Is it true that it’s lonely at the top? Some in today’s sophisticated business world would say no. For proof, just go on Amazon and you will find literally thousands of books on the joys of leadership. In today’s email, you probably received at least a dozen newsletters full of interesting tidbits and helpful advice designed to support you in your leadership role. Peruse your Wall Street Journal and you will find case studies of other companies designed to help you understand where your company has been and where, with leadership from you, it can easily go.

Despite all of this, in working with thousands of amazing executives, I have concluded that it really is lonely at the top, simply due to the nature of the role. As the senior leader, you have a vantage point that no one else in your organization has. You see how all the functional and support areas come together to deliver results to your customers and stakeholders. You have access to data from both financial and personal performance perspectives that no one else has. You alone know what your board, stockholders, and customers need from your organization in order to be satisfied. Even if you shared all that information with your direct reports, you know that natural jockeying for position, competitiveness and ownership over individual areas prevents them from being objective about helping you make decisions for the good of the whole.

And of course, there is the pressure of the weightiness of your decisions. You are responsible for taking good care of an organization for both the short and long term. You decide how potentially millions of dollars are to be invested and used. You have the ultimate responsibility for the careers of many other people.

So, yes, it is lonely at the top. But some of that loneliness can be alleviated.

What is an Executive Sounding Board?

An executive sounding board (ESB) is an individual who acts as a thinking partner for a growth-oriented senior leader. An ESB works behind the scenes to enhance an executive’s ability to make and execute the best possible decisions, taking into account personal needs, leadership requirements and organizational effectiveness. An ESB is able to sift through clutter and chaos to help an executive arrive at clarity in terms of both thoughts and desired action, so that results are accelerated and the potential of both the leader and the organization is ignited and realized.

“I can see clearly now, the rain has gone…”

We are all familiar with “aha” moments, which are very similar to those times when the rain suddenly stops and the sun pops out from behind the clouds. This can be compared to what happens when an executive and an ESB work together: The clouds part, the sun appears and you know exactly what you want to do and how you want to do it.

It’s like what happens in the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” at the moment Harry finally realizes that he loves Sally and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He was meandering through the streets of New York on New Year’s Eve when this thought hit him and he took off running to find Sally. When he found her, he explained, “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” That is an “aha” moment that demonstrates the type of clarity which leads to decisive actions.

How working with an ESB enhances clarity:

Common Vantage Point:

In contrast to your leader, direct reports and peers, an ESB sees your world from your point of view. No matter how good your direct reports are, they naturally see a world narrowed by their somewhat limited spans of responsibility. They are tasked with and rewarded for making their areas successful. Your peers are in a similar position. But an ESB can see what you are faced with through your lens instead of a contrasting position.

Objectivity:

In addition to having a common vantage point, an ESB possesses an objectivity which comes from not having “a dog in the hunt.” Everyone has an agenda, so advice from even the best partner or peer logically takes into account bettering his or her self interests. But an ESB’s self interest is tied to the success of the executive with whom he or she is working.

Complementary Competence:

As ESB should not have the same skills as his or her executive boss. Instead, an ESB should provide expertise in areas such as how organizations function, how to manage the white spaces and how to lead transformative change. It’s the powerful combination of the executive’s technical and leadership knowledge and skills and the ESB’s organizational knowledge and skills that creates explosive results.

Quality Questioning:

Asking the right questions is the hallmark of an ESB. Those questions help an executive better understand what he or she is thinking and frame those thoughts in such a way that doing the right thing becomes more apparent.

I acted as an ESB to Eric, who was the senior Vice President of Operations for a large entertainment and hospitality company. The Vice Presidents for all operational areas reported to him. Eric undertook the unprecedented challenge of reinventing the customer and employee experience for operations on the whole (vs. individual areas). To succeed, Eric needed not only to have his direct reports “sing off of a common song sheet,” but also to get the support of his leadership and the dozens of stakeholders and partners throughout the organization.

As Eric’s ESB, I provided more for him than a typical consultant (who would help him achieve his business goals) or a leadership coach (who would help him improve his leadership skills). I helped Eric clarify what he really wanted to accomplish on behalf of the organization and for his legacy. He started with a premise that he wanted to “do something for leaders.” But through my questioning, he discovered what he really wanted was more along the lines of engaging the hearts and minds of employees so they would deliver memorable experiences for customers. Because of my complementary expertise, we created a project plan that, instead of taking a handful of individuals off-line, leveraged the expertise of the broader organization with minimal time commitment.

And because of my objectivity and ability to see the organization from his vantage point, Eric was able to take his strength in political savvy to a new level. As a result, he obtained the support and resources he needed for the project and what he embarked on in his part of the company became the template for similar efforts in other parts of the company around the globe. From our discussions, Eric identified what we labeled as “power alleys” for each of his direct reports, and we leveraged those power alleys for the good of the project. Subsequently, the majority of his direct reports obtained significant promotions in part because of the exposure they received from their role in this project.

The Bottom Line

Executives are paid to enhance clarity in and make quality decisions for their organizations. By helping an executive organize and articulate his or her thousands of thoughts and ideas, an ESB can enhance both the clarity of organizational processes and the efficiency and effectiveness of an executive’s decision-making, thereby supporting the achievement of many business metrics such as effective use of labor dollars and improved yield of existing assets. Thus, giving an executive the right person to act as a sounding board for him or her will provide a powerful return on investment for both the organization and the executive.

Are you wondering how you can benefit from having your own ESB? Give us a call at 407.376.8522 for a free consultation. We accelerate results by igniting leadership and organizational potential!