Over my 30-year career in technology, I have worked with hundreds of CEOs at organizations where I was employed and at my clients. I have learned something from each of them, and some important lessons from a few.
The lessons I learned from Gail Goodman, the CEO at Constant Contact when I was employed as Regional Development Director from 2011 to 2015, are the ones I carry with me today as CEO at The Salient Strategist. I am grateful that my role allowed me access to Gail on many occasions. The conversations were real, although I was nervous during the first few meetings.
Her TEDx talk is one of my favorites. She is simply being Gail: honest, transparent, and approachable. The two lessons that have forged my mission are "CEOs need to get out of the weeds" and "feedback is a gift." These emphasize different aspects of leadership but are intrinsically connected.
Getting Out of the Weeds
Leadership requires enough distance from day-to-day activity to see patterns, priorities, and risks clearly. When a CEO becomes the answer to every operational question, the organization can become dependent on that person's attention instead of building stronger decision-making throughout the team.
Getting out of the weeds does not mean becoming unavailable. It means creating enough space to focus on direction while trusting capable people to own execution.
Feedback Is a Gift
By embracing feedback as a valuable resource, CEOs can effectively bridge the gap between high-level strategy and on-the-ground execution. Feedback enables them to understand the challenges and opportunities that might not be visible from their vantage point.
This continuous flow of information ensures that while leaders are not entangled in the minutiae, they are still aware of critical issues and can make informed decisions. The strongest feedback loops also give employees a clearer way to surface what is changing before small problems become strategic ones.
Getting out of the weeds does not mean disconnecting from the organization. It means using feedback to maintain a clear, strategic focus while staying attuned to the company's pulse.
