Being a leader is no easy feat. Leaders often find themselves in high-pressure situations where they have to make important decisions on a deadline in uncertain environments. These are the moments where leadership really matters. In the book, The Leader’s Checklist, written by leadership expert and Wharton management professor Michael Useem, he gives leaders the tools to face any and every challenge using a checklist.
The newest principle added on the occasion of the book’s 10-year anniversary is — Think like a CEO. The responsibilities of a CEO are very diverse. The impact of their choices has the capacity to alter the company’s future.
Leading through a pandemic
Some of the principles have taken on more salience during the pandemic and they are:
- Communicating your character: People want to know who you are, what do you stand for, and what are your values.
- Honor the room: Though it’s a politician’s phrase — whenever you meet with people, online or in real life, they want to know that you are aware of who they are and how much you appreciate their work.
- Decide decisively: Clocks are moving faster. Problems are surfacing more quickly. Customers are more willing to change, especially in the era when the cost of switching is quite low. Think on your feat.
Think like a CEO
The checklist differs for people in different domains. For instance, for a commercial aircraft pilot, it is necessary to look into factors such as fuel, the flight plan, the weight, and the anti-collision radar, before take-off. That is their checklist. On the other hand, the checklist for a surgeon before entering an operation theatre is completely different. This means that we need to build checklists from our experiences.
The leadership checklist and thinking like a CEO serve not just those in positions of power, but it is meant for anyone who wants to make a difference. It can be followed in a private organisation, a start-up, in the military, health services, in the community or even in one’s personal life.
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