I AM THE CEO
No matter where you are in the chain of command, the ladder of success or the organization chart of your company…you are the CEO of your part of the business!
I recently returned from an exciting week in Lagos, Nigeria. I conducted a series of seminars for a large multinational company entitled, "Communicating Up."
The audience was a group of very talented and highly educated younger people who are the new leaders in their company. While they all can communicate well - to peers and colleagues, communication to senior management can bring special challenges and more pressure. When we make such presentations, we are under special scrutiny. The bottom line is that senior managers watch and listen to you and me AND make a direct connection between the "way we communicate" and "the way we run our business." Every presentation is a "moment of truth" and is akin to a job interview. What pressure, but what an Opportunity!
Key thoughts…you are the CEO of what you do. No one else in the organization knows as much about your business as you do. Senior managers spend a small fraction of time and energy on your part of the business; you spend MOST of your time and energy on your business. With this in mind, act like and sound like you are "in command" and you are the owner!
Give value to what you do. If you have an idea, a process, a plan about which you are confident, clear, and passionate… your goal is to transfer your information, so that the audience will feel that same confidence, clarity, and passion. As you approach the front of the room, the head of the table, your final thought should be. I AM THE CEO!
Mike Jousan
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