February2023

Steppingup:Becomingahigh-potential

CEOcandidate

TheroadtobecomingCEOisadifficultascentforeventhemostseasonedleaders.Herearefourkeystomakingthejourneyasuccess.

byCarolynDewar,ScottKeller,VikMalhotra,andKurtStrovink

“Itisnotthemountainthat

weconquer,butourselves.”

―EdmundHillary

Theworld’shighestpeakisMountEverest,majesticallyrisingalmost30,000feetabovesealevel.Manymountaineersspendyearsgainingtheexperience,skills,physicalfitness,andmentaltoughnessneededtomakethetrek,yetfewmakeittothetop.SinceEdmundHillaryandTenzingNorgayfirstreachedthemountain’ssummitin1953,onlyabout5,000peoplehavefollowed.

Thechallengesoftheclimbcompoundthecloseronegetstothetop.Thetrailfromthefinalcamptothesummitisdubbed“thedeathzone,”wherethinairandbrutalweathercombinetocreateconfusionandhallucinations,aswellasahostofhealth-relatedchallenges.Fortheselectfewwhomakeitthrough,however,amagicmomentawaitswheretherearenomoreupwardstepstotake.Theyfindthemselves,literally,ontopoftheworld.

Sincethe1950s,fewerpeoplehavemadeittothetopofFortune500companiesthanhavescaledMountEverest.WhenMaryBarrajoinedGeneralMotorsasan18-year-oldengineeringintern,theoddsthatshewouldsomedaysitintheCEOchairwerefarlessthanonein750,000(thenumberofGeneralMotorsemployeesatthetime).Itwasmore

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probablethatshewouldbestruckbylightning!Yettoday,she’smorethannineyearsintohertenureasthefirstwomanevertoleadaUSautomaker.

Barra’sjourneytothetop,likethatofmostFortune500CEOs,involvedcontinuouslearningandhavingarecordofsuccessacrossawidevarietyofincreasinglyseniorpositions.Duringhercareer,shehonedmanyvitalleadershiptraits,suchasstrategicthinking,relationshipbuilding,risktaking,authenticity,humility,objectivity,resilience,stamina,anddecisiveness.AfewyearsbeforebecomingCEO,however,shesuddenlyfeltsidetrackedasshewasunexpectedlyshiftedtoHRintothetypeofsoftjobthathaslongembodiedwheretalentedwomenfinishouttheircareers.

AsBarralearned,anyleadertwoorthreeyearsoutfromthetopjobfacesafinal

ascentasfraughtwithchallengesastheoneonMountEverest.Someexecutivesfindthemselvessidelined.Othersbecomepartofthetopteamonlytodiscoverthattheyhavenodesiretostepupfurther.Stillothersbecomedisoriented,losetheirbalance,andfall.Forsome,externalfactorsinterruptthepathtobecomingtheCEO—atleastattheircompany.AsBradSmith,formerCEOofIntuit,recounts,“WhenIsteppeddown,theconditionsweresuchthatSasanGoodarziwasbestsuitedforournextchapter.TheotherthreecandidateswerereadytobeCEOsindifferentenvironments,andtheyallwentontoleadothercompanies.”1

Whilethereisnowaytoguaranteesuccess,ifyou’reaseniorexecutivewhoaspirestothetopjob,thefollowingadvicewillgreatlyincreaseyourodds:

●Takeagutcheckofyourmotivationsandexpectations.

●Elevateyourperspectivewhileboldlydeliveringresults.

●Roundoutyourprofilewithhumility.

●UnderstandtheCEOselectionprocessandputyourbestfootforward.

Takeagutcheckofyourmotivationsandexpectations

“Everestisnotaboutsummiting,addingtoyourimage,theconquestofnatureorof

otherhumans,”experiencedmountaineersshareinaguidetoclimbingMountEverest.2Toclimbersdrivenbysuchmotivations,theysay,“Youwillbecomeaprisonerofotherpeople’sjudgmentinyourdesireofprovingself-worth.Youwillclimbblindedandfeelanimmensefailureifnotsummiting.Orifsuccessful—gohome,celebrateyourtriumphandfame,andwhenthelightseventuallyareturnedtowardssomeoneelse,endupempty.”

