Q #104: “Which skills do C-level executives need to face their greatest challenges?

In this series, Bob Morris poses a key question and then responds to it with material from one or more of the business books he has reviewed for Amazon and Borders.

In consecutive Q&As, I respond to these questions:

# 103: “What are the greatest challenges that C-level executives now face?”

# 104: “Which skills are needed to face each of those challenges?

# 105: “Which books provide the best advice for facing each of those challenges?

One man’s opinion, I think these are the skills that C-Level executives need to face several of their greatest challenge:

Measuring performance accurately, fairly, and consistently: They must have the communication skills to make certain that each person for whom they are responsible fully understands what her or his performance expectations are; the expectations must be realistic and the performance metrics must be appropriate to the assigned work.

Attracting, training, and then retaining the best workers: They must have the leadership skills to ensure effective collaboration between and among those involved in these initiatives. They must set the tone for the entire organization and personify its basic values and core competencies.

“Growing” leadership at all levels and in all areas of operation: They must have the talent evaluation skills needed to recognize those with the highest leadership-growth potential and then serve as their mentors.

Engaging employees: They must have the inspirational skills needed to stimulate and then sustain self-motivation among those for whom they are responsible; however, these skills will be effective only if C-level executives have credibility (i.e. are trusted and respected) and only if workers can be convinced (with communication skills) that becoming and then remaining actively and positively engaged is in their best interests.

Establishing and sustaining an “innovation culture”: C-level executives must have the cognitive skills that enable them to recognize risk aversion tendencies and the communication skills to convince others that prudent, carefully-calculated, and small-scale experiments are strongly encouraged and will be supported. They view each “failure” as a precious learning opportunity and take full advantage of it. They must also possess sufficient self-confidence to be comfortable with principled dissent and indeed welcome it.

Comments, questions, requests, or suggestions? Please share them. They will be most welcome and I thank you for them. Best regards, Bob