3 Strategic Changes that gave me more time back as a “C” suite exec

If you're in the c-suite and you're still running around like a chicken with your head cut off, then it's time to change your behavior. Now that you're in the c-suite you should have the most control of your time that you've ever had in your career, yet you might be feeling busier than ever. If you're running around overwhelmed, imagine how your employees feel.
 
Imagine being able to be in control of your time. Having the time and energy for Innovation and creativity. Not having to reach down and do the job of a direct report. Imagine just providing directionally correct guidance without having to be the expert at everything. Imagine actually having the time to coach and mentor your team. 
 
Here are 3 behavior changes that I had to adjust when I got into the “C” suite 
 
#1. In my experience having the best inner circle team is critical …and that doesn't mean just your direct reports. For me it also included the people who had the biggest impact on the strategic priorities. For example, in our professional services firm where our people were tied to revenue growth meant I had to have the best recruiters or there wouldn’t be profitable revenue. It is more critical than you can imagine. And lastly it included an advisory board outside of my governance board who could fill in the skill gaps on our team. 
 
#2 Putting a strategic plan in place with an outside facilitator was a critical part of having FOCUS so that I didn’t kill my team. I can tell you I have more ideas in an hour than any team could possibly implement and that can be super dangerous for morale. So when we hired a strategic facilitator to help us get our business in line it made a huge difference where we spent our time…It kept me from burning people out.
 
#3 Aligning the people resources who can actually get these strategic priorities across the finish line was a critical component. And it wasn’t always about the resume that fits the job but the person who has the attitude, aptitude, and appreciation for the work. I can tell you that I have made my fair share of mistakes in hiring the person with the right resume but without the right attitude. Or hiring people who didn't appreciate the work and looked at it as a job versus an opportunity to elevate themselves and our company. For me it wasn’t just internal resources but also my external network that I leverage a lot for help for me and for my team to get these strategic initiatives across the finish line.🧑🏼‍🤝‍🧑🏽🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏼
 
Certainly, there are many more strategic behavioral changes a c-suite executive can make to free up more time but these were the most impactful three for me. I’d love to hear the ones you have made that helped you!