I thought I was ready.
After five years as CFO of an electronics manufacturing services company, I had helped lead a financial turnaround, revamped our reporting systems, and earned the trust of our founder and the board. I loved the business. I knew the people. I had been in the trenches.
Then came the unexpected.
The founder, a brilliant technologist who never quite enjoyed the CEO role, asked me to take over. He would move into a new position as Chief Technology Officer. I accepted, believing I understood what the job entailed: strategy, customer relationships, board communication, driving sales, reducing costs, and rallying the team.
And then reality hit.
The first few days were calm. Then, the questions started rolling in—fast and unrelenting:
- We’re losing money on two of our largest growth accounts. What do we do?
- Our biggest customer is so frustrated with late deliveries he holds daily meetings just to berate our top service rep. She wants to quit. How should we respond?
- Our recent acquisition is bleeding cash and not integrating well. Why?
- Our competitors have global footprints. We don’t. Major customers are excluding us from bids. What’s our international plan?
And then came the questions that kept me up at night—not from the board or a customer, but from our VP of Sales:
- What are we trying to do here?
- Who are we really serving, and what’s our unique value?
- What are our core values?
- How do we make decisions when we’ve never had to think this way before?
In that moment, I realized what had been missing. It wasn’t just strategy. It wasn’t process. It was leadership and focus.
Leadership Begins With Clarity
One of the tools that helped me re-center was Jim Collins’ Good to Great. In a summary by Gene Early, Collins outlines seven tenets that differentiate “good” companies from truly great ones. I return to them often because they resonate not as theory, but as lived truth.
Greatness, Collins argues, isn’t about the charisma of the leader. It’s about disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action. That hit home. I didn’t need all the answers. I needed a framework. I needed a compass. Here are the seven principles:
- It’s not about you. It’s about the success of the company.
- The right people in the right seats. Talent alignment trumps talent alone.
- Face the brutal facts. Look reality in the eye and act with faith and courage.
- Find your hedgehog. What are you deeply passionate about, uniquely good at, and can get paid for?
- Focus with discipline. Say no to distractions, even good ones.
- Use technology as an accelerator. Not a crutch.
- Practice disciplined leadership. Over time, with humility and resolve.
These weren’t just business principles. They became personal. They became my way forward.
A Moment of Truth
One night, after another long day of unanswered questions, I sat down and asked myself: Do I really believe we can become a great company? And more importantly: Am I willing to grow into the kind of leader that will make it possible?
I realized I didn’t have to be perfect. But I did have to be clear. That clarity became my foundation.
In the next post, I’ll share how I began to build that clarity into our culture—starting with a personal process that changed how I led, and eventually, how the company operated.
Reflection Questions
- On a scale of 1–5, how would you rate yourself on the seven Good to Great principles?
- Which one represents your biggest opportunity for growth right now?
- What small shift could you make this week to move from reaction to reflection?
If you find yourself struggling with these questions, that’s a good sign. Growth often starts with disorientation.
If you’d like to explore a leadership development plan or talk through your own transition into executive leadership, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.