If you are not ADAPTABLE, you will not succeed as a technology leader
If you are not coachable, many investors will want you kicked out of the company or at least out of the CSuite/EMT.
6 years ago I interviewed over 20 investors (full report on my LinkedIn articles) and asked them what would make them kick a CTO or CEO out of the company and one of the key reasons was “if they’re not coachable”.
What does that mean?
If you are unwilling:
✓ to listen,
✓ to admit mistakes,
✓ to acknowledge that you have a lot to learn, etc.
In a word — if you are not ADAPTABLE, you will not succeed as a technology leader.
I talk about this often — CTOs who are arrogant, will likely lose their credibility and ultimately role in the CSuite.
“Yeah, but the CEO is arrogant and they won’t fire her!” tell me some CTOs.
Yes, but the CEO might at least appear to be coachable to the investors.
The CEO goes out for lunches and dinners, networks, builds or has built, a relationship with the investors.
Most CTOs don’t network with their investors, don’t build a relationship with them, they just turn up to a board presentation maybe a few times a year.
Often a presentation that the board doesn’t understand anyway!
