[What will impress your bosss boss?] For the last three months, I have been living vicariously through my private clients who are identified as high potentials in their company. One of them is about to deliver a high stake presentation to his Chairman and Board of Directors while the other is leaving this weekend for Middle East to participate in a 2 weeks CEO Challenge together with 11 other high potentials from all around the world. During our coaching sessions, one distinction kept coming up: differentiation. Yes, they are the cream of the crop (the top 1%) but among the cream, who emerges at the top? Lets face it. There can only be one CEO so besides being intelligent, ambitious and confident, one has to be clear on their individual unique selling points, their X factor. Let me give you an example. During the Meet the CEO session, my client together with 11 other high potentials will be introducing themselves. This is the first time they will get to the meet their CEO. So first impression matters. One of the questions they will have to answer is What are your expectations of this challenge? I ask my client and he said To learn as much as I can. Nothing wrong with this answer except that it is .... (yawns) plain, boring, predictable. During a dinner conversation with a super high ranking executive, I asked him, What kind of executive impresses you? He replied, Originality of thought. What do you mean? He explained, Someone who dares to sing a different tune from others. Even it is an unpopular tune. Point noted. So I told my client flatly, Your answer is boring and predictable. You wasted your chance to stand out. Lets try again. And eventually we settled on this answer in response to What is your expectation of this challenge? Over the last 12 years of being in this company, I had the privilege to work on (his field of expertise) at the global, regional and local level. In the process, I have some ideas that I believe will take our business to the next level. I see this challenge as a great platform for me to share those ideas and even sharpen them with the help of my peers. Point of wisdom: What matters isnt just what you say but what your audience remembers.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 09:50:32 +0000
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