Is your CEO a “Lion Killer”?
All great ones are. Lets see if you are.
by Douglas Swallow on August 3, 2021
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble.
It’s what you know for sure that ain’t so.”
– Mark Twain
Every board of directors would love to have a top-performing CEO. They are masters of creating wealth for their shareholders and protecting shareholder value and equity. They are cheered by their managers and employees and revered by their competitors.
Their companies and products are always in the top three in the market, and their strategic platforms are almost entirely populated with highly competitive market-oriented strategies. Their customer satisfaction indexes are in the high eighties, and their promoter indexes are over 50. Virtually 100% of their executive team are top-performers in their discipline. A few are considered in the top 1% of their industry by their peers. And all of them display what many would say are exceptional leadership skills, abilities, and attributes. On top of this, in smaller companies, over 70% of their department heads and over 45% of their employees and salespeople are also in this category.
Top-performing CEOs consistently post a net income percentage 30% or more above their industry and size of company average. For most companies, this equates to over an additional 2.4 points. For the average Fortune 500 company, it translates to an additional 500 million dollars per year in net revenue. And for one in the top five, ten billion dollars a year.
However, for the last three decades, 99% of Fortune 500 boards of directors have been unable to identify and select or build a CEO that can deliver this percentage. This, despite having multi-decade-long CEO development tracks, access to the best candidates in the world, and the ability to pay over $20 million per year. And it’s not just the public companies that are unable to identify and select a top-performing CEO. More than ninety-six percent of all businesses do not have a CEO that delivers a net income percentage 30% or more above their industry and size of company average, according to the NYU Stern Business School – Operating and Net Margins Survey.
Right about now, you probably asking yourself, how is this even remotely possible? Surprisingly, the answer turned out to be remarkably simple – leadership structure.
Nearly all enterprises are not operating on a leadership structure that would enable their CEO to identify a top-performing successor or a Board of Directors to identify and select one that would. Which in turn, has led them to use the wrong formula for identifying and selecting a top-performing CEO. Which in turn, has led them to consistently select a CEO that can’t deliver net margins 30% or more above the industry average.
This post will introduce you to the only leadership structure that can ensure your enterprise will have a top-performing CEO today and tomorrow, The “Lion Killer” Theory of Leadership. Plus, just for fun, it includes a quick 10-minute questionnaire that will reveal the degree to which you are a “natural” CEO, aka the profile of a “Lion Killer.”
The answer lied in the origin of the title of CEO
Since the search for how to identify and select a top-performing CEO began in earnest in the early 1980s, it has been held the answer lied in professional pedigree, i.e., academic profile, experience, size of companies led, results, and why CEOs fail. Despite employing this strategy repeatedly, the percentage of public and private companies with top-performing CEOs hasn’t moved. On top of this, Harvard Business Review-Journal found 40% of all new CEOs fail in the first 18 months on the job.
My foray into solving the mystery of how to identify and select a top-performing CEO began in the mid-1990s with a chance study of the origin of the title of CEO. The study was part of a broader research project I had started in 1980. As an intern in my senior year in college, I was assigned the task of identifying what enables top-performing employees to produce results over two times their equally experienced, trained, led, and academically profiled co-workers and colleagues. And then, once I figured that out, identify how to build workforces largely comprised of them.
The research into the origin of the title of CEO revealed the oldest record of its use was long before the widely accepted year of 1972 when it appeared in the Harvard Business Review’s March-April edition. The earliest written use of the title chief executive officer was found in Harvard Law Library’s 1888 copy of The Law and Practice of Banking Corporations.
The use of the title remained dormant until the early 1970s when it, along with the titles of Chairman, and President began showing up on enterprise leaders’ business cards. By the mid-1970s, virtually every enterprise leader had adopted the use of the three titles.
Before this time, enterprise leaders used the title of President almost exclusively, and the title of Chairman was only used in the context of Chairman of the Board. There is no evidence of the title being used as an operational title independent of the Chairman of Board until the early 1970’s when the title of CEO emerged.
Something was going, but what it was, was a mystery. At this point, the research shifted to leadership structures. The research indicated there were five baseline structures: single-leader, partnership, counsel, stewardship, and the leadership trilogy. There were no real surprises here, except for the last one, the leadership trilogy. It turned out to be new, or so I thought it was at the time. It actually turned out to be one of, if not the oldest, known leadership structure in the history of the world.
