by Charles Gustin, Chairman & CEO, Gustin Partners Limited

Over the years, Gustin Partners has had the opportunity to work closely and extensively with many very talented CEOs. It has been my experience that what most of these men and women have in common is their passion for the business they are leading; their ability to communicate that excitement to shareholders, customers and colleagues; and the skill of articulating their vision. However, the most successful share one more important discipline: continuously communicating the ever-changing goals.

Organizations thrive when moving toward a common goal. It’s not enough to say, "Let’s go out there and win.” It’s important to explain what the prize is: it doesn't matter whether it’s market share, revenue growth, M&A, new products/technology or services. What matters is broad commitment to the mission throughout the enterprise: Mission focused inspiration.

Not everyone has the ability to be an inspirational leader and few have the ability to continue to inspire through the ups and downs. It’s important to be faithful to your mission, however, the goals may change along the way, or uncertainty may creep into the decision process. Regardless, the most successful leaders adjust, conform and adapt as required. They rapidly reframe, realign and reengage with the change; communicate it effectively; reignite the passion; and continue, as before, to articulate the revised goals successfully.

One example within our client portfolio to demonstrate this fact: the CEO of a UK PLC faced a strategic challenge, which seemed insurmountable. He puts a stake in the ground and declares, “Within one year we will be a single mission business.” To accomplish this, he had to sell off over thirty SMEs; build out the core business; position the business to scale globally; and convince the institutional investors to fund the new strategy.

Achieving this outcome was not easy. It required the enterprise to adapt, align to the new model and restate its goals. Rapid reframing was required, as well as repositioning in sectors and geographies. Not once during his tenure did this leader sway from his vision. Consequently, the company is now widely recognized as a leading advisory firm in the energy sector.

CEOs have extremely tough jobs at times, with no shortage of challenges. Sometimes the lack of clear, competitive market intelligence, geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory changes, as well as pricing and cost pressures are endless. The most successful of these leaders learn how to mitigate risks while driving their enterprise towards a well articulated and widely understood vision, with goals acomplished through the passion they instill as CEO.

--
Charles Gustin
Chairman & CEO
Gustin Partners Limited