Technology, economics, geopolitics, generational thought processes, your customer’s needs, and your competitors’ offerings are all evolving faster than ever:
- Do you see foundational changes your organization needs to make to keep up with the pace of change?
- How sustainable is your company’s current business model and its growth?
- How can you lead, contribute to, or at least avoid being run over by transformational change?
The At C-Level blog series is designed to help you think through how you can develop the leadership and organizational capacity required to keep your company evolving and thriving well into the future.
In At C-Level #1–8, I shared the story of one specific transformation I led as a first-time CEO, and how my leadership grew in the process.
In At C-Level #10–18, I’ll walk through three of the most successful transformations I’ve led in my career—each in a different type of company, each with its own set of challenges. Though the companies were different, we used the same seven-step transformation model each time.
Here are the three:
- Large Manufacturing Company. As a corporate financial analyst, plant controller, and then corporate controller in a Fortune 1000 heavy manufacturing company, I helped transform our finance team from back-office reporters to forward-looking business partners embedded in business units across the company.
- Mid-Size Electronics Manufacturing Services Company. As CEO of a $75M public EMS company, I led a financial, cultural, and operational turnaround, followed by an international expansion.
- Global Internet Payments Company. Initially as a consultant, and then as President & COO, I led a transformation of culture, operations, and financial structure that tripled the company’s valuation in under two years.
You might wonder: what could these three very different organizations possibly have in common? The answer: more than you think.
First Lesson: Change Isn’t Optional
Change is never going to stop happening. In fact, it’s accelerating.
In each of these organizations, major change in the business, the market, or internal capabilities demanded transformation. And in each case, someone had to lead it.
That someone could be you.
The Seven-Step Transformation Process
This is the model I used—refined through practice, not theory. As you read, I encourage you to reflect on these questions for your own organization.
- Create a compelling vision of the future
- Analyze the current situation and systems
- Develop a comprehensive transformation plan
- Build and support the leadership team
- Communicate the change and engage stakeholders
- Implementing transformations and measuring success
- Embed the Transformation and sustain it
In At C-Level #11–17, we’ll explore each of these steps as they played out across the three organizations: what worked, what didn’t, and what I learned along the way.
And in At C-Level #18, I’ll pull the threads together with a synthesis of themes and lessons.
Thanks for continuing the journey. Let’s get into the real work of transformation.