FormerCincinnatiChildren’sHospitalMedicalCenter(CCHMC)CEOMichaelFishermakesasimilarpointwhenitcomestoleadingorganizations.“IfthemainreasonyouwanttohavetheCEOtitleisforego,that’sunlikelytobeasustainablemotivatorovertime.”ExpandingonFisher’spoint,thefollowingtableshowsashortlistofmotivationsandexpectationsthatprovideagoodlitmustestforwhetheryou’rewellsuitedforthetoprole.

1Unlessotherwisenoted,allquotationsfromleadersinthisarticlecomefromunpublishedinterviewsconductedaspartofMcKinseyresearch.

2“Endofthejourney/newbeginnings,”MountE,February9,2023.

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Topic

Unsustainablemotivation

Sustainablemotivation

WhyIwant

tobeCEO

It’sthenextstepandcomeswithmorepower,money,andesteem

IhaveanexcitingvisionfortheimpactthecompanyandIcanachievetogether

Whatbeing

chosenas

CEOwould

mean

I’veprovenmyselfandattainedmyultimategoal

It’saprivilegetoserveasCEOforthecompany’snextchapter

Whatnotbeingchosen

asCEO

wouldmean

Ilosttherace,amnotCEOmaterial,andhaveletothersdown

I’mbecomingthebestIcanbe,evenifI’mnottherightfithere

HowI’lladdvalueasCEO

I’llsolvethetoughproblemsthatnooneelsecan

I’llaskthetoughquestionsthatunlockthefullpotentialofothers

HowI’llfeel

asCEO

I’llfeellikethecenteroftheaction,withpeoplearoundmetohelp

I’llfeellonelybecauseofmyvantagepointandneedforobjectivity

HowI’llact

asCEO

I’llbethebossandcanruntheplacethewayIwantto

I’llberesponsivetoallstakeholdersandaccountableforeverything

Ifyourmindsetsonthetopicsleantowardthoseintheunsustainablecolumn,it’sunlikelythatyou’llfindtheCEOjobworththeeffort.Theegosatisfactionyou’llgetfromlandingthetopjobwillsoonprovidesmallcomfortinthefaceofmountingdemands.You’llbespinningmoreplatesfarmoreintensivelythanyouhaveinanyotherroleasyousetdirection,aligntheorganization,mobilizeleaders,engagetheboard,connectwithstakeholders,andmanageyourpersonaleffectiveness.

StanfordUniversityeconomicsprofessorNicholasBloom,who’sspenthiscareerresearchingCEOs,describestherealityhe’sobserved:“It’sfranklyahorriblejob.Iwouldn’twantit.BeingaCEOofabigcompanyisahundred-hour-a-weekjob.Itconsumesyourlife.Itconsumesyourweekend.It’ssuperstressful.Sure,there’reenormousperks,butit’salsoallencompassing.”3

Reinforcingthepoint,MicrosoftCEOSatyaNadelladescribesthejobas“24/7.”HislatementorBillCampbell,whohadbeenaCEOthreetimesandwasaninfluentialcoachtoseveraltechnologyindustryleaders,wouldoftenremindhim,“Noonehaseverlivedtooutworkthejob.Itwillalwaysbebiggerthanyou.”ManyCEOssecretlyagreethatthebestjobintheworldisactuallytheonerightbelowtheCEO.Therethespotlightburnslessbrightly,yettheopportunitiestomakeadifferencearegreat,asaretherewards.

3StephenJ.Dubner,“WhatdoesaC.E.O.actuallydo?,”Freakonomics,January17,2018.

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Withouttherightmotivationsandexpectations,notonlywillyoufindthattheeffortrequiredtobeCEOoutweighsanypersonalgain,butyouwillalsobelesslikelytosucceed.AsCCHMC’sFisherputsit,“Ifyou’renotdrivenbyadeepcareandconcernfortheinstitutionyouhavetheprivilegetoleadandforitsstakeholders,thenwhenthegoinggetstough,youwon’tstepuptothechallenge.”

Forthesereasons,weencourageanyexecutivesettingtheirsightsonthesummittodosomegenuinesoulsearchingbeforedecidingtomakethefinalascent.Ifit’sallaboutyou,orifyou’redoingitoutofasenseofobligation,knowthatthetopwillbeahostile,extremeplacewherenoonewillrescueyouduringtimesoftrouble.

