Originally published in Psychology Today – March 15, 2024. How can a doctor transition from a clinical setting to succeeding in business? The number of medical schools offering joint MD-MBA training has increased fivefold in the last two decades (Vanderbilt Medicine Magazine, 2014). Dr. Arvind Movva found the prescription for a successful transition from patient […]
Hiring Government Leaders: Lessons from the Private Sector
I’m proud and happy that my ghSMART colleagues and I today published a landmark study on “Hiring Government Leaders” at the request of a Washington D.C. think tank.
A new administration’s #1 priority is hiring a talented and diverse leadership team that will elevate the quality of life of its citizens. However, this is easier said than done. Approximately 50% of hiring decisions are considered mistakes.
We drew on a half-century of research and practice in the private sector and public sector, and propose a practical framework to improve the speed and accuracy of hiring cabinet and senior staff, and reduce the chance of costly mistakes. While this article was primarily written for “presidential hiring,” the actionable take-aways are relevant for elected and appointed government leaders to use at the federal, state, or local levels to improve the performance of their administration, department, or agency, for the good of us all.
Please click to read our new article here: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/hiring-government-leaders-lessons-from-the-private-sector/
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Dr. Geoff Smart is Chairman & Founder of ghSMART, the leadership advisory firm. The firm exists to help leaders amplify their positive impact on the world. In 2020, Vault named ghSMART the #1 company to work for in its industry, in overall satisfaction.
ghSMART has published four bestselling leadership books: Who: The A Method for Hiring (by Smart and Street, #1 in the category of “hiring”), Leadocracy: Hiring More Great Leaders (Like You) into Government (by Smart), Power Score (by Smart, Street, and Foster), and The CEO Next Door (by Botelho and Powell).
Geoff can be reached at geoff.smart@ghsmart.com.
Successfully Convince a CEO in 3 Steps
Here is your chance. You don’t want to blow it.
You have a meeting scheduled with a CEO. Your goal is to convince her…
to spend $1m on your product or service, or to make a large donation to your cause.
to hire you, to promote you, or to give you your dream job.
to invest in your idea.
What are ineffective ways to convince a CEO?
Many people “show up and throw up” and push a lot of information at the CEO—either verbally, or by PowerPoint. I’m not sure what the reason is why many unpersuasive people follow this approach. Maybe it’s to “show you know what you are talking about.” But it does not make a CEO say yes. I recall when my firm was interviewing law firms. Two partners from one firm came to a lunch meeting at a restaurant with a thick glossy marketing brochure. I remember the ominous “thud” the document made as it hit the table. By the end of the lunch, I understood a lot about their firm and their goals, but they did not know much about mine. We did not select that firm.