A client asked me what a “good” CEO looks like. After some discussion, I suggested the following simple yet powerful exercise so they could uncover their own perceptions and understanding of what makes a “good” CEO. The exercise can take as long as you need it to take. So don’t overthink it.
Find a quiet space. Put a timer on if you feel you need it.
The exercise
Take a sheet of blank paper and, using a pen, divide the page into two columns. Label one column “amazing leader/CEO/Boss” and the other “not so amazing leader/CEO/Boss”.
Now think about all the great CEOs, managers, bosses, and leaders you have known or experienced (could also be people you see on TV or read stories or biographies about) and write down their habits, behaviours, and attitudes as YOU saw them. Write it all down under the “amazing” column.
Do the same for those not-so-impressive CEOs, managers, bosses, and leaders and write down their habits, behaviours, and attitudes as YOU saw them. Write it all down under the “not-so-amazing” column.
Now, like a piece of art, step back and look. What do you see? What resonates for you will show up under the amazing column, and what repels you will show up under the not-so-amazing column. There is your answer. The lists show us the actions that these people demonstrated to you, which you internalised as “good” or “not so good”.
Take another look at the lists and think about which column you would like to be like. Feel like. Act like, and demonstrate as a leader.
Bonus exercise:
If you are game, do the same for YOU. Ask your team to do it for you or do it yourself. What habits, behaviours, and attitudes do you exhibit that mark you as a fantastic leader and those that are not so fantastic?
We learn a lot about ourselves when we go back inside and look for the answer rather than other people’s views on what makes a good leader. It’s the first step to showing up as an authentic leader.
Enjoy!
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