Rains are coming because it’s the end of May and it’s Austin By God Texas. Like a bit of rain.
So, two CEOs are talking and we get into a chat about the difference between young/first time CEOs and experienced/serial CEOs.
I hazard the following, “Think it’s perspective.” There are a few other thoughts, but we keep circling back to perspective.
Serial CEOs know what is important — and they are better at it — because they have done it before. They made the mistakes, paid full tuition for the education.
On the heels of the Memorial Day post yesterday, I got a few emails from CEOs (former clients) who said the same thing, essentially, paraphrasing: “You were doing very different things than we were doing at the same age — early to mid-twenties. I assume it gave you a different perspective on things.”
Old lions and new lions are lions, but they have a different perspective on things.
Please note this is a nuclear lion family. They live in Llano, Texas. What is each of the lions thinking about.
Daddy lion is thinking about the checklist for the board meeting (he read the Checkist Manifesto as a cub and knows it works) and making sure the meeting docs are in the DropBox. He’s also thinking he needs to talk to those tigers in marketing to make damn sure they are following the agreed to process.
Momma lion is pondering whether Insta or FB is the way to go on marketing. She’s thinking about whether to have another cub, but is worried about the dilution if she has to raise capital.
Cub lion is thinking — “Wow, that looks cool. Maybe I should re-do my logo? Or become a B Corporation, cause that’s way cool. A blog — maybe start writing a blog.”
Someone I used to work with reminded me that I often used to say, “Let’s do our best here, but remember we are not working on the cure for cancer.”
That is what I mean by perspective, the sense of where our work and effort stands in the greater scheme of things. Don’t get me wrong — said the guy who worked every Saturday for most of his business career — come to work early, stay late, work hard, work through lunch couple days a week, read an hour a day about your profession, manage your own career.
Just apply a little perspective along the way.
This is also true when it comes to how you run things. It cuts both ways — don’t let the petty stuff get you down. Stealing from Winston Churchill, “You will never get anywhere if you stop to throw rocks at every hound that barks at you on the journey.” Not an exact quote, but you get the idea. Keep looking over the horizon.
On the other hand, I am a guy who believes in dealing with problems — hire fast, fire faster — before the problems go from being a pinhole to the Grand Canyon.
So, what does perspective require? Thought and balance. Tell me when you last had 30 minutes of uninterrupted thought.
Bottom line it, Big Red Car
OK, try this. Take a look at your calendar for the last three months. What meetings, events, appointments are on there that would not have been missed if not done?
OTOH, what did you do about key client relationships, updating the launch schedule, building relationships with your board before your Employment Agreement comes up for renewal, and how about your annual physical and dental exam.
Does what you do reflect perspective?
Prove it to yourself.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Look, if you’re the CEO, you’re doing something right. Just throw some perspective at it.
