To many leaders, how to become a CEO is not good enough– they desire to be an exceptional CEO, whether they are at Fortune 100 companies or startups. Should they improve behaviors or build the underlying structure? Is there a timetable? Are IQ, EQ and Behavior tools enough? What is the difference between how to become a CEO and how to be an exceptional CEO? Recently, McKinsey released its CEO study on what makes a CEO “exceptional” based on the pattern they have recognized among a big data through behavior analytics. Let’s review its 3 key findings and explore how to be an exceptional CEO or how to become a CEO. In the meantime, give yourself a quick self-evaluation.
The key here is how to keep a fresh and objective view and minimize attachments to old glory and routines, which is a part of human nature management. Unable to do so has stopped many CEOs in our leadership study and Fortune 1000 CEO study. I have paid a heavy price here myself.
However, not everyone needs to come from outside to gain the quality, for example, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Ford CEO Alan Mullaly, and American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault. They all came internally and have transformed their businesses.
How do you do here? You can take a quick leadership assessment.
The time is very important when reshuffling management. However, what if an organization cannot afford the 2 years to warm up? For example, Alan Mullaly joined Ford Motor in 2006 when Ford was on edge of bankruptcy. Jeffery Immelt became the CEO of GE 4 days before 911 attack hit GE badly. Regardless where they came from, neither had 2 years to warm up self and their institutions. Let’s explore what takes to develop the strategy and translate it into effective action in a timely manner.
After assessing hundreds of CEOs and non-CEOs from different sizes of institutions, we have found the following:
All the above elements require IQ, EQ, learning Q (LQ) as well as Adversity Q, Public Influence Q, Health Q. How the 6Q work together just like how human muscles work together in body movements. Industries, stages of business, the status of the team and others can add, modify, or delete the required elements. CEOs are the keys to business success and need to be ready for the worst, be stable and stay healthy; therefore, their issues are often too complex for traditional IQ and EQ tools alone to handle.
Behavior analytics can recognize many behavior patterns but not their root causes. However, most institutions, including top MBA, build leaders with behavior analytics and pattern recognition and have received poor results. A 2016 Deloitte survey found that only 13% of companies believe they are building effective global leaders.
The differences between how to become a CEO and how to be an exceptional CEO are significant– an average CEO can be extraordinary in some areas and certain process, not almost all areas and all processes, especially learning and the health of their Ego. Today, we can identify the “missing software” and strengthen leadership rapidly.
In general, symptoms are not equal to their root causes because all 6Qs can interact with one another. For example, IQ and EQ can lose their power due to poor AQ and HQ, which is why IQ, EQ, LQ and behavior tools cannot solve all issues. Being cool in the storm makes a leader unforgettable. Being able to manage team’s mental health often can win CEO more hearts, minds, and social credits.
In addition, each element above can involve a lot of underlying work. For example, “Focus on the Big Picture” involves not only decision-making quality, but also industrial insights, rules of games (business, society, and government), leaders’ health of Ego, innovation, resilience, and others. Whether a leader can focus on the big picture is behavior. Decision-making, knowledge, the health of Ego, innovation, resilience, and others are the underlying structure that will shape the behavior. However, most people only focus on the technical part (IQ) but miss the rest, and many institutions either categorize leaders based on their today’s behaviors or secondary behaviors.
For further analysis and more case studies, please read Can Behavior and EQ alone Build a Level 5 Leader and What Stop Leaders from Good to Great. How to become a CEO is a part of corporate leadership development. A recent Deloitte survey found that only 13% of companies are building effective global leaders. One fundamental cause is that traditional IQ, EQ, and behavior tools alone cannot solve complex issues that also involve Adversity Q, Public Influence Q, and Health Q. To personalize development with the right tools is one key. Here are other keys to optimizing corporate leadership development.
——————————————————————————— How well do you do at each part? Take a quick assessment. ———————————————————————————
First, Today Is NOT Tomorrow. Not every leader has what they “should.” Instead of focusing on their behaviors today, we should explore the underlying structure and find the “missing software.” Without the underlying supporting structure, today’s behavior WILL NOT last to tomorrow. The tools are often beyond IQ, EQ and behavior alone.
Second, catch the development needs of a leader before “the 360 degree” and make wise investments because NOT all issues have quick solutions, for example, talent type and pathological Ego. In addition, there is no one tool for all issues; therefore, we work with the best in different industries, including McKinsey.
Furthermore, many “intractable issues” are due to a lack of the right tools. For example, target all issues involved in “Focus on the Big Picture” with IQ tools. By getting to the root causes with the right tools, we often can save at least 50% of the time and discover fast solutions to 30-40% “intractable issues.” Time is money. Efficiency is life. I wish everyone agree with me.
