Don’t Bother Watching Your Back

If you spend enough time watching your back, you will lose touch with forward momentum and your neck will get stiff.  Try these 3 tactics for back preservation.

The intentional CEO learns to protect their back by wearing a new kind of kevlar. In this case the protective suit is made out of material that deflects all attacks.  The power of this material exists with the wearer, the less they have to protect, the stronger it is.  For example, set your business up to run without you, your finances to be managed by professionals in a number of diversified accounts and your drivers fully trained.  Then when you get stabbed in the back it might sting a little but you are likely to lose nothing.  Segment all the important parts of your life and spread out the responsibility.  Any one betrayal will have a minimal impact on your overall organization.

Speak softly and carry a big stick.  Don’t be wishy washy, be kind when you can, be hard when you have to, and smile often.  Cultivate your style so people will love you even when they hate you.  Learn to push hard at the right time, listen powerfully and share the wealth wisely.

Finally, surround yourself with bodyguards.  Literally if need be, otherwise be the kind of CEO who has loyal followers.

Sometime sbetrayal is just inevitable, so when or if it does happen, just remember its on them, not you.  Get up, brush off, and keep going.