If,however,you’redrivenbyapassionandvisionforhowyoucanhelpothersclimbfurtherandfastertoachievenewheightscollectively,you’llmorethanlikelyenduponadeeplyfulfillingadventure.FormerAmericanExpressCEOKennethChenaultcapturesthiswinningmindset,“Ifyouwanttolead,youhavetobecommittedtoserve.”

Last,whentakingagutcheckofyourmotivationsandexpectations,don’tforgottoconsidertheimpactthatthenewjobwillhaveonyourfamilymembers.“Theroleaffectsyourfamilyfarmorethanyouthinkitwill,”reflectsAon’sCEO,GregCase.FormerGeneralMillsCEOKenPowellexplains,“You’reinthenewspaper;they’republishingyoursalaryortalkingaboutwhenyouscrewthingsup.Itcanbehardonkids.Thatpartisunpleasant.”HisadvicetoaspiringCEOsissimple:“Youneedtotalkitoverwithyourpartnerifyouhaveone.Inmycase,mywifeandIagreed,‘OK,thisisjustpartoftheplusesandminuses.’”Indeed,virtuallyeverysuccessfulCEOwe’veworkedwithhassharedthathavingaspouseorpartnerwhounderstandsandissupportiveofthenatureofthejobisessential.

Elevateyourperspectivewhileboldlydeliveringresults

In2002,HarvardKennedySchoolprofessorsRonaldHeifetzandMartyLinskyintroducedanewmetaphorintomanagementliterature—theconceptof“gettingoffthedancefloorandgoingtothebalcony.”Themetaphorjuxtaposesdeliveringondailywork(beingonthedancefloor)withsteppingbackandseeingthebigpicture(beingonthebalcony).Themosteffectiveleaders,accordingtoHeifetzandLinsky,arethosewiththeabilitytodobothatonce.Thismetaphorisparticularlyusefulasyourcandidacyforthetopjobdevelops.Duringthattime,it’svitalthatyoukeepthefollowingactionsinmind:

●Don’tmissasteponthedancefloor—deliveronyourdayjob.

●Climbontoahigherbalconytohoneyourviewofthefuture,thecompany,andthecompany’sstakeholders.

●Bebold,whetheronthebalconyorthedancefloor.

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WhenGeneralMotors’BarrasteppedintotheroleofchiefHRofficer(CHRO)atGeneralMotors,shechosenottofocusonthenextjob.Instead,sheembracedtheCHROpositionandproceededtoredefinetalentmanagement,leadershipdevelopment,compensation,benefits,healthcare,organizationaltransformation,andotherHRsystems.“Dothejobyou’redoingtodaylikeyou’regoingtodoitfortherestofyourlife,”sheadvises,“becausethatmeansyou’regoingtoinvestinit,you’regoingtomakeitbetter,andyou’regoingtodriveefficiencies.”4

Whenitcomestobeingonthebalcony,therearethreeperspectivesyou’llwanttohone.Thefirstislookingintothefutureofyourindustry.Microsoft’sNadellasaysthattobeasuccessfulCEO,“Youhavetohaveanabsolutelyfirst-classviewofwheretheworldisgoing.”Infact,Nadella’sperspectivewasverymuchwhathelpedhimbecomeCEO.Atthetime,theconventionalwisdomwasthatMicrosoftwouldpickanewleaderfromoutsidethecompany.Aspartoftheselectionprocess,candidateswereaskedtowriteamemoregardingwheretheywouldtakethecompanyandwhy.Nadella,inhismemo,laidoutthevisionarysocial,mobile,andcloudstrategythatpersuadedtheboardtochoosehimoverothercandidatesandhasultimatelyresultedinMicrosoftbecomingoneofthemostvaluablecompaniesontheplanet.

Thenextviewpointinvolveslookingmorebroadlyacrossthewholeorganization—farbeyondyourareaofresponsibility.Thisiseasiertodoif,duringyourcareer,you’verotatedacrossrolesinvariouspartsofthebusiness.Duringthefinalascent,however,switchingjobsmightnotbeagoodidea.“I’veseentoomanycandidatestwoyearsoutmakethemistakeofmovingtorolestheydon’thavetimetosucceedin,”offersformerWestpacBankingCEOGailKelly.“Itbecomesarecipefordisaster.”Morereliablewaystobroadenyourperspectiveduringthefinalascentaretogetinvolvedinenterprise-levelprojects,committees,anddevelopmentprograms;investtimeingettingeducatedinotherareas;andtakeanexplicitlycompany-firstperspectiveinyourdecisionmaking(evenifit’snotthebestanswerforyourarea).

