A cure for CEO disease
The issues associated with leadership isolation have been written on many, many times. Of all the issues, the one that seems the least mentioned is CEO disease. This is, however, a chronic condition that requires continuous treatment.
But, what is CEO disease? This is the condition from which all leaders suffer. The condition happens when the people that report to the leader deliver information that they think the leader wants to hear.
If left untreated the leader will fail! How can we make decisions without correct and complete information?
Those who report to us are doing what they believe is appropriate behavior, delivering what they think the leader wants to hear. This is normal and accepted in all organizations around the world if not addressed.
Good reports want to do what is best and right, so they decide what the leader wants to hear and respond accordingly. However, the leader’s decisions are only as good as the information they have at the time. We all remember the story of “The king who has no clothes.”
To treat this, the leader must communicate what information they should receive over and over again. Many businesses do this through customer satisfaction surveys, skip level evaluations, employee surveys, just “walking the floor” and so on.
How do you treat this chronic condition?
The CEO disease has created more business failures than anyone really knows about. The number one condition that proceeds a business failure is success. This is an amazing fact that exemplifies that the information the leader receives is incomplete or false.
One way a leader can combat CEO disease is by emulating Jesus in John 1:14. He came to us full of grace and truth.
This great leadership example can do a great deal to treat CEO disease. The CEO that leads with the fullness of both grace and truth is showing everyone else how to communicate properly.
In an organization where grace and truth abound, fear of reprisals is all but eliminated so the complete truth becomes normal and expected.
Photo source: istock
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