Whether you are the CEO of a startup or a billion dollar plus company, you need a go-to-person.
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” wrote Shakespeare – a sentiment that resonates deeply with modern CEOs. Research confirms that leadership isolation intensifies as executives climb higher, creating a dangerous paradox: those most responsible for organizational success become increasingly cut off from crucial information.
As someone who has coached CEOs for decades, I’ve seen firsthand how this isolation manifests. CEOs face pressure from all sides – boards who are hypercritical and sometimes contentious, ambitious direct reports eyeing their position, and families struggling with their demanding schedules.
However, the most critical challenge is the information void. Here lies the dilemma: As CEO, what you don’t know is as important as what you know. But who will tell you what you need to know?
The C-suite’s power dynamics create a filter where employees, even at senior levels, often withhold crucial information out of fear or self-interest. Bad news gets softened, opinions are muted, and facts are twisted to serve personal agendas. This information distortion can lead to myopic thinking and decisions that put the entire organization at risk.
How a Few CEOs Solved the Filtered Information Conundrum
I was coaching the Chairman of a $3B public company. He made a practice of once a month on Thursday evening hopping on the corporate jet and showing up at 5 AM Friday at the back door of one of the many plants in the organization. Unbeknownst to the plant manager, he would walk the plant floor as the night shift was leaving and the day shift was starting. He obtained valuable unfiltered information that was usually vastly different from what was presented after three management levels of editing.
Another powerful example comes from the World Bank. When Ajay Banga became president, he recognized the critical need for unfiltered information at the top. Instead of relying solely on cascaded reports and political intermediaries, he took a hands-on approach by personally visiting aid recipients across multiple countries.
This direct engagement revealed a stark reality: World Bank projects’ actual needs and impacts often differed significantly from what was being reported up the chain. By bypassing the traditional information filters, Banga gained authentic insights that helped shape more effective policies and programs. His approach demonstrates how leaders can break through organizational barriers to access ground-truth information – a crucial capability for any CEO seeking to make well-informed decisions.
The Rise of Leadership Dyads
A source of unfiltered information
Enter the concept of leadership dyads – a partnership between two leaders, typically the CEO and a trusted second-in-command, who work together to guide an organization. Throughout business history, we’ve seen numerous examples of powerful leadership dyads that have shaped some of the world’s most successful companies:
- Steve Jobs and Tim Cook (Apple)
- Indra Nooyi & Hugh Johnston, CEO & CFO (Pepsico)
- Meg Whitman & Maria Martinez (HP)
- Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook)
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen, and later Steve Ballmer (Microsoft)
- Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney (Disney)
These successful dyads share several key characteristics: complementary skills, mutual trust and respect, shared vision, and open communication. They represent a shift away from the “lone wolf” leadership model, recognizing that even the most capable leaders can benefit from a strong partnership at the top.
An important characteristic of successful dyads is the ability to vigorously disagree and for the CEO to hear that s/he is wrong.
Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsico and Hugh Johnston, CFO were able to have constructive fights and dialogues that led to better outcomes.
When Sergey Brin and Larry Page first met at Stanford University in 1995, they didn’t exactly hit it off. In fact, they reportedly disagreed on many topics during their initial meeting. Despite this rocky start, they quickly recognized each other’s strengths and formed a partnership. By the following year, they were working together on a search engine project that eventually became Google. It’s interesting how their initial disagreements turned into a successful collaboration, isn’t it?
The Benefits of a Strong Number 2
The advantages of having a strong second-in-command extend far beyond simply sharing the workload:
- Accountability and Honest Feedback: A trusted partner can provide unfiltered feedback, preventing the “echo chamber” effect that often leads to poor decision-making.
- Balancing Strengths and Weaknesses: A well-chosen partner can complement your abilities, filling in gaps in your skill set.
- Improved Organizational Insight: Two leaders can gather more information and insights than one, allowing for quicker and more effective problem-solving.
Creating Your Own Leadership Dyad
To create an effective leadership dyad:
- Identify the Right Partner: Look for someone whose skills complement yours and who shares your values and vision.
- Establish Trust and Open Communication: Create an environment where both of you feel comfortable providing honest and sometimes painful feedback.
- Embrace Differences and Leverage Similarities: Use diverse perspectives as opportunities for more comprehensive decision-making.
The Role of Executive Coaching
Many articles on leadership loneliness recommend engaging an executive coach. As an executive coach, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to cultivate strong leadership dyads. Coaching can help in several ways:
An executive coach can:
- If qualified, an executive coach can serve as your “go-to person,” especially if trust is broken within the organization.
- Do a deep dive into the C-suite and understand the team dynamics.
- Help in developing the self-awareness to identify the right partner.
- Provide tools for navigating disagreements constructively.