The leadership trilogy was comprised of three leadership positions and a council of elders. The three positions were Wiseman, Great Hunter, and Tribal leader. This leadership structure was abandoned around the time of the formation of cities between the first and the second macroeconomic ages, Hunter-Gatherer and Agrarian, or approximately 7,000 years ago, in favor of the single leadership-based structure. The one we have been operating on ever since. Why it was abandoned remains a mystery to this day.
But in the 1970s, it was quietly reintroduced with the leadership titles changed from Wiseman, Great Hunter, and Tribal Leader to Chairman, CEO, and President. To the naked eye and most of the business world and leadership scholars, it was just that, a change in titles. The new titles quickly became popular, and in just a few years, most leaders had changed their title blocks and business cards to reflect all three titles but did so without adopting the leadership structure to which they were aligned.
The Lion Killer Theory of Leadership
By the 1970s, only a few tribes in the world were still operating on the leadership trilogy. As good fortune would have it, while I was conducting the research, I would have the opportunity to spend a couple of afternoons with the Great-Hunter of the Maasai Tribe in Kenya, Africa. Following those two afternoons, I changed the working title of the leadership trilogy to the “Lion Killer” leadership structure for a very good reason.
The Maasai Tribe is over 3,000 years old, considered one of the seven oldest civilizations in human history, and to this day, is still operating on its original leadership structure. In the 2019 Kenya census, the population of the Maasai was listed at 1,189,522.
The first time we met was on a hike in the heart of the African savannah. On either side of our small group were men armed with hunting rifles, and in the middle of the group was the Great Hunter of the Maasai Tribe, in the full red dress, only carrying a spear.
Upon asking one of the armed men, “why does he only carry a spear?” He responded, “If we are attacked by a lion (which apparently was a genuine possibility), he will drop the lion with his spear before any of us would get a shot off.” It wasn’t that these men were incompetent, just the opposite; they were all highly trained and skilled hunters. It was just that he was that much faster.
The next day I had the opportunity to sit down with the Great Hunter, one-on-one, and share my research on leadership structures with him and ask him about the trilogy theory on which his tribe operated. He was educated in the West and held a degree from a major university in England. Over our time together, he shared with me that the tribe and its ancestors had operated on the leadership trilogy for centuries. And that they were baffled by the world’s love affair with the single leadership-based structure. He said, “It just does not make any sense.”
Over the next few hours, he meticulously took me through a comparative analysis of the two. He explained the talents, skills, and emotional and behavioral characteristics of each of the leadership positions. When he got to the Great Hunter, he asked me, “do you know what it takes to walk up to a lion with just a spear in your hand and prevail?” He explained what enables him to do this time and time again and protect his tribe. Moreover, why his natural abilities to do this prohibit him from performing the other two leadership roles at their highest levels.
I learned that all leadership structures are made up of three roles: one strategic, one tactical, and one operational. However, the difference between the single-leader and the leadership trilogy is that the single leader-based platform holds the best way to achieve optimal results is for one person to hold all three positions and directly or indirectly make all the decisions. Conversely, the leadership trilogy holds the talents, skills, and emotional competencies required to perform each at their highest levels are mutually exclusive. Furthermore, the best way to achieve optimal strategic, tactical, and operational results, and thus overall, was to have three “natural” leaders, each one with the innate abilities and emotional dispositions and ostensible authority to perform their jobs at the highest level.
That day, I learned something virtually all, but a few leaders missed, but not two of the most successful and wealthiest businessmen in the world, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. This was simply that the only way for a board of directors to consistently hire a top-performing CEO and ensure they have one today and tomorrow is to operate on the original version of the leadership trilogy, aka the “Lion Killer” theory of leadership.
Upon my return to the states, a friend, who was familiar with my work, just happen to gave me a copy of Jean Auel’s book, Clan of the Cave Bear. The book has sold more than 45 million copies, been made into a movie by Disney, and Jean’s work is recognized by the world’s leading archaeologists and anthropologists. Her story described the “Lion Killer” theory of leadership to a tee.
Image by rottentomatoes.com
In the end, the math turned out to be pretty straightforward. Any company led by a “natural” Chairman, CEO, and President will consistently outperform any company led by one “natural” in any one of the three positions that is attempting to perform all three roles in a highly competitive environment. Let alone against any competitor led by one individual who is not a “natural” in any one of the three positions.
