CEO Coaching: Creating Fusion
Nuclear fusion occurs when two light atomic nuclei merge to form a single heavier one. This process releases huge amounts of energy, produces no carbon emissions, and has limited radioactivity—if someone can get it to work.
—Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2024
This analogy applies brilliantly to business, where the two elements that need to fuse are strategy and leadership. This fusion can produce enormous amounts of positive energy, along with increased revenue and profit. And it is not easy work!
When I use the term “strategy” in this context, please think broadly. I am not only referring to my favorite definition, “an aligned set of activities that allows you to compete effectively in a given market,” but also to vision (where you are going) and operational plans.
Likewise, think broadly about “leadership.” This includes driving change, creating an inspired workforce, and executing plans.
These are the two atomic nuclei of business. And just like in physics, by themselves, there is no fusion.
A brilliant strategy without effective leadership is just a recipe without a chef. All hat, no cattle. All foam, no beer. The best ideas in the world are worthless without someone to lead the troops to execute them. My experience, having helped numerous companies craft strategy over the years, is that few weak leaders are even capable of effectively working through the nebulous and painful process of crafting a strategy. This is because it requires saying no to everything else and consciously deciding on a direction for the company. But a weak leader might hire a firm to devise a well-thought-out strategy—and it will fail.
Strong leadership skills (enumerated here) by themselves are also worthless, like a Ferrari on a dirt road to nowhere or an airplane without a flight plan. I have coached some very intelligent leaders over the years who have eschewed the strategy process. The problem is that you can’t align your troops (and your financial assets) without a true north. Where are we going? Why are our most profitable customers going to buy from us vs. the competition? Specifically, what market(s) will we serve? If you can’t effectively answer those questions, there won’t be any fusion—just a bunch of random, well-meaning activity that goes nowhere.
Do you have a clear, well-thought-out strategy? Do you and your team have the leadership skills to align the troops and get them fired up to execute that strategy? If not, don’t despair, but get to work!
Both strategic thinking and leadership are learned behaviors if you put the work in!
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].
