Leading The Leaders: How An Advisor Really Works

Ever wonder who leaders turn to for sage advice?

Every CEO and leadership team should have access to a high-level advisor. As someone who works with company leaders, my favorite type of advising resembles Wendy Rhoades.

All Companies Should have a Wendy Rhoades from Billions

Rhoades is the popular Billions character, played by Maggie Siff, who advises ego-driven leaders with the deft combo of active listening skills, some psych theory, a deep intellect, an analytical mind, and a wicked understanding of the human condition. She advises business leaders as a part performance coach, part human BS detector. This combination, I believe, is what I think makes the best leadership advisor around.

If you are lucky enough to find a good one, advisors are like having a workout buddy, an accountability partner, and a lie detector all in one. They will call you out when you need it. They will analyze your next move as you lead a company toward growth or into the fire. And they will hold your safe space.

Last month, I was brought into a company that already had a high-level management consulting team in place, but they were getting nowhere. I got the opportunity to observe…