So, are you a Wiseman, Lion Killer, or Tribal Leader?
Now, Just for fun, let’s see if you are a Lion Killer, Wiseman, or Tribal Leader. The following is part one of The DES Chairman, CEO, and President Behavioral Characteristic Inventory, aka the “Lion Killer” questionnaire. It is a short 10-minute questionnaire that will reveal the degree to which your behavioral characteristics are aligned with those of a “natural” Wiseman, Lion Killer, or Tribal Leader. It is based on the profiling of over 10,000 highly successful business owners and CEO since 1990.
The DES Chairman, CEO, and President Behavioral Characteristic Profile
The following is a list of 10 behavioral characteristics typically found in “natural” Chairmen, CEOs, and Presidents. Next to each attribute are three lines. At the top of each profile are the letters “Y,” “N,” and “S.” They stand for yes, no, and sometimes. On a seperate piece of paper simply make three columns with ten blank lines under each. Place the title of each set of questions at the top of each column: Wiseman, Lion Killer, and Tribal Leader. Place a Y, N, or S that best describes you in the context of the behavior outlined.
Wiseman/Chairman
1. I am one of the most analytical people you will ever meet. ____ ____ ____
2. I can see the big picture with extraordinary clarity. See the
trends and patterns in the chaos and quickly understand
the context of where things are, where they have been,
where they should be, and where they are going. ___ ___ ___
3. I am crystal clear on the needs, wants, and desires of the
principal shareholders and board of directors and the emerging
threats facing the company and the industry. ___ ___ ___
4. I can create a simple and clear vision for the CEO,
President, executive team, and employees to achieve. ___ ___ ___
5. I can see the company’s strategic platform and perfection
or lack thereof in tactical and operation strategies and their
execution. ___ ___ ___
6. I can create, achieve, and maintain optimal strategic platform
alignment with the degree of market competitiveness in which
the enterprise operates. ___ ___ ___
7. I have an understanding of the differences between all four
types of innovation: sustaining, efficiency, disruptive, and
breakthrough and have the ability to identify each on-site
and take advantage of them. ___ ___ ___
8. I have the innate ability to identify “naturals,” talented,
skilled, and under-skilled employees, managers, and
executives in a blink of an eye. ___ ___ ___
9. I am a student of best practices and strategies and
believe there is knowledge out there I have not yet
learned. The knowing of which will enable the company
and me to perform better. ___ ___ ___
10. I have absolute clarity on the state and readiness of the
company’s financials, quality and degree of market
competitiveness in which the company is operating, how
each product is positioned and performing, and the degree
to which its strategic platform is in optimal alignment with
the delivery of superior financial results. ___ ___ ___
Totals number checked in each column: ___ ___ ___
Lion Killer/CEO
1. I am a “natural” dealmaker and passionate about acquiring
companies, raising capital, and have an uncanny sense for making good deals and knowing when to walk away. ___ ___ ___
2. I have the edge and reputation for getting things done,
bringing projects in on time and under budget, and upgrading personnel when the opportunity presents itself
and not holding on to underperformers. ___ ___ ___
3. I tend to display a high level of personal energy and the innate ability to energize others and consistently execute
the tasks of which my role is comprised at a high level. ___ ___ ___
4. I make good and decisive decisions quickly with less than
perfect information. ___ ___ ___
5. I can seize opportunities with precision and swiftness. ___ ___ ___
6. I can create the best-selling products within their sector, segment, niche, value orientation, and market areas ___ ___ ___
7. I am at ease with putting everything I own at risk every day. ___ ___ ___
8. The more challenging, competitive, or urgent the situation
the better I perform. ___ ___ ___
9. I am able to give people the illusion I care about them and their issue. ___ ___ ___
10. I am able to inspire, engage, and lead others to follow my plan
with relentless passion and obsession. ___ ___ ___
Totals number checked in each column: ___ ___ ___
Tribal Leader/President
1. I am known for my empathic listening skills, i.e., being
a great listener. ___ ___ ___
2. I can get the right people into the organization, the wrong
ones out, and the right ones in the right positions and
build workforces largely comprised of highly engaged
top performers. ___ ___ ___
3. I care, connect, inspire, and lead everyone in the
companies I work at a very personal level. ___ ___ ___
4. I have absolute clarity on the staffing, compensation,
recruiting, selecting, onboarding, developing, and
evaluating platforms needed to achieve the workforce performance capability level to achieve the company’ business plan. ___ ___ ___