After years of researches, we have found that building exceptional leaders is the most efficient way to strengthen society. For someone who desire to be an exceptional CEO, he or she first has to be a happy and healthy person, a level 5 leader, and be ready to handle all-in-one responsibilities. Thus, the program “Be an Exceptional CEO” usually requires more time and effort than “Leadership, from Good to Great.”
In summary, to be a CEO, you want to know not only how to become a CEO but also how to be an exceptional CEO. The sooner you know the difference, the better CEO you can be, the more impact you can make on the world.
1. Identify your “missing software” before “the 360-degree evaluation.” The difference can be to do damage control or take early action and find efficient solutions to 30-40% “impossible.” 2. Install the “software” as smoothly as possible. The difference can be weeks vs months or months vs years. 3. Integrate learning with practices. The difference here can be knowledge vs action. 4. More tips on how to go from good to great, to exceptional.
The right approach means more when you are a “underdog.” It is easier to score higher, faster and better than to be frustrated about “justice” although you should never give up your right. General job exposure and self-discovery are helpful but often too general and time-consuming. Speed and results can determine the rise and fall of a business and a CEO.
If the 6Q approach new to you, consider read more CEO case studies in the book What Stop Leaders from Good to Great. Like Reid Hoffman, the founder of Linkedin, said at one of his Master of Scale episodes, “You have to frequently ask yourself, ‘Which of the old lessons have to be thrown out? And which things do I have to unlearn or learn anew?’” Throw out your old tools and embrace new ones. In addition, DO NOT give up your issue before consulting The Prince Synergy even if it is impossible to anyone else.
About the Author Bin Yang is the Managing Director of The Prince Synergy (www.theprincesynergy.com), a leading consulting firm that focuses on building exceptional leaders to strengthen society and solves the hardest issues in leadership and performance that no one else can. She is also the author of Identify Your “Missing Software,” Go from Good to Great Efficiently. For more information or to schedule an interview, lecture or appointment, please contact us at 310-668-1828.
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ABSTRACT:Many hospitals have run out of space due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). It is critical to enable non-infected to stay healthy with optimal Internal PPE + External PPE since face masks and social distance (External PPE) cannot block all viruses and not everyone has strong internal PPE. The more non-infected can stay non-infected, the fewer hospital beds needed. No lockdown needed if every powerful tool is used, and everyone can do their part.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has surged again recently. Although the positive case number may be due to great testing, hospitalization number matters. Yet, not everyone can stay at home, work from home, or close their stores.
Facemasks, gloves, and social distance cannot block all virus. Studies found that a surgical mask can block as much as 75% of virus, N95 can block up to 95% of small particle, and social distance can reduce up to 99% virus exposure. Individuals either beat the rest virus or get infected.
It is easy to understand that the elderly better stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic since their internal PPE is often low. Many working personnel has low internal PPE even they are young due to stress, poor self-management, co-morbidities, etc. The CDC estimated that 45.4% of U.S. adults are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications because of co-morbidities. The CDC also found that 19% of COVID-19 infection could come from health care personnel (HCP) who often use N95 facemasks.
Among infected HCP, 38% have at least one underlying health issue, and 62% have NONE. The median age was 42 when work and life are full of tough challenges and associated stress that can suppress their immunity and self-healing (internal PPE). Many individuals need to serve customers in person like HCP, and their internal PPE is not optimal. If infected, they will not be able to work and can be the source of new infections.
It is wise to empower vulnerable non-infected with internal PPE besides external ones according to their work environment and health so that they can stay healthy and not spread infection. Many of them can optimize their internal PPE via fast relief, early action, or the right action. Optimized internal PPE can also help them handle many other hazards and save 15~40% of healthcare costs down the road. To think differently is the first step.
The first step is to minimize virus exposure as much as possible, especially those who need to serve customers in a closed area, for example, HCP, flight attendants, pilots, bank tellers, and supermarket associates, for COVID-19 can harm not only human lung but also heart and brain. No health, no liberty, no pursuit of happiness. One group often underestimates the evil power of COVID-19, do not minimize virus exposure with face masks, and get infected, for example, President Donald Trump. Another group lacks education due to poverty and can overly expose to the virus due to density. When a big family live under one roof– once one member is infected, the entire family is involved.
Some individuals overly protect self. For example, they wear 2 face masks while sitting inside their own car or home alone.
Immunity is the key to fight infection. Although asymptomatic, many individuals’ immune systems are suppressed by stress— 45 % of youngsters (MTV), 80% of workers (Harris), and 100% of CEOs (Vistage). For example, a healthy person can suffer a severe infection after working too hard for a while. A vegetarian athlete can develop a heart attack after a series of intensive challenges.
