I’ve been working 1:1
with a variety of clients lately
helping them craft high-stakes communications.
For each, it’s essential that
they express their perspective
vs. deliver a presentation
designed by someone else.
As I say to them,
“You are the CEO for a reason.”
There’s a unique view that
one has at (and from) the top…
and there’s a reason
one is at the top.
The value of owning one’s insights,
however, applies at every level,
even far below the CEO.
For recent keynotes, executives
who have brought me on board
have wanted me to encourage
those in the audience to
step up and own their role…
More and more,
I’ve heard this from leadership:
that employees are reticent
to take ownership and accountability.
They hang back.
They wait for someone else
to speak up, provide direction, or take the initiative.
Believing in oneself,
formulating a perspective
and standing behind a point of view
takes courage and confidence;
it takes conviction.
And whether you’re the CEO
or a member of a much larger team,
when it’s time for you to offer insight
––whether in a meeting, on a call
or (in the case of these CEOs)
on a much larger stage––
are you willing to share
what you know and see?
As I say in my book Risk Forward,
“YOU CAN’T OUTSOURCE VISION.”
Trust yours.
This also means it’s essential
to speak from knowledge
to speak with humility,
and to be open to another’s opinion.
Risk Forward & Rock On,