5. I can create a simple and clear vision of operational
perfection, which inspires and energizes executives,
business unit managers and their employees to strive
for optimal execution of their roles. ___ ___ ___
6. I can inspire others to passionately and relentlessly strive
to get their jobs done, regardless of the sacrifices or
whether or not the tasks can be accomplished in the
time provided. ___ ___ ___
7. I am able to create an accountable, diverse, safe, fun,
inspiring and thinking culture. ___ ___ ___
8. I can create work plans and define their activities, steps,
who is responsible for what, hours to complete, completion
dates, resources needed, and hold workgroup leaders
accountable for their results. ___ ___ ___
9. I can see processes in the context of the elements
of which they are comprised and remove the barriers to
optimal execution and results. ___ ___ ___
10. I can design and tool a workforce that consistently achieves
industry-leading customer satisfaction indexes. ___ ___ ___
Totals number checked in each column: ___ ___ ___
Below, list the total number yes’ checked for each position. The one with the most yes’ is most likely the one you are a “natural.”
Chairman _____ CEO _____ President _____
In summary,
- A “natural” Chairman is one who instinctively knows the best strategic direction for the organization and all the strategies required to get it there.
- A “natural” CEO is a “rainmaker.” They are the one who has the innate ability to grow the company, develop superior tactical strategies, identify, negotiate and close great deals, and raise the capital needed for the company to grow unimpeded.
- A “natural” President is one who is a natural leader. They are an individual who can see and communicate the operating platform needed to achieve the Chairman’s and CEO’s visions. They can get the right people into the company, the wrong ones out, and the right ones in the right positions. They can develop a workforce primarily comprised of highly engaged and top-performing managers and employees and create a safe, fun, diverse, inspiring, and thinking-oriented culture.
The innate ability and behavioral profiles to perform each at the top performer level are mutually exclusive. The optimal career tracks for each are different. If you are in a position to advise or select an individual for the leadership of an enterprise. The most important question you can ask the ownership or committee is what type of leader is it seeking to hire – a Wiseman, Lion Killer, or Tribal Leader.
Where you were, what you learned, and where you are now
A few minutes ago, it was highly likely you thought the best enterprise leadership structure was the one where one individual holds all four leadership positions: Chairman of Board, Chairman, CEO, and President. You were most likely unaware that 99% of Fortune 500 company boards of directors have been unable to identify and select an individual that can consistently deliver top-performer results. Or that the value of one to the shareholders of a top ten Fortune 500 company was over eight billion dollars a year in additional net revenue.
What you just learned is our most ancient civilizations, those that existed over 7,000 years ago, knew something the greatest minds in corporate America, academia, and the consulting community today didn’t. How to identify and select a top-performing CEO. They knew the optimal organizational leadership structure was not to have one individual make all strategic, tactical, and operational decisions but rather “naturals” in each of these three roles. And that the behavioral profiles to perform each of these roles at the highest levels were mutually exclusive. But maybe, most importantly, you just learned if you have the behavioral profile of a “natural” Lion Killer, Wiseman, or Tribal Leader.
You are now in a very different and significantly more powerful place than you were just a little while ago. And most importantly, you now know what inhibits all companies and their managers from performing at the highest levels lies not in what they know but rather in what they know for sure that isn’t so, to paraphrase Mark Twain.
I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to The “Lion Killer” Theory of Leadership and discovering if you are a “Lion Killer.” If you would like to learn more about the work we’re doing at OG, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at doug@orggenetics.com.
Douglas Swallow is a student and teacher of optimal human performance in the workplace and Socratic advisor to owners, boards of directors, and CEOs. His four decades of research has led to a body of knowledge and collection of technologies that can equip your enterprise with the ability to increase its net income percentage to 30% above its industry and size of company average. Cut its employee disengagement levels in half. Increase its percentage of top-performing managers and employees to over 45%, shattering today’s 15% ceiling. And maybe, most importantly, ensure it has a top-performing CEO today and tomorrow.