Gaining C-Suite Access

Leadership Coaching Notes January 2009

Gaining C-Suite Access

Cora struggled with building C-Suite relationships critical to earning the executive role she wanted. Despite extraordinary work ethics, top technical skills and her drive for success, senior executives didn’t look to her for leadership.She learned to reverse 3 habit patterns that were critical to her success as an individual contributor, but blocked her pathway to an executive role. What reversals changed her future?

What Worked

Stop Getting, Start Giving: Cora believed that her personal success would earn credibility and up to this point, it had. But, with C-Suite contacts, her strong discipline and personal competence actually limited her impression. When she imposed her detailed project plans, micro-managed others or dominated discussions with her ideas, her “control” limited her impact. Cora stopped building more personal successes and started giving away more responsibilities to her team. She showed how she leveraged herself and strengthened others. Executives noticed this as senior leadership capability.

What You Can Do: Of course you have to show competence, but as a leader, your technical abilities are assumed. Show you can “multiply” yourself by building the competence and success of others. What parts of your current job can you give away? What delegation will help your team develop their competence, creativity and visibility? Initially, giving to others is nail biting. You know you can do jobs faster, easier and better, but over time, delegating more and promoting others’ success will raise your team’s performance and establish your identity as a leader. You will be free to build new relationships, innovate and deliver more strategic value. What 3 things can you give away today?

Stop Being Interesting, Start Being Interested: To “climbing the ladder,” Cora had worked to be “interesting” and visible. To show her potential as an executive, she learned instead to show interest in others’ concerns, ideas, and recommendations. She began impressing C-Suite leaders by expressing sincere interest in their perspectives, challenges, ideas, and experiences. As she focused on them, they became more engaged and willing to follow her.

What You Can Do: Rate yourself 1-10 this week. How often do you ask others to share their views? (C-Suite leaders love telling their perspectives and will offer information that strengthens your ability to add value.) How often do you ask others what they would add to a plan for addressing opportunities or challenges? How often do you ask what they recommend as a next step or a decision before telling them your “right” answer? Good executives know that showing interest and building from other’s ideas is a powerful habit for success. Reverse being the star and start looking for others’ brilliance.

Stop Bragging and Start Checking: Cora was used to promoting her work and thought she was being a good service provider by telling executives what she and her team accomplished. Rather than attracting others, she often frustrated and distanced them. Cora reversed bragging and started questioning senior leaders about what they valued and what they thought of her team’s work products, meetings, and presentations. By eliciting their evaluations, she built a reputation for openness, responsiveness and continuous improvement.

What You Can Do: Check with C-Suite leaders, “What’s most important to you about this work?” and “What do you think about our current status and our performance?” Once you learn their assessments, you can affirm what you agree with (a great way to build relationships.) If you are surprised by what you hear, deepen joint understanding. “Let’s check that we are on the same page, what were your standards for a great job? What did we do that you valued? In the future, what can we do to improve?” Once you hear and understand, decide what you will start, stop and continue so you improve their perceptions.

Business Impact

As Cora promoted her team’s visibility, capabilities and successes, they contributed more value and helped build her identity as a leader. As she asked to understand her C-Suite leaders’ ideas, needs and feedback, she was amazed at how responsive and interested they became. As she asked what they thought was important and what they recommended, she became better informed, more creative and more responsive to their needs. C-Suite clients began calling her, inviting her to meetings and listening to her ideas. Her senior executive invited her to participate in their high- potential leadership program.

What’s Next

If you or leaders you work with want to increase your access, visibility and value to C-Suite leaders, a coaching program can build the plan and skills you need to succeed. Please contact me for a free initial conversation to explore options that can build your and their success. I always welcome your referrals, questions and opportunities to discuss building a future you will feel proud of.

Liked the article? Didn’t like it? Have any questions? Drop me a line mkimbell@corporateadventure.com. I’d love to hear from you!

All the best,

Meredith Kimbell
Executive Advisor,Strategy Consultant
Corporate Adventure

Leadership Coaching Notes uses real or composite client examples drawn from 25 years of coaching and consulting with leaders committed to solving their toughest personal, interpersonal and organizational issues.
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is copyrighted by Meredith Kimbell © 2011. All rights reserved. You may reprint any or all of this material if you include the following:
“Leadership Coaching Notes © 2011 Meredith Kimbell, Corporate Adventure, Reston, VA. Used with permission.”