Breadth: The deep knowledge of how all the pieces of the organization fit together to create value and deliver results, and how to integrate the organization’s seams so that poor coordination, silos and fragmentation are kept to a minimum, and the organization’s key capabilities are enabled to deliver differentiated results to customers.
Context: The expert knowledge of the industry and marketplace dynamics in which the business competes and how money is made. It is staying abreast of broad trends and developing the foresight and the ability to adapt current knowledge and solutions to address shifting business issues and emerging opportunities.
Connection: The ability to form deep relationships with bosses, peers and direct reports based in trust, commitment, honesty and healthy dissent, in combination with clear and compelling messaging. Exceptional executives consistently maintain in-depth knowledge of key stakeholders and their contribution to one’s agenda and how one contributes to theirs. The ability to form healthy attachment and generate successful outcomes with others in mutually beneficial partnership is a clear differentiator.
Executive preparation and performance must be viewed as one continuous journey with predictable phases, each having addressable challenges that, if viewed collectively, will more holistically and sustainably prepare executives to assume increasingly broader levels of responsibility and achieve higher levels of success along the way.