One of the most powerful insights that impacted my job performance as a junior executive was realizing my work had changed. I was promoted into roles with more responsibility and managing more people over the course of a ten-year period. I did not consciously challenge my perception of the work I was to do.

I found myself overwhelmed trying to keep up. I was leading a big team while also trying to do many of the things I had always done. I struggled to dedicate the time and keep my organization moving in the right direction. I struggled with knowing where to spend my time. I stumbled upon advice that was a revelation. An effective executive could be said to spend time thinking, deciding, and communicating.

It was obvious and astonishing that I should dedicate time to think. Of course, I needed time to think, but who dedicates time to think? Why not dedicate time to think? You are paid for your judgement and ability to drive a team to deliver results?

Similarly, I believed that making decisions was something that happened "in the margins." An executive is paid to make decisions. Paid for the judgement that comes from analyzing a situation and deciding how to proceed. One of the most important decisions is what to prioritize.

Perhaps most surprising of all was the idea that my work was to communicate those decisions. My success was measured by the results delivered by my team. To dedicate time to communicate (and have a communication strategy) was imperative to delivering those results. I found that as I spent time ensuring I was effective in my communication I assured my team knew what results were important and what they needed to deliver.

I was struggling to understand what it meant to be an effective executive. I thought there was a coach, mentor, or playbook that someone needed to share with me to understand how to succeed. My boss (and my boss' job) was different enough that I couldn't just model my behavior after his. He expected me to operate independently and deliver the results he required.