Given the significance of this increase in responsibility, this moment of realization is sobering, at least for leaders who understand that authority can, and should, be delegated-but responsibility cannot.Ī new CEO title, of course, can also deliver a strong sense of purpose as you realize the opportunity you have to put your own imprint on an organization as you lead it forward. There is almost always a pivotal moment when a new CEO realizes they are no longer responsible for just what they do and say but that they are ultimately responsible for the words and actions of everyone in their organization. Simply getting comfortable with the role is easier said than done. But no matter what level of confidence or experience someone has when first appointed to the top of the executive suite, they will still need to “grow” into the position because unexpected challenges await. Obviously, most new CEOs have previous leadership experience that provided the opportunity to develop the skills and approaches that the job demands. And in my humble opinion, no first-time CEO is completely ready for the role. I genuinely believe successfully steering an organization in the desired direction requires being able to effectively set organizational sails, not to mention reset them, and do it under adverse conditions-which requires an ability to filter out the noise while maintaining long-term perspective and placing logic, not emotion (no matter how genuine), at the helm. This is a lesson I learned very well in 1996, when I was appointed president and CEO of Paragon Information Systems, a subsidiary of Newfoundland’s NewTel Enterprises Inc., and it speaks to a foundational element of leadership, or at least effective leadership. Maxwell’s father constantly reminded his son that complaining and wishful thinking are no substitute for “adjusting the sails to take advantage of the winds.” As a result, Maxwell learned early in life that realists and leaders alike are always ready to set a new course because it creates traction and offers some control over changing situations, “regardless of how the winds are blowing.” After all, as the author of “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” explains in one of his Minute with Maxwell video clips, he had the meaning of Ward’s words drummed into his brain as a kid whenever his father would exclaim: “John, don’t just stand there. And the realist adjusts the sails.”įor John Maxwell, this quote represents more than a nifty bit of wisdom. In the words of American motivational writer William Arthur Ward, “The pessimist complains about the wind.
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