Unveiling Executive Leadership: Lessons Learned from "The Wizard" on Establishing Yourself as a Trusted Expert In the Room
In one of my recent blog posts (Sales is Hard...But Meetings Don't Have to Be) I highlighted a couple of sayings that I learned from a former boss. We have also covered my experience with Loz around Vision versus Reality (100 Miles Ahead of Reality).
Now it's time to continue the conversation on Leadership Lessons Learned from Loz* and talk about...
Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Room
This was one of Loz's top tenants and boastfully one of the keys to his success. When we would prep for big meetings and have us practice our presentations... he would often play the part of various stakeholders and throw out challenging questions. As we were fumbling around our information to find the answer... often with a lot of "umms" and "I'm not sures" he would quickly correct us.
His stance was... you are the most knowledgeable person in the room and the people asking don't know the answer. They want YOU to have the answer and be that "safe pair of hands" that they are paying a LOT of money for and entrusting their business/success with.
He would then play our part and answer his own question something like this...
Loz: "82% of the clients we work with struggle with the same challenge. We have typically been able to give them a return on investment within 6 months."
Us: "That is amazing - how do you have that information off the top of your head?"
Loz: "I don't... but it is close enough and believable. The client will love that answer and they will never look it up or question it"
The Wizard
So... being early in our career... and watching how Loz did this with ease in every meeting we were in... it felt like we had a front row seat to a master class on Executive Leadership and Executive Sales.
His teachings were all about everyone seeking you out in a meeting and hanging on your every word to win the deal and establish credibility. Winning the deal and having the clients bringing YOU in as their trusted advisor locked out the competition and ensured long term business relationships.
It felt like we were friends of the Wizard of Oz as he had all the unconditional confidence of those who were in his presence. All the while we were seeing what was behind the curtain and how all was not how it appeared.
Be True to YOU
I tried...I really tried to embrace this way of Executive Leadership. It seemed like this what what was required if I wanted to achieve my lofty career goals. For a year or more I chase Loz around the globe... through multiple time zones... big meetings... and tried to do him proud as one of his many apprentices.
But alas... it weighed heavily on me and did not align with my core values and who I was. I tried to look at it as "little white lies" or "lies of omission". If no one questioned it... who would know it wasn't the whole truth...partial truths... or "directionally correct" information.
Hmmmm... I did!
No Regrets and Learning from The Wizard
I have absolutely NO regrets from my time with Loz... all the kindness he showed me and all that I learned from him. Part of his charm was that he was truly a likeable person and someone you felt was a friend.
Having said that... it wasn't until I tried to walk a mile in his shoes... that I realized the shoes didn't fit. There was NO other way for me to truly know that without experiencing it for myself.
So what are a few things that I carry with me from that time...
Be an Expert AND Be Transparent. Loz was right... when you present to executives on a topic... they are looking to YOU to be the expert. They aren't as close to it so they are relying on YOU to summarize what they need to know to make a decision.
What I learned over time was how to deliver "bad news" AND put it into context. Being able to be transparent AND give confidence on the path forward is something that takes practice... persistence and resilience
Share Data Openly AND in Context. Loz's practice of throwing out data and information knowing they will never check IS shockingly accurate. This eventually catches up to you and is particularly suspicious if your dashboards are always GREEN yet deliverables aren't met or the client isn't happy.
What I learned over time was to show data AND describe how it fits into the bigger picture. If you are making an educated guess... be sure to disclose it. Be THE ONE who says... yes that is green... great progress... here is what YOU SHOULD be asking me about. This establishes you as a different kind of expert and one in the long run who people can rely on.
Be comfortable forcing ADULT conversations. Loz had people eating out of his hands and painting pictures in every situation of "The Emerald City". I saw first hand how this enabled him to close big deals with executives in big companies. His charm was contagious and there is no question this had an adrenalin rush that you wanted to never come down from.
What I learned over time was when the adrenalin rush wears off and reality hits it gets ugly fast. YOU might be able to charm or talk your way out of it a few times... but it doesn't last. My approach now is to try and calmly... yet firmly... force an adult conversation to put things into focus so decisions can be made or the light bulbs can go on
Exude Confidence AND Calm. It's hard to describe Loz's overall personality and impact. It seemed every time he flew into town it was in response to a crisis with the client. He had the ability to breeze in...ignore the facts and reality... to be calm... jovial... and smooth it all over. He would coach me on how to do it in real time too. There is no question it worked for him and left them wanting more.
What I learned over time was to manage my emotions better and to not get too wrapped up in all that is going on. It doesn't mean I am not taking things seriously or working to mitigate the situation... it means a calm... confident approach... with a smile... can relax others to successfully navigate challenges. Like Loz... others tend to listen to your message if your emotions aren't clouding things.
In Closing...
Being TRUE to YOURSELF and navigating the shark pool of Executive Leadership isn't easy. There is also no cookie cutter approach as each situation and set of personalities are different.
I'm learning and growing every day as I build on the early days of my career and reflect all that I experienced. I do have a lot of go to tactics and phrases that remind me of how I can successfully navigate rougher waters. It doesn't always work but I make new mistakes or learn new things each time.
One of my favorite sayings lately to test the waters on how much information or transparency executives are able to handle is...
Do you want me to tell you what I believe is the truth or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?
Establishing that kind of reputation as an expert is what I would like to be known for... especially now that I tried to walk the path of The Wizard of Oz and hoping no one looks around the curtain.
How about YOU?
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU
How have YOU seen leaders establish themselves as Experts in the room?
Who is the leader that immediately jumps to mind for YOU as the best example and what did you learn from them?
What do YOU think of the analogy to the Wizard of OZ? What other things could you draw from that example?
What lessons learned would YOU share with others on Establishing Yourself as the Expert in the Room?
Which if any of the above Lessons Learned is YOUR favorite?
What do you think of my favorite saying lately? Do you have one YOU use?
Thanks for reading and remember...YOU make a difference!
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* Loz....Laurence Shaw...tragically passed away several years ago. His light lives on with all who had the pleasure of knowing him. I think of him often and I am grateful beyond words for the lessons I learned from the short time I got to fly in his orbit.
