An Open Letter To The Comfortable CEO

Posted on by Shannon McCrary

Dear CEO,

As we head toward the middle of the 21st century, I write this letter to shed some light on some blind spots within your company, that may ultimately prevent a successful transition towards a brighter future. While the foundation of your company may appear in safe standing, the reality is that you could be slow dancing in a burning room with your employees and the wider community severely affected. This letter is intended to inform, and hopefully disrupt, the status quo of your organization with a few key points:

1. The Tone You Set is the Culture You Create

Warren Buffett said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Keep an eye on your culture and your values. Not the company’s values — yours. Not because you own the company (you might), but because the moment you signed on as the captain of that ship, you become responsible for the tone and culture.

Be careful with your people. If your culture is chaotic, the trickle-down effect to those under you can be harsh, and you will become stuck with their attitudes. If this elicits from you an attitude of: “If they’re not happy, then there’s the door” then I’d suggest reframing the situation. The key lesson in Remember the Titans was “Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” Consider a more empathetic approach, because it’s highly likely that employees never signed up to be first responders.

The World Economic Forum published an article by Dr. Travis Bradberry, president of TalentSmart and coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0. In this July 2019 article, he states, “For the titles of director and above, scores descend faster than a snowboarder on a black diamond. CEOs, on average, have the lowest EQ scores in the workplace.” 

I would imagine it is both isolating and discouraging to learn this, even for the most comfortable and closed-off CEO. However, you are far from alone. 

After some self-examination, though, realizing that your approval rating is in direct correlation with your emotional intelligence score might create pause for strategic reconsideration. Frederic Laloux of Thinkers50 said, “When organizations are built not on implicit mechanisms of fear but on structures and practices that breed trust and responsibility, extraordinary and unexpected things start to happen.”

2. Communication is a Heads-up Profession (and Practice)

While technology and automation are undeniably the future, it’s also about human connection. If the culture and values mentioned above, caused this slow dancing, burning room scenario to appear, then adopting technology and automation to mask the fact, will not achieve much. Introducing a healthy level of automation and technology into your company while still keeping face-to-face interactions with employees is vital for your organizational structure.

Avoid a self-devised “escape route” when communicating with employees, and you’ll be amazed at how much respect you get — when your communication shifts from disengagement to engagement. Bottom line: Engage using technology and automation with your external audiences (customers), and use some personal engagement when necessary. Engage in face-to-face interactions with your internal audiences (employees) and use technology and automation when appropriate. 

3. Change the Mental Health Narrative 

Stop criminalizing mental health days (currently masked as “personal” days). The average citizen, through to the president of a country, sometimes needs a personal day. It shouldn’t require being doubled over with influenza to ask for one. Engaged employees are happy employees and vice versa. Healthy workplaces and communities start with the right work/life balance. Even yoga in the workplace has become a trend. Still, it cannot refuel the mind and body the same way that hiring another person can — to help balance your mounting workload.

As the CEO, you play a pivotal role in demonstrating how mental health is perceived within your company, and ensuring that adequate support exists. Lastly, remember the power of storytelling; your transformation can create far-reaching impact. Iron sharpens iron, and nothing beats mentorship. Whether mentoring a fellow CEO or someone directly under you, pass along your sage advice. Remember that you are not alone.

5 Questions That Will Turn the Tables in Your Favor During a Job Interview

Posted on by Shannon McCrary

A few years ago, I considered a cross-country move to work for a renowned public relations firm. I had researched, followed, and immersed myself in everything they were about, to the point of imagining a new life working for them. After some hard work, I eventually landed a phone interview. While my answers to the interviewer were close to ideal, I made a critical mistake that cost me the job. What was it?

At the end of the phone call, I was asked if I had any questions. Already knowing so much about the company from my research, I thought it unnecessary to ask anything further. It was this lack of curiosity that I believe ultimately landed my resume on the cutting room floor.

From that day forward, I came prepared with questions — thought-provoking, intriguing questions that caused my interviewers to reflect on their company’s mission, metrics, and core values. Questions that created a pause in almost all my conversations, that was usually followed by an inevitable, “Wow, that’s a great question!”

Here are five questions you should never avoid in your next interview:

  1. At the end of the next three years (using three years as a measurement for success), what outcome would you like to see as a result of hiring me?
  2. What three significant obstacles will I face in accepting this new role?
  3. Where are the most significant future opportunities to be found in your company, as it relates to my new position?
  4. What are your company’s cultural values, and how are employees held accountable to them?
  5. How do you ensure that innovative ideas move from a lower-level employee to a decision-maker within your company?

The reason these questions work is because they deliberately forecast your future success, and that of the company, while determining whether their corporate culture is a high five or a hard pass. Here’s to your dream job in 2020!

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