Adam Povlitz is CEO/President, Anago Cleaning Systems, a leading franchise focused on technological advances in janitorial operations.
CEOs are one of the driving forces behind any organization’s success. Staying focused on the vision and building an effective team is essential to ensure progress.
As a CEO myself, I’ve celebrated successes and recognized my fair share of mistakes. Both have been equally invaluable to how I manage my teams and company.
We all make mistakes. Taking the time to reflect on what went wrong and understanding why it happened can help you learn from it in the future. Additionally, examining the missteps of others can provide a valuable understanding of how certain situations could have been managed differently or more effectively.
A CEO’s goal shoud be to try to replicate successes while ultimately learning from—yet avoiding—mistakes. I have learned to lean into triumphs and failures, refine my decision-making processes, work daily to create a results-focused workplace culture and pace myself for maximum success while still enjoying the process.
Here are some steps for CEOs to focus on in spite of the successes and failures they encounter throughout the year.
1. Communicate the company’s core values. Define the core values and mission statement that empower both you and the organization. Core values could include a focus on customer service, innovation, integrity or sustainability. These values will serve as the fundamental beliefs and principles that guide decision-making processes throughout the organization.
Be generous communicating and sharing your values. This will inspire others to adopt the same and ensure everyone is in sync with a guiding philosophy.
2. Draw on the expertise of others. Consider the perspectives of others when crafting your vision for the future. Consult with key stakeholders to gain insight into their experience with the organization, their expectations moving forward and any areas that could be improved.
3. Have a solid strategy and action plan. While having a long-term goal is beneficial, you must create one that allows for flexibility over time. This helps ensure you remain agile enough to adjust quickly when changes occur in the industry or marketplace—critical in today’s uncertain world.
4. Consider the feelings of your teams, employees and clients. As the adage goes, “How you serve a meal and how it looks is sometimes more important than how it tastes”—meaning that complex decisions are a healthy part of being a CEO and may not be liked by everybody. How you choose to present hard decisions with careful consideration and with the intent of taking all people into account will win in the long run.
It’s essential to an organization’s success to consider how people feel about their interactions with a brand. As a CEO, I’ve learned that how you present new ideas or changes to a company will evoke emotion within people. Perception is important.
5. Be audacious when keeping employees and teams engaged. In a company, you must create excitement to achieve goals. Discover your metaphoric “Super Bowl” for each year that individuals and teams can strive toward, and make it a huge deal. This adds excitement and turns a dull day job into a collective passion to succeed. The one crucial element is to celebrate big as milestones are reached throughout the year and toward the big event.
6. Learn how a situation could be managed differently or improved on next time. It was Babe Ruth who said, “The loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats.” I’ve applied this same tactic when presenting a new idea or direction not everyone will embrace.
Expecting everyone to be 100% behind a vision or approach is unrealistic. It’s essential to aim for, but don’t be too hard on yourself or an idea if not everyone agrees. This is where presenting a well-thought-out idea and considering all potential comments or responses becomes crucial. If you’ve decided thoughtfully, don’t let naysayers or negativity deter you from that vision.
Leadership can translate into many things depending on the situation, objective, resources, etc. There’s no one-size-fits-all in leadership. What I’ve learned and valued the most is that a strong leader cares for each employee and guides the company’s core values toward success through good and challenging times.
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