Stephen H Baum Leadership

Community service is both a training ground for future leaders and an obligation of those who arrive in the corner office. 

Although he often had the best ideas and suggestions in  strategic planning sessions, George (as we will call him), always held financial positions for the first decade of his career. He asked me how he might test his ability to be more than a CFO and how he might grow whatever capability he had to be a more broad-gauged leader. 

Did he spend time in a community service activity? Yes. He was a volunteer in a local not-for-profit health care provider. I suggested he seek out opportunities to accept project leadership, team leadership. 

Over the course of the ensuing year, George was increasingly recognized by the officers of the charity for his eagerness and ability to take on challenges and enlist others in successful accomplishments. Would he be willing to serve as the next CEO? Yes, he would. And a few months later, his name was placed in nomination and accepted. 

He told me after six months as CEO that it had changed him a different perspective by sitting in the top seat, having to make tough choices,  see ahead the “chess moves” that would be necessary with people and much more.

Then one day he got a call from a recruiter. Would he be interested in the presidency of a small company with the possibility of being heir apparent to an interim CEO?  We chatted about his readiness to take the job, worked through the “yellow pad” exercise (best and worst outcomes if things go well or terribly). He took the job and joined the “club” of leaders called president. More on his journey later.