CEO Advisory Services

Confidentiality, an independent perspective, and an honest sounding board can be difficult for a senior leader to find, trust, and utilize. It may be a cliché, but there is truth in the statement “It can be lonely at the top”. Throughout my many years of business ownership, I have experienced a litany of challenges – ranging from great opportunities to nightmares; rarely did I encounter an environment where I could hash out these challenges openly and honestly. I had to keep it inside, suck it up, and deal with it. I understand how counterproductive and expensive this can be for an organization and the individual.

This program is specifically designed to deal with challenges and avoid the pitfalls many senior leaders may encounter. A quality advisor not only has to be a trusted confidant, but they also must be willing – when needed – to “go there” and let the emperor know he has no clothes.

In addition, when appropriate, I will act as an active participant by collaborating with you to identify the best path and create a plan to achieve it. For most of my clients, when I engage as a strategic advisor, I will engage as:

• • Confidential sounding board
  • Collaborative participant
  • Leadership/management coach
  • Accountability partner

There is immense value in creating a confidential, open, and honest environment in which a leader can talk through a potential issue loaded with hard questions. Perspectives, motivations, and assumptions will be challenged. Without this sort of environment, leaders will not always see the blind spots, threats, and opportunities. Having an independent set of eyes can help the leader ensure they are seeing clearly, making the right decisions, and feeling comfortable with the direction they are going and the decisions they are making.

How It Works

We will meet in person or through a video call for one to two hours to see if there we are a mutual fit. There is no charge or expectation for this session. Provided we both decide to move forward, we will clearly define and outline our expectations, and will schedule a time for an initial strategy session. This first session lasts one to four hours and is intended to establish what we will tackle together, what success will look like, and how will we measure this success.

A typical engagement may look like one to four scheduled calls a month, ranging from one to two hours per session; in addition, I offer unlimited email, text, and phone calls when I am not in session – I realize that most executives work outside of the typical “9 to 5” world. I will be available before and after work, and on the weekends as needed. I want my advisory clients to feel comfortable reaching out when they need help not just during business hours.

In the event that additional onsite meetings or a substantially larger chunk of time is needed, we can discuss this if needed. This may take the form of participation in interviews of key team members, board preparation, meeting facilitation, or a myriad of other needs.

My advisory clients know I have their back.

Guaranteed?

Yep, guaranteed. It is truly that simple. I want to make sure the people I work with are receiving a high degree of value and that we are working well together. If ever this is not the case, we talk about it and, if appropriate, we part as friends. There is no ongoing obligation or expectation.

People often wonder how I can run a business this way. For the record, I have used this approach for years and have never been burned. It keeps me on my toes, and builds trust and the long-term relationships I treasure.