Courage to Advance: KPIs Don't Tell the Whole Story: Why Your CEO Evaluation Is Falling Short

The Empathy Edge

Welcome to Courage to Advance, hosted by Kim Bohr and brought to you by SparkEffect, in partnership with The Empathy Edge.

Tune in to our subseries every 3rd Thursday, right here on The Empathy Edge! Or check us out at www.CourageToAdvancePodcast.com.

In this episode, we dive deep into the often oversimplified process of CEO evaluations. We explore why boards need to look beyond traditional metrics and uncover common blindspots in CEO assessments. We'll discuss the limitations of relying solely on KPIs and how to integrate both quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate not just what a CEO achieves but how they lead. We'll examine how robust CEO evaluations impact critical board responsibilities like compensation and succession planning. The conversation will also touch on incorporating empathy and emotional intelligence into assessments. Finally, we'll reveal how well-designed evaluations can drive alignment between the board and CEO, fostering a culture of trust and continuous improvement. Join us as we uncover how to truly assess leadership effectiveness and drive organizational success through comprehensive CEO evaluations.

To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:

• Having a relationship and building trust with some board members can create a safe space for the CEO, which can often be lonely.
• Soft skills are the essential skills. It doesn’t matter what your organization does, these are vital skills in understanding the inputs and outputs to create success within any organization.
• Data only matters if you can translate and interpret it into something useful and actionable.
• While hitting the “whats” is important, the “hows” of getting to those “whats” are equally as important.

"When we talk about sustainable organizations, and the ability for organizations to grow, just hitting the numbers isn't going to guarantee success. It's important, but it isn't the whole story." — Sandy Stelling, VP of Strategy, Analytics, and Transformation, Alaska Airlines

From Our Partner:

SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest

asset: their people. SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level.

Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.

About Sandy Stelling, VP of Strategy, Analytics, and Transformation, Alaska Airlines

Sandy most recently served as the Vice President of Strategy, Analytics, and Transformation at Alaska Airlines. A Pacific Northwest aviation leader for over 30 years, she drives change using her experience in engineering, technology, team dynamics, and process performance. She has been recognized for her collaborative, always curious, direct leadership style. Sandy believes deeply in building capability and creating capacity with individuals and teams. Her track record of building trust and coaching teams, leading through challenges and crises, and delivering financial results bring valuable perspectives to the boardroom. Sandy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. She currently holds leadership roles on several non-profit boards.

Connect with Sandy Stelling:

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