Framing Decisions Like Executives

Understanding how Executives make decisions is key to understanding how to standout as a high potential leader.

When we begin a process of transition or transformation, one of the first steps is to evolve how we think about problems and prioritize our actions. This is mindset. 

One of the first things you notice when you speak with an executive vs a line manager about a problem is how they approach the problem. You might notice that their answers feel “bigger”, or to some people more “fuzzy”. You might notice they start talking about people and resources sooner – who do we need, who has the right talent, while a line manager stays more focused on what the right answer might be. This is a difference in mindset. 

This isn’t by chance. An executive needs to operate differently to be successful in her role. She has more demands on her time, more ambiguous problems without clear solutions, and more people to lead. As an aspiring executive, it’s important to move in that direction in terms of your thinking. While you still need to be involved in the day-to-day, you need to develop and practice the loops in your head an executive would run through, which often leads to a different approach or solutions to problems. 

When you adopt this mindset and think like an executive, even at non-executive levels, you’ll come up with different potential solutions and begin to make decisions or take actions that are more in line with how an executive would approach a problem. This helps you build trust and credibility faster with your leaders and get ahead in the competition for executive roles.

Put the Company First

An executive evaluates decisions in terms of impact on the overall company rather than impact on the team or product area. They do what is best for the company, not what is best for the team or themselves. This is counterintuitive for many who rose through the ranks by fighting for resources and making sure their team outperformed others. In middle management, the job more typically revolves around ensuring your team is moving ahead and doing well, with less consideration for other areas. However, at the executive level, it is critical to the success of the business to put the company first.