> The Outside Advisor
It’s lonely at the top.
You know it. We all know it. It isn’t going to change.
But with a good outside advisor, your life at the top can be a lot less stressful, and a lot more profitable.
What is a good outside advisor? Some would say: An advocate who is close enough to know you well, but removed enough to see you and your ideas from a clear and independent point of view. An objective and knowledgeable witness who means it when he says “that sounds great” and who says “bullshit” when it’s needed. A trusted listener who will listen when you need to speak or be heard, and whose first obligation is confidentiality.
The Outside AdvisorSM is my offer to fill this role in three distinct ways:
> Personal Vision Setting
The best leaders are both peaceful and effective. They are led by a vision of how they and their organizations will affect the world, and they know how their personal values, strengths and preferences must be integrated into their life work. I help business owners define their personal vision, and then I help them translate the personal vision into a corporate and business strategy that is both (a) aligned with their vision and (b) sustainably profitable. My role in this effort is usually one part MBA, one evangelist, and one part therapist. This work is the most valuable thing I can provide to my clients, and I believe it’s a privilege that I can do it.
> Executive Sounding Board
I can help you sound out, probe, and evaluate your emerging thoughts (like starting a new business or re-evaluating your pricing strategy). With good ears and an MBA toolkit, I can help you get solid on where you’re at and where you want to go. My clients find that it’s useful to have a “safe” place to talk — a place where they can think out loud without needing to have all the pieces together in advance, and without worrying whether they look smart or silly. My clients also find that thinking out loud is a good way to identify the priorities and the decisions that ought-to-be-obvious but aren’t. When this happens, we laugh. And then we profit.
> Training Partner and Coach
It’s the rare executive who can’t use outside help to specify priorities, write them down, and get them done on schedule. Through a few disciplined strategy sessions followed by weekly or bi-weekly calls, I can be your nag or coach to help you do what you really want to. My friend Adam calls this “being accountable to yourself.”
Can you use The Outside AdvisorSM?
Let’s talk. We’ll find out.
