C-Suite Intelligence

CEOs and executives are facing a tsunami of real-time change – at a pace and velocity never seen before. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss the leadership tools needed in today’s environment to create flexible and adaptable companies and cultures, so that change is something leaders can take on successfully and with confidence.

The go-to podcast for high performers and aspiring leaders is back for a third season. Hear CEO Stephen Miles, COO Taylor Griffin, and top executive coaches at The Miles Group and their special guests discuss how to thrive through impending recession and systemic inflation, how to build operating models that are flexible and adaptable, why ultimate high-performing leadership teams reduce friction, and more.

One of the most important elements of being a high performance, high growth executive is identifying ways to reduce behavioral friction. These “low friction” leaders line up to stakeholders’ preferences and styles. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss common examples of behaviorial friction, and explain how low friction leadership can lead to exponential growth and create leadership opportunities for executives.

Most founders and executives are so deeply immersed in their business model and products that they forget about themselves – their own personal growth as a leader. Everybody talks about business growth or the exponential growth of an organization, but personal growth is just as important, say Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin. The research is clear that when a founder can effectively scale with the company, shareholder returns tend to be high. There must be commitment to personal growth. It’s an ongoing and continuous activity, not just for yourself, but also for the organization and the teams you lead.

Even though they can be inspirational, motivational, and passionate, many Silicon Valley leaders lack the right performance-driven toolkit to achieve success in every economic environment. Rob Tarkoff, EVP of Oracle, joins Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin to describe the kind of “ambidextrous” nature VCs look for in executives – the combination of a potential-driven mindset with the performance-driven aspects of bootstrapping and doing more with less.

Operating in highly complex and dynamic environments, the best CEOs maintain alignment with their teams by communicating frequently, collaborating effectively, and prioritizing routinely. Good process delivers good outcomes, say Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin, and if you take the time to thoughtfully recalibrate and refocus teams with constant context, you can create a culture and environment where everyone can win together.

As layoffs hit the tech sector, Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how companies need to pivot from potential to performance. We’ve seen valuations come down at a catastrophic level that nobody could have ever imagined, say Miles and Griffin. They explain how the sudden change redefines expectations for leaders, who may need to refocus their teams on their core business – that “original wicked idea” that got them there.

Unlocking performance inside an organization requires delivering real outcomes, not just a proliferation of activities, say Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin.  This can prove difficult in our new multivariate and asynchronous operating environment. Miles and Griffin discuss how “executing for outcomes” can help refocus and reorient teams in turbulent, highly complex times.

There are three levels of leadership awareness that are critical for any leader, or aspiring leader: self-awareness (MeQ), one-to-one leadership (EmQ), and one-to-many leadership (SocQ), which includes the broader social context and environment. Taylor Griffin and Courtney Hamilton discuss why today’s “social economy” compels leaders to develop a more nuanced awareness toward various stakeholders and audiences, both within the company and without.

High-potential employees are easy to spot – they’re usually quick on the uptake, light on their feet, and have a high capacity for growth. Leaders are attracted to hiring people who they believe will grow into roles, however, they don’t always invest the proper training to get them there. Taylor Griffin and Courtney Hamilton discuss how leaders can ultimately build out a mosaic of talent across their team that’s going to meet the needs of the business today and the business of tomorrow.