Most people don't get the opportunity to be a CEO, much less lead a company with more than 6,000 people. Nevertheless, you'd be surprised what opportunities can come your way just by asking.
During a team building exercise at my company, Genesis, I was asked what role within the organization I would most like to move into. I said “CEO” without thinking. Little did I know that my choice words would reach the ears of Tony Bates, the actual CEO of Genesis. And to my surprise, he said, “Let's try it!”
Tony and I quickly found the day (with his guidance and advice) to step into his shoes as CEO. One minute you're leading a town hall, participating in a business strategy session, meeting with executives to discuss strategic business opportunities and more.
There are many leadership lessons from this experience that leaders can implement within their companies. Here's what I learned:
my point
A few hours into my day as CEO, I realized how important context switching is. My day was completely jammed with back-to-back meetings. I'm used to having a busy schedule, but each meeting with the CEO had a very different agenda. I ranged from meetings with all executives to discuss various initiatives, to discussions about strategic business opportunities, to his one-on-one meetings with other executives to discuss specific areas of responsibility. I even led and attended town hall meetings. Team dinners, and lots more in between. I was surprised at how quickly I had to change my mindset to accept new topics and speak with confidence. Clearly, great leaders are able to deftly switch from topic to topic, stay engaged, and provide solid guidance, regardless of the topic.
Next, I noticed that Tony is always thinking strategically and always aligning some of the more tactical conversations with the bigger picture. He pushes his team to think longer term, not just one year, but five years and even his 10 years ahead. He also considers the impact of leadership decisions on employees and leads with empathy. This further emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking that puts employees first.
And finally, being CEO for a day has made me even more appreciative of the tremendous amount of work and time commitment that comes with the role. Sitting in 10-hour meetings all day long and making strategic decisions can be exhausting. I realized how much mental fortitude and foresight it takes to take on a position of this magnitude.
If you're a technology leader looking to launch the next great startup that will change the world, be prepared for a lot of time and a lot of context switching. And if you're a leader like me, perhaps a vice president or an executive, consider broadening your strategic perspective in your day-to-day interactions with your colleagues, not just your CEO.
Advice for business leaders
As leaders of IT companies, we must always look for ways to improve and collaborate with our teams. Job shadowing, or switching roles for a day, is a great way to improve as a leader.
It's common to think of job shadowing as something done by early-career professionals rather than established leaders, but that's about to change. I learned a tremendous amount about leading a company from my own experiences, and Tony learned from me, too. Bringing in outside perspectives and voices can be an authentic and effective way to bring fresh ideas and approaches to things.
Additionally, trying out a new role within your company is a great way to increase the recognition of others' work. It's easy to become isolated in your current role and only see things through the lens of your own experiences and responsibilities. By trying out a new role, you'll not only gain a better understanding of the work of other leaders, but you'll also gain a deeper understanding of how you can work together better.
Job shadowing also gives you the opportunity to decide if you want to take on a new role in the future. You can learn the ins and outs of daily work without feeling pressured to give your all. This is a great way to find the best possible career opportunity for yourself.
Being a CEO is not an easy job and requires a lot of commitment, intangibility, and hard work. From my point of view, this day he is CEO is a great learning opportunity, and his shadowing of senior-level jobs in any way that makes sense is something that IT company leaders should model more of.
