In Control or In Charge?

We all have our story about ourselves.

• “I’m a great parent.”

• “I suck at Yoga.”

• “My team likes working for me.”

The top two things are probably true. You are a great parent, and you (and everyone else) sucks at Yoga.

That third one, about the idea that your team likes working for you?

How do you know that?

Is this the story they carry around, or the story that you carry around?

First things first. 

There is always a gap between how you see yourself and how the world sees you. The general rule in life is that you enjoy people more (and people like you) when that gap is very small.

You know people who think they show up one way, and the whole world (including you) know otherwise. These people struggle and mostly never figure out that they are not fooling anyone.

As a CEO, as a parent, as a spouse, and as a friend, you have to decide how you want to show up with people.

Consider this standard for your role as a CEO: If 10 years from now, you get personal letters from former team members acknowledging you for all that they learned, and thanking you for your role in their career success, you are on the right track.

So What About Your CEO Style?

Here’s how your team sees you (Oh! And that’s really all that matters):

In Control

• Your leadership style is fear based

• You demand control of most decisions and any meetings you choose

• You work an insane amount of hours

• You do not sleep well

• You are likely to relinquish most control at home

In Charge

You collaborate with every team leader

You empower teams to make 70% of all decisions

You share all credit with your team members

You take full responsibility for all setbacks

You limit your focus to 3 projects that can move the needle at any given time

Here’s the tough part.

If you’re fighting the ingredients of an In Control or and In Charge CEO because you do not like the label, no one buy you cares!

Imagine being a Team Leader with an In Control CEO. The Team Leader gets most of the responsibility for driving results on their team, but they do not hold the authority to make most important decisions.

That’s the ultimate trap for a Team Leader—blame without authority!

Now imagine you are an ambitious player on any them.

An In Charge CEO creates opportunities for team members who take initiative. Might you thrive in a company where the CEO takes full responsibility (Note: Blame does not exist in this paradigm) for mistakes and shares all credit.

That’s the company climate where you’re likely to receive thank you notes 10 years from now….because you led your team always in charge, rarely in control.

When you’re ready to discover your genius, here’s how I can help you:

1. Genius Talent Discovery. Are you ready to discover your hidden superpower? Join today and embark on a transformative journey.

2. 1:1 CEO Coaching. Schedule a no obligation first session to find your superpower, connect with your highest ROI activities, and succeed with less effort and stress.

3. 3:1 CEO Coaching. Embark on a transformative journey toward realizing your limitless capabilities, partnering with two other CEOs. Learn and grow together.

Go forth and scale,

— John Hittler