Thethirdviewfromthebalconypeersoverthestakeholderlandscape.CEOsoftoday’slargecompaniesmusthaveapointofviewonawidevarietyofsocietalandenvironmentalissues.Thereforetheyneedtohavetheirpulseonemployee,customer,andboardsentimentsandusethemtohelpshapetheircompany’sprinciplesasissuesemerge.Ittakesrealtimeandefforttoformthoughtful,educated,institution-level(versuspersonal)pointsofviewonissuessuchasresponsibleAI,risinginequality,politicalpolarization,geopoliticalinstability,deterioratingclimate,andsoon.

Atripwiretobewaryof,bothonthebalconyandthedancefloor,isriskaversion.SavvyboardsarewellawareoftheconclusiveevidencethatcompaniesledbyCEOswholackthecouragetomakeboldmovesareunlikelytooutperformthecompetition.Westpac’sKellyusesacricketanalogytoillustratethepoint:“AsaCEOcandidate,youcan’tjustdefendthewicketandhopethatyoudon’tgetout.Youmuststepupandhittheball…never,eversaytoyourself,‘WhatI’vedoneisenough.’”

4SamanthaSaperstein,“GeneralMotorsheadMaryBarratalksleadershipandtipsforwomen,”JPMorganChase,October2021.

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TakeBarraatGeneralMotors.OneofthefirstthingsshedidontakingtheHRrolewastoabolishthecompany’stendresscodeandreplaceitwithtwowords:“dressappropriately.”5DoingsowaslessaboutclothingthanaboutsignalingherwillingnesstotakeonGeneralMotors’hundred-year-old,stodgy,paternalcultureandshiftittoonethatrecognizedandempoweredemployees’owninstincts.SuchboldnesshelpedherstandoutfromherpeersintheeyesoftheCEOandboardastherightleadertotakethecompanyintothefuture.

Roundoutyourprofilewithhumility

Whenasked,88percentofAmericanswillsaythey’reabove-averagedrivers.6Intheabilitytogetalongwithothers,25percentofstudentsratethemselvesinthetop1percent.7Whencouplesareaskedtoestimatetheirindividualcontributionstohouseholdwork,thecombinedtotalroutinelyexceeds100percent.8Theseareallstatisticalimpossibilities.They’realsogreatexamplesofhowwe’reoftenpredisposedtoviewouractionsfavorablyorinterpreteventsinawaythat’sbeneficialtous.AsanaspiringCEOcandidate,it’simportanttohavethehumilitytorecognizeyourinherentself-servingbiasandcounteractit:

●Objectivelyassessyourcapabilitiesversuswhat’sneeded.

●Fillyourskillgapsandgaugeyourprogressontheway.

●Refusetoplaypoliticsintheprocess.

Assessingyourcapabilitiesstartswithunderstandingwhatthecompanyneedsinitsnextleader.Intuit’sSmithusesahorse-racinganalogy:“ThereasonthereareveryfewTripleCrownwinners,”hesays,“isbecausetheKentuckyDerbyisaverydifferenttrackthanthePreakness,whicharebothdifferentthantheBelmont.Righthorse,righttrack.Ifyou’reacandidate,firstaskyourselfinanintellectuallyhonestway,‘Whatdoesthecompanymostneed?’And‘DoIhavethatskillsettoday?’”

Tounderstandtheextenttowhichyou’vegotwhatthecompanyneeds,breakyourabilitiesdownintoatleastfourdimensions.Thefirstisyourbreadthofexperienceandrecord(forexample,leadingtransformationalchange,deliveringaprofit-and-lossstatement,andrepresentingthecompanyexternally).Secondisyourknowledgeandexpertise(forexample,financialacumen,salesleadership,technology,targetmarkets,andindustrytrends).Thethirdisyourleadershipskill(forexample,strategicthinking,executivepresence,teambuilding,andself-awareness).Finally,howstrongareyourrelationships,andwhatisyourreputation?Howareyouviewedbyinternalstakeholders,suchasyourboss,peers,directreports,andinfluencers?Howaboutbyexternalstakeholders,suchasinvestors,customers,suppliers,regulators,andcommunityleaders?Andhowaboutbyboardmembers?

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“GeneralMotorsheadMaryBarratalksleadershipandtipsforwomen,”O(jiān)ctober2021.

