Taking on a position of leadership is always a little daunting, if you ask me. And not only because you’re responsible for making big decisions or for being a progressive thinker almost 110% of the time. But it’s also daunting because you’re responsible for the success of others—both as individuals and also as a whole. I take that incredibly seriously in my current position, just like I took it seriously when I was in the position of my employees.
However, that mentality is easier said than done when it comes down to crunching numbers, being profitable, and shifting your mindset to be more culture-centric. This doesn’t mean I’m numb to the concepts behind being a profitable business, but it does mean that, as the CEO, I can (and should) go about our success differently.
I was able to draw some tangible, actionable tactics toward supporting and fulfilling this approach from the book Quick and Nimble, by Adam Bryant. The author is a weekly contributor to the New York Times through his staple column “Corner Office,” which takes a Q&A approach to interviewing CEOs each week. And his book is a compilation of interviews from 200 CEOs in an effort to uncover their similar traits for surviving and thriving in our economic environment. So, you can imagine, I feel like I struck gold with this one.
The book is split into two parts: a why, and a how-to regarding the importance and value of a healthy work culture. The first section encourages CEOs to set the foundation of their business and create a culture that’s representative of their mission, their vision, and their brand. The goal in this is to align everything and everyone with this culture to ensure consistency, sustainability, and flexibility.
Healthy workplace culture has always resonated with me, and I’m excited to see it consistently translated into books like this, emphasizing the importance of building and inputting value in order to produce and output value, too.
I guess I’ve always believed that a job or career should provide you with a level of comfort and, at the same time, a level of discomfort.
The comfort lies in your openness to speak your mind, your confidence in your ability to perform, your knowledge of company ins and outs, and the strength of your team.
On the other hand, the discomfort should come from accepting critiques and change, pushing yourself to stretch your capabilities, your willingness to learn new techniques, and your ability to adapt to different environments.
But combining those two characteristics, I believe, makes for a strong cultural foundation—one that’s enjoyable but not stagnant, challenging yet rewarding, and instinctive but not automatic. All of which comes from consistently focusing on building teams, communicating effectively, and being agile.
Bryant’s CEOs are emphatic about the importance of these characteristics in a healthy culture. Their thoughts have provided me with sturdy stepping-stones to continue to build my business based around those shared traits that I, too, respect and value. And I’m looking forward to seeing my hard work pay off in the form of not just profits, but also employees’ individual and collective success.
Gregory McDonough is CEO of EEI Communications.
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