Program Snapshot
- 4-month focused engagementâdata collection, review delivery, and executive coaching
- Comprehensive 360-degree feedback process involving direct reports and board members
- Triangulated assessment using multiple instruments: Decision Driver Inventory, Planning Style Inventory, and custom performance evaluation surveys
- 90-minute CEO deep-dive interview covering role clarity, competencies, priorities, and organizational challenges
- Individual stakeholder interviews (30 minutes each) with direct reports and board members
- Detailed performance report for the CEO with prioritized development recommendations
- Executive summary delivered to the board with a facilitated alignment session
- Optional executive coaching continuation for sustained accountability
Program Story
The senior leadership team recognized something important: their CEO deserved a performance review that matched the caliber of his roleâthorough, consistent, and led by professionals who specialize in this work.
Not because there was a problem. Because the organization was serious about getting leadership right.
The COO and head of HR engaged us to design and facilitate the process. Previous reviews had been handled by rotating board membersâwell-intentioned, but inconsistent and lacking the depth that drives real development. They wanted a structured, evidence-based approach that would serve both the CEO and the board. The CEO welcomed it. Heâs the kind of leader who genuinely wants to improve. But the initiative came from the leadership team around himâwhich speaks volumes about the health of the organization itself.
We built a process designed to surface the full pictureâwithout the internal politics that often compromise these conversations. It began with a 90-minute interview with the CEO: exploring how he understood his role, the competencies he relied on, the challenges in front of the organization, and where he saw opportunity. From there, we conducted individual stakeholder interviews with direct reports and board members, giving each person the space to share openly about what they observedâwhat was working and what needed attention.
In parallel, we deployed a suite of assessment instrumentsâthe Decision Driver Inventory, Planning Style Inventory, and a custom performance evaluation surveyâeach scored against the organizationâs specific standards for the CEO role, competencies, and leadership style. This wasnât a generic assessment. It was a triangulated view of how this leader actually shows up in this particular context, built from multiple data sources and perspectives.
The value of the work was in the delivery. We walked the CEO through detailed findings and helped him identify what mattered mostânot a laundry list, but a prioritized development roadmap that connected personal goals, professional growth, and the needs of the organization. A follow-up session solidified next steps and helped him determine what to share with the board and how to frame it effectively.
The engagement concluded with a facilitated session bringing the CEO and board together to clarify mutual performance expectations and establish a shared foundation for their working relationship going forward. Executive coaching was offered as an optional continuationâbecause insight without sustained support rarely translates to lasting change.
A review that sits in a drawer changes nothing. A review that becomes a conversationâand then a commitmentâchanges everything.
Program Impact
For the CEO
- Self-awareness grounded in evidence, not assumptions
- A prioritized development roadmap tied to personal, professional, and organizational goals
- Greater cognitive and social agilityâshowing up differently, not just knowing differently
- Enhanced role clarity that strengthens trust and morale across direct reports
For the Board
- A consistent, professionally facilitated review process that replaces ad hoc approaches
- An evidence-based picture of CEO performance the board can act on with confidence
- A clear path to support the CEOâs ongoing development
- Aligned expectations between board and CEO that strengthen governance and partnership
For the Organization
- A CEO whose leadership sharpens visiblyâand whose team feels the impact
- Direct reports who trust the process because their input was genuinely valued
- A model for how performance conversations can work at every level of the organization
- A foundation for continuous improvement, not a one-time exercise
The Ripple Effect
When a CEO willingly engages in honest feedbackâand follows throughâit sends a signal through the entire organization. Growth isnât just something expected of others. It starts at the top.
That kind of leadership is contagious. It gives every leader in the organization permission to ask the same question: where can I get better?
