CEO Coaching Lesson: The Conference Room

The CEO of a large financial services company used to hold meetings of his leadership team twice a week. He held them in a small conference room on the third floor of their San Francisco headquarters. The room was too small for the 14 participants to fit in comfortably. Ironically, there was a much larger conference room on the same floor near the CEO’s office.

One day, a member of the team asked the CEO, “Bruce, why do you continue to cram us into this conference room twice a week. Why don’t we move the meeting to the bigger conference room down the hall?”

Bruce replied, “This is a high profile conference room. A lot of people walk by. I want them to see who’s in charge and that we’re working together.

If nothing else comes out of these meetings, that will be enough.”

Brilliant, the team member thought to himself. “Thanks,” he said to the CEO. “I get it now.”

LRI helps Boards and other governing bodies develop clarity about their role and that of management – and achieve higher levels of performance: https://leading-resources.com/consulting/governance/

Eric Douglas

Eric Douglas is the senior partner and founder of Leading Resources Inc., a consulting firm that focuses on developing high-performing organizations. For more than 20 years, Eric has successfully helped a wide array of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporations achieve breakthroughs in performance. His new book The Leadership Equation helps leaders achieve strategic clarity, manage change effectively, and build a leadership culture.