CPR: taking the stress out of practicing public speakingÂ
Practicing a speech is intimidating. Not only do you have to know your stuff, but you also have to think about your structure, your gestures, and your audience. Here’s how to use...
Brain Circuits
How to pick an A-team
You’ve just taken the helm of your company – now what? The first thing you need to do is assemble the top team and do it fast. You need to ask yourself seven critical questions to get this right:
- Are they outstanding representatives of their functions? Whether it is marketing or operations or finance or government relations, you need people who are accomplished and respected experts in their chosen disciplines.
- Do they have the right values? It matters little how able someone is if they can’t be trusted to do what’s right for the organization.
- Can they balance their functional orientation with what’s good for the business as a whole? Your top team has to understand and support the overall strategy and vision and be willing to disappoint their people sometimes in the name of pursuing the greater good.
- Do they really want to be here? After all, capability matters little without passion for the business and drive to achieve excellence.
- Are they effective leaders? As you move to drive alignment and engagement down through the business, you need people who can communicate with and motivate their people to go the extra mile.
- Are they able to function as members of the team? It matters little how effective they are in their narrow functional roles if they leave a trail of dissension and dead bodies in their wake.
- What roles will they play? Given the work the team needs to undertake and the roles you prefer to play, who are your natural complements?
Further reading:Â
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, Updated and Expanded by Michael Watkins
Â
Why you must move fast to get the right team in place by Michael Watkins
Authors
Related
Are you sharing too little of yourself? How to build trust to become a better leader
Knowing how much vulnerability to show and when to maintain distance is a key leadership skill. Consult this checklist to gauge whether you’re keeping too much in, and check out the four...
This much I know: 9 leadership lessons from global CEOs Â
From absorbing stress to finding your authentic voice, nine leaders of global companies share the wisdom that has helped them excel in their roles.  ...
Mind games: how to train your brain like you would your bodyÂ
According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1tn each year, predominantly from reduced productivity.  Here are six simple habits, taken from design thinker Vishakha Singh’s SHIFT...