By Lisa Martin
May 2014
What does it take to thrive at the top levels of business?
When I say "thrive," I mean something beyond mere success and survival. I'm talking about living up to your biggest potential at work and in life.
Most people who reach executive status make a single strategic error that limits their excellence. They rely on the old, tried-andtrue talents that brought them to glory in the first place.
As a top gun you need to do something radical: you need to let go of some of your most prized talents so you can focus on new, executive-level functions.
Does this seem obvious? Simple?
Maybe so. But an extraordinary number of executives cling to old behaviours and work patterns. And they're usually fully unaware they're doing it.
Being an executive means having the luxury — and responsibility — to be a longterm, visionary thinker. A strategist. You get to step beyond the everyday nuts and bolts of the business and play in the realm of ideas and possibility. Because of this, your impact has the potential to extend beyond the reaches of your company, to your community and industry. And, if your ideas are grand enough, your impact can stretch to all corners of the globe.
Soak that in. With this level of influence you can do great good for those around you, or you can do great harm. Weigh this with every choice you make, and be aware of the legacy you want leave.
Being an executive is about exercising emotional intelligence, letting others shine, and making the biggest contribution you can within your company and beyond.
After 15 years of leadership coaching, I can tell you with certainty that people who get shunted to the bench, demoted or fired from executive jobs are those who are unwilling to embark the major personal change it takes to excel at this level.
Don't let this be you.
Executives that thrive are conscious of their impact on other people. They are caring about their community and the world, and dedicated to their organization and its people. They are respectful of other people's skills, talents and autonomy. And finally, they are aware of when to speak and when to listen.
Ask yourself if you've truly mastered executive-level skills. Do you know how to dance with time? Create a coaching culture? Think expansively? Plan for greatness?
As a member of the Women's Leadership Circle Advisory Council, a signature program of The Vancouver Board of Trade, l'll be sharing a series of articles about maximizing your performance as an executive to help further our mandate to elevate women in business. I hope you'll join us over the course of the next few months.
Lisa Martin has made it her mission to help companies keep and cultivate rising leaders. She is the creator of the Lead + Live Better™ programs, a leadership coach, speaker, and bestselling author of Briefcase Moms. Her latest book Lead Advanced: 6 Skills to Be The Ultimate Executive will be available in June.