In this presentation, Dave Litwiller explores the critical aspects of optimizing C-Suite dynamics in scale-up stage technology companies. Collaborative leadership dynamics are vital in influencing a company's performance during rapid growth and evolving markets. The core model for the C-Suite, inspired by Peter Drucker, identifies the roles of Outside Visionary, Inside Visionary, and Disciplinarian. The CEO team construct is discussed, emphasizing its strengths in reducing CEO isolation and maintaining defined roles. Key vital sign indicators for C-Suite teams are highlighted, focusing on decision-making and diversity of thought. The distinct challenges of the Disciplinarian role are addressed, including the need for a deep understanding of operational realities. The presentation also touches upon interpreting C-Suite criticisms and common friction areas among team members. To resolve conflicts and enhance C-Suite cooperation, various mechanisms and strategies are explored, such as conflict resolution procedures, mediation, role changes, and alignment of goals and values. By understanding and addressing these dynamics, organizations can foster a more effective C-Suite.

1. Dave Litwiller
November 2, 2023
OPTIMIZING C-SUITE DYNAMICS
IN SCALE-UP STAGE TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESSES
NOV 2, 2023
DAVE LITWILLER

2. BACKGROUND
• Collaborative leadership dynamics are one of the areas of
greatest impact influencing scale-up stage company
performance
• Even when power sharing arrangements at the C-level are
working well, they require ongoing effort and renewal to
keep pace with a rapid rate of company growth, increased
complexity, market change, and technology advancement

3. OUTLINE
• This presentation provides an overview of the enduring
principles and high impact interventions to optimize C-
Suite dynamics
• Core model
• Benefits of a team
• Practical extent of the CEO team
• Leading vital sign indicators of team performance
• The distinctive challenges of execution leadership among
the C-Suite
• Areas of common friction among C-level executives
• Leading remedies to improve individual and group
performance

4. CORE MODEL FOR
THE C-SUITE
• Peter Drucker, from The Practice of Management (1973)
• At least three roles, a common form of which is:
• Outside Visionary
• Industry and investor relations, stakeholder
engagement, sales, setting the direction
• Inside Visionary
• Leadership of tech, products, markets, driving
innovation and growth
• Disciplinarian
• The person who makes the trains run on time
• Sometimes also called the enforcer, the person of
action, or similar terms, who can deliver in the
moment, as well as processes and systems over time
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” – George Box

5. CORE MODEL FOR
THE C-SUITE
• In practice, these roles are often spread across groups of
as many as five or more people
• The personas on the previous slide are often composites
of two or more individuals on the C-team
• As well, sometimes the Inside Visionary role is filled not
by an individual, but instead by a standing committee of
CEO and CEO-reporting executives, such as a planning
and policy group

6. STRENGTHS OF THE CEO
TEAM CONSTRUCT
• A team:
• Diminishes the potential for isolation of the CEO from the
on-the-ground realities of the business
• Reduces the likelihood of informal advisors or staff aides to
the CEO becoming overly influential in strategy and
decision making, rather than executives with properly
defined roles and responsibilities
• Provides greater resilience of group functioning in the case
of deterioration of any one pair-wise relationship among
the group, such as a falling out or an irreconcilable
disagreement on a critical issue

7. EMPIRICAL TEST TO SEE
WHERE THE BOUNDARY
OF THE CEO TEAM IS
• The team extends as far as where other members of the
team will defer to the judgement of individual members on
select core business issues, without much in the way of
further debate or appeals

8. PRIMARY VITAL SIGN
INDICATORS FOR C-SUITE
TEAMS
• Deliberation is joint, vigorous and varied, but, decisions
are single and carried out by individual team members
with conviction once a decision is reached
• Visible dissention from the C-suite very quickly spreads
confusion, indecision or local agendas through an
organization
• It doesn’t take much for people to question authority
• There’s diversity of thought, perspective, skills and
leadership styles, at the same time as grounding in deeply
shared ambitions and values for the business

9. DISTINCT CHALLENGES
OF THE DISCIPLINARIAN
ROLE
• The Outside Visionary and Inside Visionary have more latitude to
ignore certain problems and issues, at least for a while
• They can define the company and their work in more aspirational,
sweeping terms
• The Disciplinarian does not have this flexibility
• The gaps, issues, and forces of entropy active in any business of
scale will have significant, immediate manifestations in operations
and execution
• The Disciplinarian is thus someone who will attract a lot of critics in
the organization, but, often because of the errors of omission or
commission of the larger CEO team, as well as the intrinsic nature of
balancing among many competing interests
• The Disciplinarian role requires thick individual skin, and a lot of
backing from the rest of the C-Suite

