Like the seasons of the year, a CEO’s journey has four distinct stages, each of which brings its own opportunities and challenges. In McKinsey’s upcoming book, A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership, a team of senior partners and bestselling authors aims to help current and aspiring CEOs navigate the phases of running a company. Included in the book are insights from leading CEOs on how to thrive in all four seasons: stepping up to the role (spring), starting strong (summer), staying ahead (fall), and preparing to hand the reins to a successor (winter). This week, we look at typical blind spots that can make it harder for CEOs to succeed as they progress on their leadership journeys.

FIND YOUR EDGE

One of the biggest challenges for CEOs is keeping their large ecosystem of stakeholders informed and satisfied. The need to communicate regularly with everyone from their leadership team and employees to investors, customers, and regulators has even turned some CEOs into social media mavens. McKinsey’s Blair Epstein, Kurt Strovink, and coauthors say that CEOs can successfully engage stakeholders by finding their “EDGE.” This means having an expanded view of their role as the company’s bridge to the outside world, a distinctive narrative, a growth-oriented mindset, and an engaged posture that helps strengthen stakeholder connections and prepare for crises. “Galvanizing stakeholders around the organization’s mission can often seem less urgent than initiatives with immediate and clear influence on performance,” they say. “Effective CEOs know otherwise, and they approach communications with the same rigor as they do financial performance.”

Lead by uncovering your blind spots.