By Sarah Ellis, senior people and development consultant, Atkinson HR
You may also be interested in attending our webinar on 1 October: “The CEO leap – stepping up into the chief exec role”
While I don’t profess to be an expert, I have applied for a few CEO roles during my career (and got two of them), and I’ve recruited several CEOs along the way too, both as chair of a board and in a supporting role in my current job. So, with that said, I thought it might be useful to share a little of what I’ve learned from my experiences on both sides of the process.
The first question is always: “Should I apply or not?!”
To be blunt, if you’re already in a senior role, have a good breadth of experience behind you and feel that the organisation’s values and direction align with your own, go for it!
I nearly didn’t apply for my last CEO role because the organisation was so much bigger than the one I was leading at the time, in terms of staffing, turnover, output and just about everything else. I convinced myself it was out of reach and too big a step up. Thank goodness for a conversation with a trusted friend and mentor, who told me I was underselling myself and needed to give myself a pep talk! It was a tough recruitment process, but I got the role and went on to thrive there for five years before deciding that I wanted to take my career in a different direction, but that’s a story for another day.
So, what did I learn along the way, and what have I learned since?
First, authenticity is key. If you’re going to lead an organisation, you’ll be front and centre much of the time, and you can’t do that successfully if you’re constantly putting on a show. It’s exhausting!
An interview panel will make its decision based on the person you present at interview. So, if you get the job by doing your best David Brent impression, you’re going to struggle to keep that up. More importantly, do you really want to spend the next few years pretending to be David Brent?
When I applied for the CEO role I ultimately got, I decided to treat the interview as an experience I could learn from. If they didn’t like me, that was fine, I wouldn’t much enjoy working for an organisation that didn’t like or respect me for who I was. So, I turned up as me, in my brightest dress, with some pink still in my hair and my wildest handbag to boot. I realise I may have just described the Crazy Cat Lady from The Simpsons, but I swear I was actually respectable!
At one point in the interview, while answering a question about values (I think) I told the panel that I completely respected their need to choose the right person for the organisation. If they were looking for someone very serious and corporate, that was absolutely their choice, but it wasn’t me. I wanted to be upfront about who I was because something we often forget during an interview is that you’re interviewing them too. You need to feel confident that it’s the right place for you and that you’ll be accepted for who you really are, warts and all!
And the same is true from the other side of the table. Over the past few years, I’ve sat on, and supported boards recruiting CEOs, and when I reflect on those processes, the candidates who stand out are invariably the authentic ones. They don’t just demonstrate impressive experience and learning; they allow us to see something of who they are. They’re willing to show vulnerability, speak honestly about their development areas and, generally, appear more relaxed.
I know that being relaxed in an interview is much easier said than done and there’s obviously a difference between appearing relaxed and appearing uninterested! I completely understand that the thought of being interviewed by a board can be terrifying and the least relaxing thing ever. But please remind yourself: they’re just people too. They’re regular human beings who have a favourite TV programme, got annoyed by the traffic on the way in, own a pair of slippers that have seen better days and would quite like an afternoon nap at 2pm.
They want to feel that they can build a rapport with you. They want to know that they can confidently put you in a room with funders, governing bodies and other important stakeholders. They also want to hear about experience that feels human, complete with challenges, mistakes and lessons learned. Yes, they’re looking for skills too. But some weaker areas can be developed, and it’s unlikely that you would have made it this far if your skills were massively lacking!
Someone very close to me secured a senior-level role a few years ago and later discovered that the organisation had advertised and interviewed for it several times over the previous six months, meeting dozens of candidates along the way. He was told that, on paper, his skills were very similar to those of many of the other candidates. What made the difference was that he was the only person they felt was truly authentic. They could see that he aligned with their values and that he was, well…human.
Now, what I don’t want you to take from this is that, if you’re ever unsuccessful when applying for a CEO role (hello, I’ve been unsuccessful too) it must mean that you came across like an android and nobody liked you. That simply isn’t the case.
The reality is that there’s only one job available. Often, the final decision can come down to the answers given to just one or two questions. Perhaps you didn’t choose quite the right example, or maybe you slightly missed the mark with what the panel wanted from the presentation. Sometimes another candidate simply gave a stronger answer on the day.
Whatever happens, you’ll have gained an experience you can learn from and reflect on. Always ask for feedback after an interview because, whether or not you get the job, these processes can be incredibly valuable learning experiences.