The room was silent as he explained, “I was let go.” You could hear a pin drop.
This CEO had been in his role for just under 18 months when he was fired. He had been told by the chairman of the board that it was because he had tried to execute on too many initiatives at once. He had spread himself―and the company’s focus―too thin, and he hadn’t achieved any of the goals he had set.
Now sure, he had learned a great lesson about prioritization, but what if he hadn’t had to have learned that lesson the hard way?
By contrast, there is a great story about Doug Conant. When he was in the running for the CEO role at Campbell’s Soup (the role that made him a household name in the leadership world), he didn’t try to tackle everything all at once. He leveraged his personal board of advisors.
Doug had intentionally built this board over the years, and when he needed them, they were there, ready to help. He gathered them all together, and as a team, they created the strategy he would present to the Campbell’s Soup board. It turned out that it was about 90% of what he would use when he held the role, leading Campbell’s to their huge success during his tenure.
You could say that the main difference between our first CEO and Doug was prioritization, and you would be right… partially. I think the other main difference is that Doug had a group of people who knew him, and knew how he would lead. He used them to bounce ideas off of, and they would never have let him create a strategy that tried to “boil the ocean.”
To me, the main difference was the support structure he had built. That’s what allowed him to be successful.
At Signature Leaders, we have seen this play out time and time again. Fortunately, we are in the business of jumpstarting leaders’ personal boards of advisors, so we see more positive results like Doug’s. Since the inception of our programs in 2013, our participants have felt that there was something different about what happens at Signature. It’s hard to quantify, but we think it is the combination of the opportunity to step away from work for a few days, focus on yourself and how you want to show up as a leader, and connect with like-minded leaders facing similar challenges as you.
In other words, leaders at Signature leave feeling refreshed, empowered, and connected.
This was the basis for what we built with Signature Surge. With this cultivated experience, there are people in your corner―your people. You can connect with peers and advisors who have walked in your shoes, with ease. You have external perspectives and advice, at your fingertips. This is why it works so well―the support is already built, before you need it.
As you think about what is next for you in your career, or as you face a challenge in your current role, utilize your own network. You likely have people who are in your corner―a spouse, a parent, or a friend―people you respect highly because of their business acumen or emotional intelligence. Tap into them.
Be intentional about creating space for conversations with these trusted advisors. Aim to connect at least once a quarter to keep in touch, fill each other in on the challenges you are facing, and share your thoughts. You may not need advice today, but someday you will. And when that time comes, you better have already invested in these relationships or the support won’t be there.
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
―Eleanor Roosevelt
So learn from this CEO’s story. A network is a powerful tool for your future success. It can help you align to a successful strategy, and avoid pitfalls you may not see for yourself. At Signature Leaders, you can see the power of a network, through and through, for our alumni and for our own company. Make it a goal today to start building yours.
(You can read more about building a network for success in other blogs.)
About The Author
Robert Seymour: Partner & COO, Signature Leaders
Rob is a strong business operator with a passion for advancing women in leadership. This passion stems from watching Carol’s career evolve and observing the challenges that his wife faced, and others still face, as women advancing in their careers. Carol’s unique approach to addressing these challenges, focused on providing the highest quality development experiences, compelled Rob to join Signature Leaders.
As Partner and COO of Signature Leaders, Rob drives operations, sales and marketing strategy, content development, and strategic initiatives. Rob oversees the team members at Signature Leaders responsible for program delivery and the Signature Collective, which focuses on alumni engagement. He manages about a dozen of Signature Leaders’ strategic client accounts, and he builds new offerings to meet the needs of all Signature clients. He also writes for Signature’s blog, and he edited and managed the production of Carol’s first book, Wisdom Warriors: Journeys Through Leadership and Life, which provides candid stories from over 70 accomplished business leaders, who share their hard-earned experiences to benefit the leaders rising through the ranks behind them.
In 2013, Rob began serving as the CFO for Signature Leaders while working full time as a Manager in Accenture’s Health practice. As a management consultant, Rob navigated clients through process and organizational changes during large-scale technology transformations.
Rob earned a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he pitched for Penn’s Varsity Baseball Team for four years. He and his wife, Michelle, live in Los Angeles with their daughter (Blake) and son (Bowen). Rob enjoys coaching sports for his children’s teams, playing golf, finding ways to stay fit, and taking on new challenges in the form of home improvement projects.