10. DISTINCT CHALLENGES
OF THE DISCIPLINARIAN
ROLE
• The challenges of the Disciplinarian can often be directly
observed in multiple places tactically:
• Poor or inconsistent product and process quality, including
varied definitions of quality between individuals and teams in
the company
• Cost and schedule overruns and unpredictability
• Gaps and contradictions between aspirational value
proposition, market position, and lived customer experience
• The Disciplinarian requires the ability to go deep into
execution realities at least two management levels below the
role in order to have enough knowledge of the on-the-ground
mechanics of action
• The Disciplinarian needs to be a strong autodidact to cover
this depth in addition to the range/scope of the role

11. C-SUITE CRITICISM
INTERPRETATION
• Members of the CEO team apart from the CEO can become
lightning rods for criticisms that other stakeholders would
like to voice about the CEO and the C-Suite overall, but are
not willing to say to the CEO
• Inference:
• Be thoughtful about filtering and interpreting criticisms
leveled at CEO team members, apart from the CEO,
especially in the case of a Disciplinarian or a clearly
designated #2 in command (such as a COO or a
President)
• Giving credence to misattributed criticisms institutionalizes
a form of passive aggressiveness, which can have culture
degrading implications, which develops a life of its own
and becomes very difficult to reverse once it has taken
hold

12. COMMON FRICTION
AREAS AMONG CEO-TEAM
MEMBERS
• Overlap of responsibilities, often in go-to-market, product
development or service delivery
• Insufficient communication, or different styles of
communication
• Prioritization differences
• Both for legacy issues, as well as the triage criteria and
process for accepting active new issues for resolution
• Culture, values and leadership principle misalignments
• Different approaches to attracting, developing and
pruning talent

13. PARTIAL LIST OF COMMON C-SUITE
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
MECHANISMS
• To shift overly competitive, adversarial or overlapping roles
to a more complementary nature:
• Implement defined conflict resolution and unblocking
mechanisms
• Repair sources of mutual disrespect
• Engage a mediator, usually a trusted, strong leader, such as
an independent board member or chairperson
• Undertake role changes which can shift mutual perspectives,
enabling parties to put themselves in each other’s shoes
• Tighten up boundaries of roles and responsibilities
• Realign goals, mission, vision, values, and leadership
principles
• Provide coaching and support systems, preferably from highly
regarded neutral parties
• Better document agreements and commitments, as well as
completion by following-up

14. FURTHER READING
• Peter Drucker, The Practice of Management, 1955, Heinemann
https://www.amazon.ca/Practice-Management-Peter-F-Drucker/dp/0060878975
• Arnold Thackray et al, Moore’s Law, 2015, Basic Books
https://www.amazon.ca/Moores-Law-Silicon-Valleys-Revolutionary
• Marc Feigen et al, Is it Time to Consider Co-CEOs?, 2022, Harvard Business Review
https://hbr.org/2022/07/is-it-time-to-consider-co-ceos

15. FURTHER
DISCUSSION
For additional dialog about optimizing C-Suite dynamics in
scale-ups and scaled technology enterprises:
dave.litwiller@communitech.ca

16. ABSTRACT
In this presentation, Dave Litwiller explores the critical aspects of optimizing C-
Suite dynamics in scale-up stage technology companies. Collaborative leadership
dynamics are vital in influencing a company's performance. The core model for the
C-Suite, inspired by Peter Drucker, identifies the roles of Outside Visionary, Inside
Visionary, and Disciplinarian. The CEO team construct is discussed, emphasizing
its strengths in reducing CEO isolation and maintaining defined roles.
Key vital sign indicators for C-Suite teams are highlighted, focusing on decision-
making and diversity of thought. The distinct challenges of the Disciplinarian role
are addressed, including the need for a deep understanding of operational
realities. The presentation also touches upon interpreting C-Suite criticisms and
common friction areas among team members.
To resolve conflicts and enhance C-Suite cooperation, various mechanisms and
strategies are explored, such as conflict resolution procedures, mediation, role
changes, and alignment of goals and values. By understanding and addressing
these dynamics, organizations can foster a more effective and harmonious C-
Suite.