Finding & Supporting Your CEO
What’s happening at the top?
Your organization’s success depends on the right leader for the time, whether it’s a CEO, President, or Executive Director. We help Boards find their organization’s next leader, manage CEO performance, plan for succession, and support leadership and culture.
![Finding and Supporting Your CEO Two men standing a vast desert of sand dunes. Implying the challenge of searching for the right CEO. Watson Inc.](https://www.watsoninc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Finding-and-Supporting-Your-CEO.jpg)
CEO Search
A leadership transition is one of the most momentous steps your Board can take. It can also be one of the most rewarding. Finding and choosing the right candidate is only one consideration, given all of the complex organizational changes that can follow. We work alongside you to consider how prepared your organization is for change, select the best leader for the time, support your new CEO to accelerate their performance, and ensure they work well with your Board to lead your organization forward.
For when your Board is asking...
- How will we find the right CEO for the next stage of our evolution?
- How can we ensure internal candidates feel good about the process?
- How can we support a successful transition?
CEO Performance
A healthy Board-CEO relationship is rooted in alignment on purpose, direction, and performance. To succeed, your CEO needs to understand how they’re doing and what the Board expects. We work with your Board to clearly define success in the role, reach consensus around expectations of leadership performance, provide calibrated, constructive feedback to the CEO to help them improve, and engage in meaningful discussions about how the Board can support development and retention.
For when your Board is asking...
- Does our CEO understand how they’re doing and what the Board expects?
- Is there a better way to give the CEO feedback?
- Is our Board giving the CEO the support they need?
Succession Planning
No Board can afford to be unprepared for the departure of a CEO. Leadership succession planning makes your organization more resilient, whether it’s a planned transition or a sudden exit. We support your Board to determine what will be needed in your next leader, prepare for emergency situations, understand the strengths and gaps of your leadership bench, assess readiness and risk, and gain clarity on succession timelines.
For when your Board is asking...
- What’s the plan if our CEO has an emergency departure?
- How do we respectfully plan for CEO succession when our incumbent is new?
- How should our Board engage with succession planning during different stages of our CEO’s tenure?
Leadership & Culture
The culture among your organization’s senior leadership team can be a critical competitive advantage. It can also be a risk. We work with your Board and CEO to ensure the right leadership dynamics and culture to deliver your organization’s priorities. This includes improving your organization’s capacity in areas like diversity, equity, and inclusion and adaptability to change.
For when your Board is asking...
- Have we intentionally designed and planned for the leadership and culture we need to succeed?
- Is the senior leadership team modelling the culture we want?
- Is our organization advancing on diversity, equity, and inclusion?
When it comes to your Board, everything is connected.
![Building a strong board Close up a wood architectural feature. Implying a well designed board of directors. Watson Inc.](https://www.watsoninc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Building-a-strong-board.jpg)
Building a Strong Board
![Understanding Your Boards Performance A canyon seen from below. Highlighting a thin clear sky between rock formations. Implying insights. Watson Inc.](https://www.watsoninc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Understanding-Your-Boards-Performance.jpg)
Understanding Your Board’s Performance
![Evolving Governance A twisting highway along a green coast. Implying the path to success. Watson Inc.](https://www.watsoninc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Evolving-Governance.jpg)
Evolving Governance
![Achieving and Aligning Engagement The spiral stars of a modern library. Implying layers of governance. Watson Inc.](https://www.watsoninc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Achieving-and-Aligning-Engagement.jpg)
Achieving Alignment & Engagement
Get the leadership you’re looking for