Business couple discussing important documents
When you become the CEO of the business you created, you realize that no one person can fulfill all the responsibilities that come with being the boss. Every CEO needs someone who is level-headed, patient, experienced, without conflicting agendas, and most importantly, someone who will stand up for you when you’re right, and stand up for you when you’re wrong. You need this not only for your business but also for your family and wealth. Ideally, this person can lead, but prefers to work for you and sees your success as more of a goal than ego gratification. When this role is limited to your business, this person is your chief of staff, but when this role crosses over into family, wealth, and even community affairs, this person is your consigliere.
In the movie “The Godfather” Consigliere is the family lawyer and most of the time this is actually true. They may be the chief legal officer on your business organizational chart, but their assistance is not limited to legal matters as it includes business, family and personal matters.
As the CEO, you are the ultimate decision maker, but enhance your decisions by collaborating with others, providing the connections needed to execute on your decisions, and interacting with you and others as a mentor. Your consigliere goes beyond giving advice by pushing back on your plan by asking if your strategy is necessary to achieve your goals, if there are other, alternative, better strategies to achieve your goals, if this plan is sufficient in itself. There are viable alternative courses of action in order to achieve your goals and when circumstances beyond your control make the original plan no longer feasible.
As important as all this, the most important thing is that your consigliere is someone you trust. They must keep their word, not abuse their power, ensure “fair play” and “do the right thing.” Your consigliere will be both qualified and credible.
So, how do you find someone you can trust to be your consigliere? First is to find someone who is competent and credible, next is to develop a relationship with them where they can demonstrate their ability to act as your assistant, and finally, be willing to let them take on some of the tasks you now have as your boss. From your desk.
