The moment you say “I’m the CEO,” you’ve admitted you have nothing else to offer.

A CEO I work with  wanted to schedule a meeting at 8 in the morning.

It was a simple request for an important discussion. He reached out to the vendor’s representative  to set it up.

The response came back: “We don’t log in before 8:30.”

Not “let me check.” Not “can we find another time that works.” Just a flat refusal.

The CEO was frustrated. He told me, “I’m the client. I’m the CEO. I asked for an 8 am meeting. They’re telling me they won’t show up before 8:30. What am I supposed to do?”

I encouraged him to reflect: “Why do you think they felt comfortable saying no to you?”
He paused.

Here’s what many leaders don’t realise. Authority exists (only) until you try to use it.

The moment you pull rank, people find creative ways to resist. They won’t say no directly.
– They’ll say, “We don’t log in before 8:30.”
– They’ll miss deadlines by a day.
– They’ll deliver exactly what you asked for instead of what you actually needed.

Real influence works differently. It works beyond your title, beyond your formal authority. When people go the extra mile for you, it’s hardly because of your designation. It’s because they are inspired by you, influenced by you, impacted by you.

So the question to ask is : Do people follow you because they have to, or because they want to?

That’s influence. You earn it. You cannot demand it. It doesn’t happen by accident. It’s by design. CEOs may take the support of an experienced CEO Coach here.

CEOs deserve a Coach!

About the Author:

PK Narayanan is a CEO Coach based in Bengaluru, supporting CEOs, Founders and Business Owners Scale-up their Leadership Impact.

#ceo #scaleup #business #leadership #leadershipimpact #leadershippresencecoach

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