Here's how you can achieve executive success in today's competitive business landscape.

In today's competitive business landscape it is absolutely critical to keep doing what John Maxwell coined as your 'leadership lid'. This means seeking out a variety of learning experiences including workshops, executive education programs mentors. It is important to seek out experiences and learning that may not be directly related. With this approach, it will offer insight into different perspectives that you may not otherwise see if you did more of the same type of groups, and courses. ABL - Always be learning.

Some tips that I share with my coaching clients and help them ace are ; You need to have a career roadmap. Nothing complicated but a one pager which is pinned on your work desk. So that you see it everyday. Bit like burshing your teeth daily. You need to do well in stakeholder management. Communicate in a manner which is aligned to stakeholder motivations. Managing, developing and most importantly positively challenging your team members. Incase of a new role that you are taking, don't start it without a First 90 day plan. Schedule 1 hour every month review and identifying areas where you can deliver maximum impact.

There are 3 dimensions that a leader has to focus and work on 1. Personal excellence 2. Professional excellence 3. Relationship excellence Under each of these dimensions there are some key aspects that need to be acted upon. It’s this blend that could set a leader apart.

Ask yourself 'What does Executive Success Mean to me?' - Am I ready to look within? - Am I ready to really see my true nature? - Am I ready to cut the BS? - Am I ready to do some direct self-inquiry. Ramana Maharshi originated self-inquiry. When someone asked him; 'There are great people who cannot solve the miseries of the world.' He replied, 'They are ego centred hence their inability. If they remained in the Self, they would be different.' By the Self he means the stillness there, prior to thoughts. That's my perspective on executive success.

One approach is to have your network as an active and dynamic "square." One side represents you as a mentee, another side as a mentor, a third side includes your sponsor, and the fourth side consists of community connections maintained on a regular basis. This robust and balanced network will propel you towards success. Through this structure, you will seek knowledge, sense opportunities, and share insights, continually enriching your chosen field through an ongoing process of unlearning and learning.

Connecting people is my daily job—I manage a broad yet specialized network as a headhunter. Beyond my professional tasks, it has been somewhat difficult to accept and navigate the crossover between personal and professional lives in networking, understanding that personal connections often lead to professional opportunities and viceversa. I've learned that while technology can boost your visibility with both current and targeted network, face-to-face meetings often yield the best results and interactions. And I believe, the best way to go about it is be driven by curiosity and willingness to be open and listen to new people and ideas

Not debatable is that executive success is neither a solo nor a spectator sport! It is built through the level of leadership that results in followship. To achieve success in today's business landscape leaders at all levels must model integrity, care, and genuine interest in serving the needs of those they seek to lead. Networking and building relationships is not only a two-way street, it's also mandatory both internally and externally. Neglecting the importance of building an internal network of high "know, love, like, and respect" can devastate a career even more than neglecting an external network. The time invested in building genuine trust and connections with those you need to follow you, will be time with the highest ROI.

During my own academic days, my professor used to teach the fundamentals of networking, and he would often emphasis the relationship based networking. It helps one to get connect with the person - not for getting benefits, but delivering benefits.

Leadership isn’t a position. It is a process. Be open-minded.Embrace being wrong. Free yourself of preconceptions.Talk less, listen more.Question everything, even yourself.

One of the most important and underestimated skills of a good leader is being an active listener. Pay attention to how you respond when someone provides feedback. Are you cutting them off to share your own opinion, or are you letting them fully express their thoughts and feelings before responding? Make sure to repeat for understanding and check if there was anything you missed. Additionally, ask how your colleague wants to be supported—don't make assumptions. By doing this consistently, you will become an incredible leader, equipped with valuable data for making wise decisions and demonstrating empathy throughout the process.

In my leadership journey, honing these skills has been transformative. Early on, I realized that being a good leader is more than just managing tasks; it’s about inspiring and supporting your team to reach their full potential.

The most effective leaders understand that their job is to set a clear direction, hire the right team, and delegate effectively while creating an environment where people are effectively collaborative, motivated, and aligned. They need to demonstrate authenticity and integrity, not be easily swayed or seek to be liked. The best leaders know that the right decision may not be a popular decision. They understand how to bring people along, but they also know when it is time to part ways for the betterment of the organization's mission and goals. Too often today, we emphasize the need for charisma and empathy in a leader, and while those can be valuable competencies, they should not come at the expense of the essentials.

The biggest failure with regards to leadership and strategic thinking is that often business owners and C-suite staff believe that someone who is good at the tactical level will be good at the operational level and then will be good at the strategic level. More often than not, big thinkers are always big thinkers and detailed personnel will always excel at looking at the small steps required to accomplish a task. If you are building a team to solve a strategic issue or influence a large corporate shift, include the people who understand the overarching concepts and consult your tactical and operational thinkers. Do no think that business development and growth can be treated like a bottom-up estimate.

Know your strengths! Whether in contact with customers or within your own company: An major strategic component of success in competition is to know what you are particularly good at and what people particularly appreciate about your personal skills. Delivering service, generating value, or contributing - it's not just what you do that counts, but above all how you do it! People work with people, and they do this not only to receive services or products, but also to built and maintain personal relationships. So the bottom line is: if you know the strengths of your skills AND your own personality in competition, you have a USP and a clear competitive advantage

Success comes to those who can predict the future. By studying megatrends and their confluence, an executive can develop an educated analysis of the forces acting on the organization. This knowledge will then allow the executive the ability to implement mitigations against threats or embark on initiatives to capitalize on opportunities.