OlaSvenson,“Arewealllessriskyandmoreskillfulthanourfellowdrivers?”ActaPsychologica,February1981,Volume47,

Number2.

MarkD.AlickeandOlesyaGovorun,“Thebetter-than-averageeffect,”inMarkD.Alicke,DavidA.Dunning,andJoachimI.Krueger,editors,TheSelfinSocialJudgment,NewYork,NY:PsychologyPress,2005.

MichaelRossandFioreSicoly,“Egocentricbiasesinavailabilityandattribution,”JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,1979,Volume37,Number3.

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Tohelpbreakthroughanyself-servingbias,it’simportanttoseekothers’views.Thatmightinvolvegettingfeedbackfrommentors,confidants,peers,andsoon,butmoreoftenthannot,youshouldasksomeoneelsetogatherthat360-degreeinformation.Itmaybeatrustedcolleague,butmostoften,it’sanexternalcoachwhogatherstheinput.

FormerBestBuyCEOHubertJolyrevealshowhisthinkinghasevolvedontheuseofcoaches:“Yearsago,ifsomebodyhadtoldme,‘Scottisworkingwithacoach,’Iwouldhavewondered,‘Uh-oh,what’swrongwithScott?Isheintrouble?’NowIrealizeanexecutivecoachcanhelpsuccessfulleadersgetbetter.Onehundredpercentoftheworld’stop100tennisplayershaveacoach,100percentofNFLteamshaveacoach—infact,acoachingstaff.Sowhyonearthshouldexecutivesnothaveacoach?”

Onceyou’veassessedhowyoustackupinthefourdimensions,it’stimetostartimprovingyourself.Thinkofitasembarkingonalearningjourneythatinvolvescyclesoftakingactionandthenreflectingwithaclosegroupofadvisersontheprogressbeingmade.Suchjourneystypicallycombineongoingleadershipcoachingwithparticipationinvariousforumsorroundtables,visitstoothercompanies,targetedreadinglists,briefingsfromexperts,andfindingopportunitiestogainexperienceandbuildrelationships(forexample,dealingwiththemedia,presentingtotheboard,andrepresentingthecompanyexternally).

Goingonsuchajourneyrequiresstrikingadelicatebalance.You’llwanttoincreaseyourvisibilitytoensurethatthosewhoneedtoknowareawarethatyouwanttomakethefinalascentwithoutbeingseenasself-promotingorcurryingfavor.“I’veseenthisgoawrysomanytimeswhenpeoplebegintorunforthejob,”sharesIntuit’sSmith.“Theyalmostcampaignfortherole,andthat’sthequickestwaytothrowyouofftrack.”

Westpac’sKellysharesthekeystosuccess:“Don’tplaypolitics.Don’tunderminepeople.Noneofthatendswell.Beauthentic,transparent,ateamplayer,andanactivesupporterofcolleaguesforthegreatergood,eveniftheyarealsointherunningfortherole.”Heradvicereinforceswhywestartedthisarticlewiththeimportanceoftakingagutcheckofyourmotivationsandintentions.Ifthey’renotsustainable,yousimplywon’tbeabletowalkthelinewithauthenticity.CCHMC’sFishersummarizeshowitallcomestogether:“It’saquietambitionpursuedwithhumility.Yougainconfidenceasyougobylearningandgrowingeveryday.”

Gettingthebalancerightdoesn’tjustsetyouingoodsteadasaCEOcandidate.It’salsoawinfortheinstitution.Whatcompanyisn’tbetteroffforhavingmoreservice-orientedleadersconnectingacrosstheenterpriseandboldlysolvingforthegoodofthewholeorganization,especiallyifthey’redoingsowhiledeliveringontheircoreresponsibilities,buildingtheirself-awareness,anddevelopingnewcapabilitiesandmorefruitfulrelationships?

