Kelley Powell is the author of Courage to Lose Sight of Shore, and the founder and president of Kelley W Powell Inc.
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I’ve always loved water and swimming, so last year when my 23-year-old son and I took a trip to Mykonos, Greece, I was determined to splash around in the Aegean Sea.
We discovered a picturesque sandy beach along the rocky hillside. I eagerly made my way to the water’s edge, but having recently recovered from foot surgery, I struggled a bit with the waves and the gradual slope of the rugged terrain. Just when I might have given up, my son noticed my hesitation. He came to me, lifted me up and carried me about ten feet to get through the waves.
The same thing happens in business. It pays to start and build a successful business, but then comes the realization that growing it will be more difficult. You might even experience hesitation to do so. Often growth can be made much easier by relying on others to push beyond what gives you pause. Adding the right senior executive to your leadership team can take you one step further and help you achieve greater success together.
I wouldn’t have trusted just anyone to carry me, and you shouldn’t entrust your affairs to just anyone. Look for these three qualities to find the right leader for your company and you.
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1. Earned experience
My son has spent his whole life in the water and can even water ski on one leg, hands free, holding the rope with one foot. I witnessed some epic falls as he perfected his impressive skills. He is a very strong swimmer with earned experience so I knew he could successfully take me where I wanted to go.
You reach a point in your company where you can no longer do everything yourself. To keep growing, you have to replace others. However, relinquishing control is difficult and requires trust. To trust someone with your business, you need to know they are capable, which comes from earned experience.
When choosing a senior executive, ask yourself questions like these:
- “Has the executive helped other companies through periods of growth?”
- “Did those companies achieve successful results?”
- “Did the executive experience failure?” (It may seem counterintuitive, but failure — and the ability to overcome it — is a sign of strong earned experience.)
The right senior executive isn’t someone who tells you he’s great, but him show you through their earned experience.
2. Thoughtful action
When my son picked me up, he waited for me to nod to him to say, “Let’s do this.” I was still insecure, but he didn’t give me time to think about it and change my mind. He just picked me up and before I knew it, we had already made it through the hard part.
The business world moves fast. To keep up, you need a growth-oriented senior executive who takes action like my son: with confidence, speed and thoughtfulness. Don’t settle for someone who can to do something; find the person on that do the thing while bringing it everyone on the journey. Ask candidates questions like, “Can you tell me about a situation where you had to lead people through a major change?” and “How do you know when it’s time to move from information gathering to action?”
The right senior executive makes decisions quickly and then acts on positive results while attentive to you, your team, your company and your customers. With such an executive you will achieve your goals easier and faster than expected.
3. Focused on relationships
After my son carried me through the waves, he threw me in at the deep end and said, “Race you!” Because of our relationship, he understood that this was what success meant to me: not just getting through the waves, but swimming on the other side in the open sea. I was in my element now and it was so much fun and liberating to do what I did best and had fun doing. I ended up winning that race, which also felt pretty good. I know what you’re thinking – kind of unfair considering he just carried me. WHERE. I wouldn’t have won without his help.
A great senior executive helps your business grow. The right senior executive helps your company, your team you too grow because they are driven by business results and relationships. They help you through the things that challenge and wear you down so you can focus your attention on where you shine.
The best way I’ve found to judge whether a senior executive prioritizes relationships is to ask the people they’ve worked with before. Was it a positive outcome for them as a person, but also for the company?
There are many ways to grow a business. A relationship-oriented executive takes the time to understand you and your company. They will work of you, looking to scale the business and ensure you grow in the right way for you and your team.
A fast track to success
After my son and I finished swimming, he offered to carry me out.
“No, no, no,” I said. “Getting out is easier than going in.”
“Mom, you’ve done so much for me. I can carry you three feet. I know you can, but please let me help you.
That’s what the right senior executive does. They recognize and acknowledge all the work you’ve done to create and grow the business, and they come from a place where they genuinely want to help.
I let my son help me, and it was so much better. i could be did it, but I didn’t have to fight.
The same goes for you. You could work your way through any challenge you face alone, but chances are the journey will be more difficult, longer and less enjoyable. Bringing in the right senior executive—someone with experience, thoughtful action, and a focus on relationships—can get you through those three steps. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to greater success and you might even have fun along the way.
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