enough to understand. And when you understand it, you see faults. When you see faults, you get upset. Maybe I should add that faults in a model annoy me.
