Recently I have had a strange situation in my workplace – our Marketing manager was asked to change her department by the CEO. While being an idea creator, the CEO had a brave plan to change the marketing department structure to ensure the delivery of results without waiting for a newcomer to join. At this, the marketing manager responded with no enthusiasm to make it happen. She found arguments against the change in the non-clarified approach, missing information on how the new structure will redistribute roles and responsibilities and how the limited amount of data will cause employee dissatisfaction and can make them leave. The response from the CEO was harsh and did not give any space for discussion. He insisted on his agenda with no compromise toward the delay of the change.
This was all caused because he wanted to introduce into the company a person who could have helped the business grow by taking over a function that was not proactive but acted more retroactively toward changes and dynamics in the environment.
Do you find similarities with situations in your environment? Do you see the CEO at your company looking and acting friendly with most people but pushing you as a leader to the end? If you think this happens only to you, then I will have to disappoint you. An HBR published survey results from 2021 show that some thirty -four percent of the CEOs act directly in that manner.
It is common for most CEOs to have such behavior and, occasionally, get pushy for no reason. If this is a regular behavior and the style of the CEO is more autocratic, then people accept that behavior. But if the kind of managing and leading was different, this could be stressful for everyone.
Fighting directly does not mean that you will win. In most cases, this approach is doomed for loss. So, there is a smart strategy to help you win against the autocratic decisions of your CEO. I am offering several steps here to help you deal with that inconvenience.
ONLY LISTEN FIRST
The most beneficial technique you must adopt is to stop complaining and fighting directly and start listening. You may not like what you hear, but remember, “Not listening carefully can trigger more problems than help you solve them.” No matter what the situation is, hearing other’s points of view helps you understand the purpose of their actions and decisions and plays a vital role in how you will form your strategy and reaction. The more you listen and speak now, the lower the stress level created in the situation.
ANALYZE WHAT YOU HEARD
Most often, when under stress, we hear different from what is said. This is a highly valid perception when talking to someone higher in the hierarchy than you. Most people look as if they understand and start speaking right after the person finishes. And this is where they make the mistake of the conversation. When hearing someone’s thoughts, the wisest strategy is to collect information and go through it when left alone. Different people have different analytical skills. Some of us can do it right on the spot, while others need time to reflect on what was shared and then prepare for the next steps. Regardless of your group, giving yourself time to review the collected information is a winning step.
ASK STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
When we talk or listen to someone with authority, we ask chaotic questions covering a wide range of topics from what we heard. Analyzing the information is a step that allows us to structure blocks of cases and connect them with the right questions. Returning with a structured set of questions to the CEO shows that you follow their logic and creates space for comfort that you are the right person for what you were asked to do. The closer your questions are to the CEO’s logic, the less pressure and push you will be given from them.
CONFIRM ANSWERS ONCE AGAIN
Confirming answers, or what is understood, is an often missed step in managing others and even the powerful CEOs. A summary of what you have understood creates space for further clarification, where needed, and builds your image as someone who can be trusted to do the job. The more you discuss the topics with the CEO, the better the understanding and the deeper the level of connection and trust becomes.
AGREE ON ONE SET OF ACTIONS
I know it will be hard to manage someone’s expectations when these exact expectations are changing fast and constantly with a push in the next direction. This is so exhausting. At the same time, it is easily manageable. What you need is to agree on a specific set of actions that are going to be executed. This process becomes more manageable with deadlines, content, and steps clearly described and adding responsibilities in each step. Clearing a set of actions and agreeing to them brings some defense against unplanned push into chaos and is different than the original direction headed.
ASK FOR SUPPORT FROM A TRUSTED TO THE CEO PERSON
Every company has them. Those the CEO listens more to, with no or less doubts about what they will say. To defend yourself against pushy behavior, you need a strong ally of that type. It has to be someone who can influence decisions and demands of the CEO to help you be more productive and efficient in what you are planning to deliver as a final result. The closer the person you choose to the CEO is, the more positive their impact will be on what you have agreed to finish with the CEO.
LEARN HOW TO TRANSFER INFLUENCE
Having a “weapon” like the person with built trust can help your personal development. Discussing with them is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills to be influential and better manage the relationship with the CEO in your and your tasks’ favor. Take this person of influence as an informal mentor and coach and invest time to learn their approach and methods. This will benefit you, him, the CEO, and others you may support in the future to go the same way.
SEEK AND GIVE CONSTANT FEEDBACK
This step is the hardest one. But it naturally happens when the distance between you and the CEO is shorter. Shortening the distance builds trust and respect toward you and what you are delivering. And after the trust is created, it opens space for feedback and discussion. This positions you as a partner instead of a silent executor of tasks. Here is where you have to pull all the benefits from the hat. It means setting clear feedback sessions where you and the CEO talk openly about each other’s views and understandings. The feedback sessions create another level of trust and positively impact you and all activities you plan to finish in the future.
IN CONCLUSION:
The pushing CEO may be a pain in the ass for many individual and team contributors. It moves the person and environment differently by learning to reposition yourself and moving the relationship with them from transactional to value-driven. The stronger the relationship with the CEO is, the greater the benefits from it are.
The Human place 