Beth Jannery is CEO of Titan: advice. She is a leader advisor and a USA Today bestselling author for Game On: Leaders Who Last.
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Have you ever wondered who leaders go to for wise advice? Many CEOs and leadership teams turn to high-level advisors. My favorite way of advising is like Wendy Rhoades from the show Billions.
Rhoades, played by Maggie Siff, advises ego-driven leaders with the deft combination of active listening skills, some psychology theory, a deep intellect, an analytical mind and a poor understanding of the human condition. She advises business leaders as part performance coach, part human bullshit detector. In my opinion, this combination is the best leadership advisor out there.
Counselors, if you’re lucky enough to find a good one, are like having a workout buddy, an accountability partner, and a lie detector all rolled into one. They will call you when you need it. And they will provide you with a safe place. They will analyze your next move as you lead a business to growth or fire.
Last month, I was brought in at a company that already had a high-level management consulting team, but they got nowhere. I had the chance to observe and advise why they were detained. This project dawned on me: just about any business in any industry can benefit from a speed dial consultant.
Bringing in someone from the outside allows companies to gain neutral insight from someone who is not an insider of the company.
A reorganization case study
An advisor is called in to solve the reorganization of a company. A new CEO has been appointed to facilitate this reorganization, but they can’t move forward because the current leadership – those who are likely to be about to change – will not shy away from it. The ideas of the CEO are always being scrapped. The inner circle plays big thinking games.
Where an advisor can be most effective is helping the leader domain over their heads. It is said that people have about 60,000 thoughts a day, so making the right decision can sometimes be a challenge for leaders.
The advisor quietly works behind the scenes with the new CEO to create a stronger organizational leadership structure, create a change management plan, and help the leader see where they are stuck with current leadership.
A new structure comes to life, and the new leader is able to cut through their mental clutter to focus specifically on the new strategy they have laid out for the new direction. Together with the advisor, they break through the thinking games, come up with a strategy and can identify any blockages. In many cases, the leader has feelings about their thoughts and it takes a counselor who has built the confidence to observe the present moment and point out where the leader is stuck in a destructive thought loop. What emerges is a plan for success for the new version of the company.
In this case, the CEO and management team needed an advisor to come in to see what they couldn’t see.
What will a consultant focus on?
A good advisor or performance advisor will typically focus on a few priorities:
• Your Thought Patterns: A counselor can observe the thoughts arising from any situation, circumstance or situation and help you see clearly what is really true. They can also remind you that you can have those 60,000 thoughts a day, but you don’t have to act on them all or make a decision about them.
• Help you identify your feelings: Very often leaders have thoughts about a situation, which then trigger feelings of anger or fear. They can’t always name them. If the advisor can be fully present, they can observe and call what they are.
• Focus on facts rather than feelings: An advisor can keep an eye on the price and help you stay with the company by reminding you that nothing is personal.
• Identify when you rely on ego: A counselor can remind you that you were hired to do your job, not to seek approval or to be liked by everyone. It’s not a popularity contest.
How much is an advisor?
The cost of top advisor skills can be $300,000 and up for consulting with a large firm. This usually involves hiring a consultant – a handful of hours a week and 30 hours a month is an average to see results. Smaller businesses can hire a consultant for about $150,000.
Finding the right advisor for you
Here are some tips for finding the right fit:
• Find an advisor who will not be a ‘yes’ person. They shouldn’t be your punching bag or doormat, and they should be willing to talk to you openly.
• Find someone who doesn’t have a skin in the game and who doesn’t care if you like him or not.
• Make sure they listen more than talk. And by listening I mean they are an active listener and an empath. Both qualities are extremely rare.
• If you find the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator helpful, I find those with the INFJ personality type are the most insightful advisors. INFJ personalities are extremely rare, but feel free to ask your advisor about their personality type.
• Find an advisor who offers a neutral listening ear, builds trust in you and has the best for you.
• Make sure they agree to full confidentiality and are willing to sign a nondisclosure agreement before your first phone call or meeting.
How to start?
Once you’ve signed up with an advisor, you can expect your working relationship to start off on a positive note. Expect a one-on-one introductory meeting, or if you’ve coordinated a face-to-face meeting, arrive at the venue and meet in person. Then let the fun begin. It is an introductory moment that quickly turns into identifying the desired growth. Your advisor will help you identify key target areas to keep conversations focused and informed.
My best advice is to be open, vulnerable and honest – it’s not always easy for people in high positions, but the trust factor is critical to dig into. Most of all, enjoy the process of having a trusted advisor standing in your corner for as long as it takes.
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