Congrats, You’re a Purple Buffalo. Now Let’s Have a Real Conversation.
It’s all about conversations.
Every tool and assessment I’ve used as a coach to CEOs is really just an entry point into a conversation. In the work I do, people most effectively gain understanding and find their own way by talking, not taking tests or assessments.
I stopped using most assessments and other tools because, over the many years I’ve been doing this work, I’ve learned how to more quickly get into a conversation. There are many assessments that look impressive and produce slick reports but have poor validity and reliability. While some assessments can be helpful, for my work—helping leaders become better leaders and ethically improve their business results—deep conversations over time are most effective.
Leaders must be part performer, constantly “on stage.” To become more effective, however, they need to be in conversations about the things they don’t know, the topics they don’t easily discuss, and be asked questions that sycophants and overly polite people enamored with titles won’t ask. Sure, they should be acknowledged for their successes and learn how to leverage their strengths, but they also need the opportunity to engage in difficult conversations that don’t happen without hard work.
If you’re a leader and haven’t had someone assertively and deeply question you recently, you’re on the road to isolation and failure. You’re breathing your own exhaust. It will feel good because it seems like everyone loves and respects you, but it’s malarkey.
Don’t surround yourself with sycophants who only want your praise and attention. Look for those who genuinely care about making you a better leader, those who will speak the truth with kindness. They might be friends, business colleagues, board members, a coach, or a mentor, but they’ll all have one thing in common: they’ll know how to have a meaningful conversation.
If you want to lead better, think more strategically or build a stronger executive team, it might be useful to know that you are an ESTJ, a Hyper-Achiever, or a purple buffalo, but you still need to change your behavior, learn new skills and spend your time differently. Wearing a black turtleneck or taking a pill won’t do it. You need to have some deep conversations.
coaches CEOs to higher levels of success. He is a former CEO and has led teams as large as 7,000 people. Todd is the author of, Never Kick a Cow Chip On A Hot Day: Real Lessons for Real CEOs and Those Who Want To Be (Morgan James Publishing).
Connect with Todd on LinkedIn, Twitter, call 303-527-0417 or email [email protected].