A lot of CEO's worry about being
insecure. They shouldn’t. In fact,
it’s a plus. It can improve your
credibility. You might even be
considered visionary.
A recent article in
USA Today noted that
insecurity is common among
super-achievers; particularly among
corporate CEO’s. It quoted Dennis
Manning, CEO of Guardian Life
Insurance Co. of America, who says,
“I am driven by fear of failure. It
is a strong motivator for me.”
Manning’s “fear” is probably his key
to success. It makes him behave in
ways that make him seem credible and
visionary. But what does “credible”
mean when it comes to chief
executives? Very simply: Anyone
watching you has to see and hear
your absolute determination to do a
good job before they’ll call you
credible.
There are five qualities a CEO must
demonstrate in order to be called
totally credible. They are
competence, composure under
pressure, character, likeability and
high energy. The last one, high
energy, encompasses the quality
Manning describes as his motivation.
Most people, when asked to give
feedback to their leaders on 360
feedback opportunities, talk about
the boss’ drive, determination, and
ambition, and often refer to their
boss as being an insecure
overachiever. They write things
like, “He never thinks he’s done it
as well as it could be done and
looks for ways to do it better next
time.”
For example, a CEO who holds herself
responsible for making things
faster, better and cheaper, will
tirelessly push herself and others
to meet and beat any standard that’s
set. Here’s another -- when my son,
Matt, played little league baseball,
he wouldn’t always run to first base
when he earned a walk. The fans
yelled, “You’re doggin’ it, Matt.” I
told him that everyone loves a kid
who pushes himself even if he
doesn’t have to. The desire to see
someone push himself never goes
away. Any quality can be taken to an
extreme, but in measured doses,
insecurity is viewed as a big plus.
KNOW YOURSELF
Anyone watching you has to know that
you aren’t blind to the most
dominant parts of your personality.
I call it “insight.”
I’ve written that a leader needs
more than one vision to be called a
visionary. He or she needs Three
Visions. He needs a vision for the
future, which I call “Farsight.” He
needs to see the people who work for
him and recognize and reward their
talent, which I call “Nearsight.”
And he needs to see inside himself
and be willing to talk about what he
sees to the people around him:
“Insight.”
In the
USA Today article,
Manning describes himself as being
driven by fear of failure. He says
that he studied harder than others
as a boy because he didn’t want to
look stupid. By communicating those
facts he demonstrates insight.
So the next time you talk to
business colleagues, include some
thoughts about yourself that reveal
a little insecurity. Say something
like, “You know, I sometimes can
react a little ‘knee jerk’ to
certain things and appreciate the
fact that you’re here to help me
keep a lid on that.” It’s a small
price to pay to have credibility and
insight.
Allen W. Weiner, PhD is Managing
Director of Communication
Development Associates, a leading
corporate training and development
firm in Southern California.
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November 2007 Issue
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