Strategic thinking really must consider all the moving pieces across the macro and micro environment. Ultimately this is understand a series of scenarios and levers that can be pulled to achieve the desired outcomes. Strategic thinking is also understanding how to solve strategic problems, over daily operational issues.

An analogy I often use with executive clients is that senior leadership is similar to driving a car, you need to keep your eye on the road ahead to arrive at your destination - however, there are other things you need to maintain awareness of: the rearview mirrors, the speedometer, the petrol gauge and others. The skill is to keep focussed on where you are going while being aware of what is going on around you. If you fail to change from within, change will be thrust upon you, so being open to innovation is critical to leading business - either avoiding possible risks or taking advantage of possible opportunities. Some of the best innovations often come from staff outside the senior circle, so leaders need to be open to encouraging this.

Networking: Building connections is another important strategy. Feedback: Being open to feedback can help you improve and learn how others see you.

En el mundo en que vivimos es absolutamente imprescindible estar al día de la innvaciones que vienen de la mano de la Inteligencia Artificial. Su aplicación en cualquier sector es un valor que hay que saber aprovechar de manera inmediata porque de lo contrario nos quedaremos obsoletos como los dinosaurios. Es una necesidad que como gestor de empresas y equipos hay que saber aprovechar para marcar la diferencia con los competidores.

Actively promote participation in external innovation communities and forums relevant to the company's industry. Encourage leaders to engage in ongoing learning and collaborative innovation initiatives that can bring fresh perspectives and best practices back to the organization.

Wenn in Teams das Gefühl von psychologischer Sicherheit hoch ist, steigt die Chance, dass Innovationen entstehen. Denn nur ein psychologisch sicheres Team arbeitet in der Lernzone: Die Teammitglieder können direkt und offen miteinander über unangenehme Dinge wie Fehler, Schwächen oder Misserfolge reden ohne sich gegenseitig zu verletzen und ohne negative Konsequenzen befürchten zu müssen. Sie stellen sich Herausforderungen und entwickeln Ideen, wie sie sich verbessern oder gegenseitig unterstützen können. Es kann hitzig diskutiert werden, ohne dass sich jemand dabei eine blutige Nase holt. Psychologische Sicherheit ist die Basis für eine vertrauensvolle Zusammenarbeit, bei der Kreativität gedeiht - und Innovationen entstehen können.

Executive success requires a delicate dance of life and work. Executives have to put their own gas mask on, taking care of themselves first before they can lead others. Finding ways to relax and recharge is essential for two reasons: 1) Being an executive requires energy. You can't play a high performance game depleted. Thinking about fuelling not balancing. Fuel is family, friends, people who help us nuture our spirits and tend to our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. Time to rest is key to high performance. 2) If you don't role modelling this as a leader - people will do what you are doing, not what your say they should do. Burnt out leaders, build burnt out organisations. Well leaders build well organisations!

Wellbeing is at the heart of good leadership not an add on. It’s not either or. Put your wellbeing at the centre of your leadership approach.

History is littered with exceptional achievers, some with groundbreaking innovations, who unfortunately went down due to depression or mental breakdown. Being obsessed with achievements at the expense of our wellbeing can be detrimental to those we love and our colleagues. I think it should start with balancing of mind, body and soul and then translate to work, family and society. Workplaces should also encourage and/or reward balance life, i.e those who lead a healthy lifestyle, promote family or collegiality whilst achieving their performance targets.

Coachability is the cornerstone of growth and leadership. It reflects an individual's openness to feedback, willingness to learn, and commitment to personal and professional development. Embracing coachability means fostering a mindset that is adaptable, resilient, and continuously striving for improvement. In today's fast-paced world, leaders who are coachable not only enhance their own capabilities but also inspire and elevate their teams, driving collective success and innovation.

As an executive coach, with over 6000 hours of paid coaching, I am convinced the Emotional Intelligence is one of the most important determiners of an executives success. Emotional intelligence enhances leadership abilities. Executives with high EI can inspire and motivate their teams effectively. Emotional intelligence improves decision-making. Executives often face high-stress situations and complex problems. Those with high EI can manage their emotions, preventing stress or frustration from clouding their judgment. Emotional intelligence promotes resilience and adaptability. Finally, emotional intelligence is key to effective communication. Executives need to convey their vision and strategies clearly and persuasively.

Managing one’s emotional response is key to Executive success. Being self-aware and resourced enough to notice where big emotions are starting to steer the ship allows for perspective to learn, grow, act authentically, consistently and with integrity for the success of the individual and greater team/organization.

Define a compelling vision for your organization that aligns with long-term goals and articulate them clearly. Create actionable plans to achieve this vision and be adaptable to market trends and disruptions. Embrace digital tools and technologies to enhance efficiency and decision-making. Use data to gain insights, drive strategies, and measure performance. Take responsibility for your decisions and their outcomes, and hold others accountable as well. Invest in employee development and create a culture of recognition and appreciation. Last but not least, uphold high ethical standards and integrity in all your actions.