Halloween week.

IT is not a sinister clown out of a Stephen King novel. Nor is it so Alien from the rest of business that it should make anyone Scream. I can’t remember the last time any of my employees required an Exorcist, or deserved to be burned at the stake in Salem’s Lot. 

IT might be hard to understand, but it is hardly frightful.

What is spooky is the seeming lack of trust between CEOs and CIOs when it comes to decision making. 50% of respondents recently told me that the top way your CEO could support you is to empower decision making. That was ranked higher than giving you more money.

That tells me that you have plans that are being held up or held back. And it likely causes you to wonder if it is you (in their eyes) or if it is them that is the problem.

Being a CEO and dialoguing with CEOs, I have a few insights to share.

It’s Not A Matter Of Follow The Money, It’s What Does The Money Follow

Money follows vision and money follows conviction.

CEOs hold back when they don’t understand your vision, or particularly, how your vision advances their vision. 

CEOs also hold back when they don’t hear the conviction in your voice. A pause in your pitch is a delay in their action. 

Are you tired of hearing about tying IT to the Business? I am. Anytime I see an article with that as the theme, I howl at the moon. But, too bad for me, because the need remains and the best practices are still to be found. 

The problem with our modern need of trying to keep up and get ahead is that we don’t come across as subject matter experts. We have in our tool belt what used to be needed and may still be needed; but we are on a learning curve of what we need in order to get ahead…but it’s a headless horseman at this point in time. 

So what do you do when your vision isn’t connecting and your conviction isn’t resonating?

Empowerment Follows Empowering

Whenever I feel a lack of empowerment, I look to how I can empower the one who must empower me.

Your CEO isn’t getting something from you. Not the vision and conviction mentioned above. Something they can use in their own conversations, in their own need to answer others - if you seek more decision making, inform their own decision making process.

The key to vision and conviction is clarity. The key to empowering your CEO is education. And stickiness. What is learned lacks leverage unless it is adhesive.

Anxiety Is A Stake In The Heart

It took me a while to realize that many confidence-inspiring leaders are themselves anxious leaders. I discovered this while looking in the mirror. I was wondering why a person I was working with was so dang controlling.

I presented the situation to a friend of mine who said, “Sounds like they are anxious.”

The light bulb went off. I realized the leader I was frustrated with was a lot like me - If I’m associated with an outcome, especially an experience others will have that reflects on me and the company - I want to make sure everything is in order.

I come across as order-ing. 

That was weird. Because I’m very intentional about delegation, allowing leaders space, mutual collaboration and think-tanking.

But an anxious presence is easily costumed. 

Why are CEOs not empowering your decision making? 

Because something is on the line that reflects on them. CEOs may come across at times as paranormal, but they are human after all.

In college, I was once assigned a writing project with a fellow classmate. He provided three pages; I wrote 23. We got the A. You get the point. You aren’t suffering a lack of trust from the CEO; they are just heavily invested in the outcome.

Trick Or Treat

Come knocking on my door.

The three needs above - clarity, education, and alleviating anxiety - are skill sets. And most of the training I see out there trying to entice my CIO friends is nothing more than witches brew.

How persuasive is your pitch?

How empowering is your teaching?

How tuned in is your relationship?

Let me help. We can coach you on being clear and convincing, on educating for leverage, and on promoting peace and confidence. 

A favorite story: A soldier was sentenced to die. The commander gave him a choice. He could die by hanging, or he could choose what was behind the Black Door. Soldiers had heard of the Black Door. Rumors abounded. It was a great unknown.

The soldier chose to die by hanging; knowing the commander as he did, a hard-driving man, he couldn’t imagine the horror waiting to be afflicted behind the Black Door.

When the prisoner was escorted away, the commander said to his lieutenant, “You see the way it is with men. They prefer the known to the unknown.”

His lieutenant asked him, “What is behind the Black Door?”

“Freedom,” said the commander. “And I have known few who are brave enough to choose it.”

Do not fear the unknown. Ring my doorbell. Let’s go there.

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