While we sleep, our immune system can also become more robust and fight harmful substances better. However, one in four Americans develops insomnia each year. About 90% of students at an EMBA program raised their hands when I asked who had insomnia under stress. Yin Yang imbalance can also impact individual immunity.
Many individuals can restore their internal PPE quickly from the suppression of stress, insomnia, and Yin Yang imbalance. Some can fall into sleep within 30 minutes. Thus, we want to be sure that individuals have a few hours to sleep before we help them. Optimized immunity and self-healing can also solve early bacterial infection within 30 minutes with NO medication. The video below can tell you more.
I initially used these technologies when I tried to recover myself from Traumatic Brain Injury and pass medical licensing exams in 1999. In 2012, I found pus on my throat after working extra hard for a while (I used to be completely healthy). I knew how long it could take if I went to the ER, so I decided to try to deplete my stress and restore my Yin Yang balance. It worked– the pus disappeared in 30 minutes with NO medication. Then we help various people.
Through the integrated approach, we have reversed fast Aging, burnout, TBI, and heart attack, and enable individuals to maintain optimal performance and health. In the meantime, we have perfected the techniques and need no pill, no injection, no needle, and no surgery.
Some individuals have low internal PPE due to poor self-management. Many people drink, smoke, or drug to manage stress since they cannot handle setback or failures or do not know healthy alternatives. Some people “cannot find the time” to take care of themselves. It is not hard for them to develop new skills and habits by evaluating their 6Q. To meet challenges efficiently and live healthy is a key to maintain long-term internal balance and achieve optimal health.
The next is co-morbidity. About 70% health issues, including heart diseases and diabetes, are related to non-health causes, such as stress. We can control many of them at the early stage with the right tool, for example, heart attack. Healthcare becomes expensive endless symptom relieves when handling non-health causes. By minimizing co-morbidities, many individuals can significantly reduce their risk to COVID-19, save lives, and save money. The video Learn from Maradona and Tony, Protect Your Life and Dream can tell you further.
Businesses can further reduce infection and death by integrating healthcare with their daily management. Some companies let employees 70+ work hard while the fatality rate of the group is nearly 10%. Some have high healthcare deductible, which make their employees hesitate to go to the hospitals when their lives are threatened. In fact, the government pays for the COVID-19 care for everyone, whether they have insurance or not.
Many people are used to going to the hospital after they develop typical symptoms or start treatments after others become ill. That works perfectly with fast-developing illnesses, such as injury.
Like most other diseases, COVID-19 has the incubation stage. When many hospitals have run out of space, it is wise to help as many non-infected not enter the acute stage as possible. While Western medicine can provide face masks, social distance, and vaccines, Eastern medicine and the 6Q tools can enhance internal healing, eliminate stress suppression and Yin-Yang imbalance, and minimize non-health causes that contribute to about 70% of co-morbidities.
There is a saying, “It does not matter if it is a white cat or a black cat. As long as it catches a mouse, it is a good cat.” As many cities lockdown, many businesses have closed for good, which is significant economic losses. Yes, face masks and social distance are low cost and simple to follow. However, when they are not enough to help non-infected stay non-infected, we should be open to more effective non-invasive solutions. The more people can stay non-infected, the fewer hospital beds needed, the more cities and businesses can remain open. No lockdown is necessary if every powerful tool is used, and everyone can do their part.
Some institutions invest heavily in COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody tests, which is great but can be greater. The COVID-19 diagnostic tests help to catch asymptomatic infections but cannot replace internal and external PPE or health care needed. Also, individuals only develop COVID-19 antibodies AFTER exposed to the virus, and the reliability of the antibody is unclear, per CDC.
COVID-19 has made 2020 unforgettable. It is wise to fully utilize non-invasive and highly effective tools to help non-infected stay healthy per their work environment and health needs before a vaccine is available to everyone. When one tool is not enough to meet a new challenge, we should be open to more effective tools. The more people can stay healthy, the fewer ICU/hospital beds needed, the more cities and businesses can stay open. Furthermore, we can save a lot of healthcare costs down the road once individuals can optimize their internal PPE and manage self efficiently.
Different individual and industry have different needs. Most individuals need 1~2-day basic training. Some people may only need a 30-minute consultation for the right direction. Those who need to handle complex tasks may need comprehensive evaluations and solution. Businesses often need to better their performance management system. See which program fits you.
About the AuthorBin Yang is the Managing Director of The Prince Synergy and Dream & Power, a leading consulting firm that focuses on building exceptional leaders, teams, healthcare, and saving costs. For more information or to schedule an interview, lecture or appointment, please call 310-668-1828.