Don’t pin all your hopes to a star
Do you have a rock star CEO (or perhaps it’s you)?
You know what I mean, a charismatic, confident leader who seems to thrive in the spotlight, especially when the pressure’s on.
It can be such a gift to have a leader whose presence and clarity of message make other sit up, take notice and act.
It also creates a risk.
Over-reliance on one individual, however amazing they are, can mean other leaders in the organisation don’t hone their own skills for communicating under pressure.
When something major goes pear-shaped, your rock star is the only one who can stand up in the media, front major meetings or have the tough conversations.
The problem is, issues and crises don’t run to a schedule. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called in to help brands with a big drama on their hands, only to discover the rock star boss is overseas or otherwise indisposed.
Everyone’s running around like headless chooks hoping someone else on the leadership team steps up.
That’s a terrible time to have to put a newbie in the spotlight.
Your organisation or business can’t rely on one gifted spokesperson. You need a deep bench; other leaders who can confidently step to the plate when it counts.
Over the last few weeks I’ve worked with two very different organisations, both on a quest to make sure a spread of their leaders can communicate with credibility and influence when the stakes are high.
This is crucial work that’s worth the time and investment.
Your reputation is precious – and it’s bigger than one person. A formidable team of trusted spokespeople will help to safeguard it.
Here’s my latest video, on “3 Critical Moves to Save Your Reputation.” You won’t want to miss this one.
