Simon Short of Advanced: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a C-Suite Executive

Employee engagement is key. Businesses are made by people, not products. Engage at all levels and remove hierarchy. Everyone is equal and just as important as each other. The boat will go faster if everyone is paddling in the same direction.

As part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading My Company” I had the pleasure of interviewing Simon Short, COO, Advanced.

Simon joined Advanced in February 2021 as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for all operational aspects of the organization, with a specific focus on nurturing the culture for customer success.

He was previously Global Lead for Customer Success at Salesforce, helping customers to achieve business value from their investment. Simon also worked as Head of Technology Business Management for Vodafone, Global Lead for Capgemini’s Digital Customer Experience, and spent 15 years as an Engineering Officer in the Royal Navy.

Simon is also Chair of Astriid, a charity connecting people with long-term chronic illness with meaningful opportunities in the workplace.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

My initial career was as an Engineering Officer in the Royal Navy for 15 years, which shaped my perspectives on leadership. From there, I’ve always sought to be at the leading edge of technology, joining Vodafone in the growth phase of mobile, joining Capgemini as CTO and leading client digital transformation, and recently at Salesforce driving customer success and value.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

In my first sea job in the Royal Navy, I was supposed to be the ‘deputy’ for two years to learn the ropes. On my first day, however, my boss, the Head of Department, said, “You’ve got a week to find your way around the ship and then you’re in charge. My role here will be coach and mentor and that’s it.” It was in at the deep end but hugely empowering. He was a great coach and challenged me every day on what I could have done differently. This model of empowerment has stayed with me ever since.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

The janitor at NASA who said to JFK, “I’m here to put a man on the moon, sir.” The concept of vision, alignment, engagement, and buy-in works for all organizations and goals.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on your leadership style? Can you share a story or an example of that?

My most used and referenced book is Good to Great by Jim Collins. I use the principles and framework in all challenges I have. Get the right people on the bus, all engaged in the vision and pushing the flywheel in the same direction. I believe there comes a point in any change when you tangibly feel the momentum.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

The way we focus on the customer and respond to their needs. Many organizations pay lip service to this, but Advanced really walks the talk. Throughout the pandemic, our teams helped the UK Government with communications technology, the NHS with patient health lines and GP surgeries across the UK to manage patients. All of these were delivered with incredible pace and customer focus.

The road to success is hard and requires tremendous dedication. This question is obviously a big one, but what advice would you give to a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your success?

Take opportunity and risks. If you always work within the confines of your job, you can do well and progress. However, acceleration comes through taking on extra challenges. Never ask for reward or recognition. Just take it on. Believe in yourself and learn by being out of your comfort zone.

Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. Can you share a story about advice you’ve received that you now wish you never followed?

For me this is about fitting into other people’s style and a culture that doesn’t sit well with my own values. Whilst working for one boss who was the complete opposite of how I believed we should manage people, I kept being advised to modify my approach. It caused a lot of personal stress and eventually, I realized that I was not being true to myself. My lesson: if you feel you’re being asked to perform or behave in a way that doesn’t align with you values, and you can’t change it, move on.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Just being “me.” Leading at work isn’t an “act.” Being comfortable and being vulnerable engages people who want to help. Even in my interview for the Royal Navy at the age of 17, I had a task to get seven people across a shark infested pool with some planks and rope, etc. I had no idea how. I stood in front of everyone and said, “Here is the task, who’s got ideas?” I facilitated the answer, and then said to the person with the solution, “We don’t have much time, you know what to do — you lead.” Then we did it. I kind of assumed I’d failed the task by so doing, but my feedback was amazing, and I was told to always remember this moment because that’s how to lead!
2. Staying 100% calm. I never react emotionally — I’m never angry and never irrational. As a leader, the way you behave ripples across an organization. If you panic, you spread panic. Staying calm grounds yourself and those around you to only focus on what needs to be done, and not on what might have gone wrong. This comes a lot from military training where a crisis is actually a real crisis — like a missile coming the side of the ship!
3. A genuine interest in people. I’m curious to learn about others’ journeys, experiences and life. I get all of my team to write personal plans about their aspirations in general — personal, family, growth — and from this find ways I can help. It builds trust and real connections that are a lot deeper than just work and objectives.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a C-Suite executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what a C-Level executive does that is different from the responsibilities of other leaders?

I think the primary thing is to remember that you have a collective responsibility for the company in its entirety — that means all customers and all employees — as well as investors. It’s not a siloed role and you can’t operate in isolation. You need to put the company first and be totally aligned with your peers and C-suite team. It’s ok to debate and argue behind closed doors, but you need to present a united front out on the ‘shop floor.’

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive? Can you explain what you mean?

That the job is “special.” It’s not. It’s just another job and, like everyone else, we are all just doing our best.

What are the most common leadership mistakes you have seen C-Suite leaders make when they start leading a new team? What can be done to avoid those errors?

When people decamp into their new office and, rather like being in an ivory tower, they lose all connection with the people in the organization. C-suite leaders should find as many different ways as possible to stay ‘in the business’ and connected.

In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?

For me, it’s the long-term vision. This is so important and certainly not to be underestimated. Stakeholders (shareholders, investors, customers, employees) can all blow you off course unless you have real belief in your vision and mission, and short-term challenges can easily become everyday distractions that take your eyes off the long-term prize.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Began Leading From the C-Suite”? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. It’s really no different to any other job. We are all people with a job with the same insecurities and challenges. There is a lot of mystique around the senior, C-suite roles. Work to remove the mystique and barriers.
2. It’s really ok to not have all the answers. Being open about this creates vulnerability and authenticity. Ask for help — everyone will.
3. It’s not about you. I believe in the concept of ship, shipmate, self. Do the right thing for the organization, look after your people, and you come last.
4. Employee engagement is key. Businesses are made by people, not products. Engage at all levels and remove hierarchy. Everyone is equal and just as important as each other. The boat will go faster if everyone is paddling in the same direction.
5. Change is not a linear journey. Be comfortable with mess, challenge and uncertainty. Just because you’ve said it, it doesn’t mean everyone gets it.

In your opinion, what are a few ways that executives can help to create a fantastic work culture? Can you share a story or an example?

For me, this all starts with employee engagement. Listen to, harness and visibly support their ideas. Then empower them to deliver them. My teams have always come up with fantastic initiatives — the latest being the idea of Mentor Circles where groups of 10 people of any level meeting with a senior leader once a month to ask anything in a safe and open environment.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The impact we all have on our planet — as individuals and businesses. Imagine if every single business worldwide was carbon neutral, or better, if we recycled everything — at home and at work. If we ate sustainably. If we provided genuine equal opportunity for all. As business leaders, we can have significantly more impact than governments ever can.

How can our readers further follow you online?

I’m on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsishort/

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!