UnderstandtheCEOselectionprocessandputyourbestfootforward

There’sapointintheclimbfromthefinalcamponMountEveresttothesummitwherethemountaineerreacheswhat’scalledthe“southsummit”andknowsthey’rejustacouple

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ofhoursfromtheirdreamcomingtrue.Butthereisoneobstacleintheway:KnifeRidge.Accordingtoclimbers,“Youwillgaspuponseeingit.Itissteepandlookstrulynasty.”9

Whenyou’reformallytappedtobeintheCEOselectionprocess,you’lllikelyhaveasimilarmixofexcitementanddread.Whileeveryboard’sprocessisunique,mostwillinvolvethefollowingsteps:

1.choosingatop-tierheadhuntingcompanytoidentifythebestcandidates

2.definingwhatthebusinessneedsfromitsnextCEO

3.determiningwhichstakeholderswillplayrolesintheprocessandatwhichstages

4.conductinganinitialsearchtocanvasandapproachpotentialcandidatesbothinsideandoutsidethecompany—includingqualifiedexecutivesnotproactivelylookingtomove

5.narrowingthelistthroughin-depthduediligence(oftenincluding360-degreereferences)

6.holdinginitialscreeninginterviewstonarrowthelisttothestrongestprospects(the

headhuntertypicallydoestheseinterviews)

7.creatingadetailedpsychometric,personality,andcompetencyprofilethatallowscandidatestobeeasilyscoredandcompared

8.conductingthefinalstageofinterviewstoexploreeachcandidate’svisionforthe

company,leadershipqualities,andmatchingofthedesiredprofileofthenextCEO

9.doingfurtherduediligence(identitycheck,creditcheck,andensuringthatnoother

disqualificationsexist)onthepreferredcandidate,withtheirconsent

10.makingsurethatallrelevantstakeholdersareconfidentinthepreferredcandidate’ssuitabilityandthenformallymakinganoffer.

Thegoodnewsisthatifyou’vefollowedtheadvicewe’vealreadyshared,you’realreadywellpreparedformanyoftheboard’sinquiries.You’llbeabletoarticulatewhyyouwanttherole.You’llhaveaboldvisionforwherethecompanyshouldgonextandhowvaluewillbecreatedacrosstheportfolio.You’llalsohavetranslatedthatintoaperspectiveonwhatthecompanyneedsfromitsnextCEOandbeabletomakeafact-basedargumentthatyourexperience,knowledge,leadershipskills,andrelationshipsmakeyoutherighthorseforthecourse.You’llbepreparedtotalkabouthowyou’vegrownoverthepastthreetofiveyearsyetalsobeclear-eyedandhonestaboutyourareasofweaknessandhowyou’llneedtosurroundyourselfwithotherswhocanhelpinthoseareas.You’llalsohavebuiltafollowingamongyourcolleaguesbyleadingauthenticallyandhelpingothers.

Thatsaid,KnifeRidgeisnoplacetostartwingingit.“Probablythesingle-mostimportantresponsibilitytheboardhasisCEOselection,”CCHMC’sFisherexplains.“Theytakeitveryseriously,andsoshouldyou.Prepare;prepare;prepare.”Fisher,whohasservedas

9“Theroute,”MountE,February9,2023.

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CEOofthreedifferentorganizations,madeitapointtorehearsehispitchandbemockinterviewedmultipletimesbyhisclosestadvisers,encouragingthemtoplaytheroleofthecynic.Heanticipatedquestionsandhadcrispandcompellinganswers.Hehadasecondsetofeyesonanywrittenmaterialsubmittedintotheprocess.Fisher’ssuccessesbearwitnesstothefamousassertionattributedtoAmericanfootballcoachVinceLombardi:“Thewilltowinisnotnearlyasimportantasthewilltopreparetowin.”

We’vesupportednumerousexecutivesastheymadetheirwaytothesummit.Reflectingonthisexperience,ourtoptenlistofless-obviousyethigh-impactadviceforputtingyourbestfootforwardintheformalselectionprocessisasfollows,innoparticularorder:

●Theheadhunterisyourambassadortothesearchcommittee.Respectthemandtheprocessthey’vesetup(don’ttrytoworkaroundit).

●Everyinteractionispartoftheinterviewprocess.Showyourbestself,whetherit’sinformalsettings(suchaspresentationsandinterviews)orinformalsettings(suchasdinnersandadhocdiscussions)

●You’llbeupagainstoutsiderswithfreshandboldperspectives.Makesurethatyouhaveanoutsider’sperspectivewhilebeingclearonwhybeinganinsiderisadvantageous.

●Connectthedotsforpeople.Youknowyourstory;theydon’t—it’suptoyoutoputittogetherfortheminawaythatmakessenseandiseasytocomprehend.

●Boards,notthesittingCEO,choosethenewCEO.Don’tmistakepositive(ornegative)signal