Introduction to the Revolutionary PPLC Framework

November 10, 2020|CEO Leadership Style, CEO Philosophy, Culture, PPLC, Rookie CEO

I introduced the PPLC Framework in my Rookie CEO book. So, let’s dissect this new acronym and how PPLC helps determine the type of CEO or senior leader you will be. My hypotheses are that anyone from any background can become a CEO, but several experiences contribute to your personal path to get there. Think about how you grew up, your family, your education, your activities, what role you played in each of those and the deeper you think about it, the more you will learn about what your foundation is on which to build your overall leadership skills.

Definitions:

P=Path to CEO

P=Philosophies you bring to the position

L=Leadership Style you have

C= Culture that your PPL will create and emerge

Every one of us have our own path to today.

Path to CEO

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional baseball player. It drove everything I did. When little league season came around, I stayed out of trouble at home, I paid attention to everything about my school classes, chores, my team, my coach, and pretty much everything. In my early days I was more subdued but as I played more and became a decent player with more confidence, I became a team leader. After about 8 years playing, I realized I would not be a professional, but I would be a leader of some type. I had passion, drive, paid attention to detail, and I was collaborative. This was a major contributor to my lifetime foundation.

Your foundation contributes to your future leadership qualities. Now think about your personal “P” for Path to CEO. Yours will be different than mine, and everyone else but what results from your life experiences are outcomes that contribute to your philosophies, leadership styles and over time the culture that is compatible with your PPL. In my experience, new CEOs can certainly have a huge business impact on a company’s culture and enhance the existing culture if it’s not a startup or change it completely. The book gives several direct examples.

What does your foundation look like?

Philosophies

The primary elements of this “P” or philosophies, include core values and principles. Each leader has their own philosophies and when they become a rookie CEO, these are applied across business operations. One example might be open offices vs. closed offices vs. remote offices. Some new or rookie CEOs may allow technical workers to be hired and work remotely from anywhere in the world. They must attend meetings and calls as necessary and deliver on their commitments. Other CEOs require everyone in the office every day. Do you go outside to smoke 3–5 times per day? Do you come in late or leave early? These matter to some CEOs but not to all. If these things have been fine under the previous CEO but a rookie CEO comes in, it may not be acceptable. Pay attention!

What are your philosophies? As with your Path to CEO, think about what your philosophies are and how they impact others and the business..

Leadership Style

Think day-to-day operations and how things happen — meetings, minutes to meetings, action items, accountability and on and on. This may be the largest category with many uniquely different styles that the management team and employees will learn to deal with. Does the rookie CEO communicate well as in transparent about the things that can be shared? Does the rookie CEO execute quietly, by talking to individuals one-on-one and no one knows exactly what the rookie is doing? Other important styles that impact the business include control, delegation, integrity, planning, decision making and a laundry list that many of us have experience with our current or former CEOs, rookie CEOS or other leaders.

Think about what you experience in your professional career from your leadership teams. Do you recognize their leadership styles?

Culture

Culture is the result of the rookie CEO’s PPL and it is either driven by the CEO or it emerges on its own. Let’s look at what results from the different types. Simple. Many rookie CEOs never even consider culture. Others are on top of culture from day 1. The Rookie CEO book is a terrific resource to understand how culture impacts day-to-day operation, how people treat each other, relationships with customers, and so on.

Can you describe the culture in your company? Does the CEO drive the culture or did it emerge on its own?

Summary

If you are on your way to become a CEO or senior leader, now that you have a peak at how your CEO is driven and leads, what would your leadership profile look like when you get the open door to become CEO? This applies to every management and leadership role, but rookie CEOs are our focus because this is your mission. Learn, understand, and journal everything you can.

Do you now have a basic understanding of my PPLC framework and how you can utilize it for your career enhancement?

For more detail, buy “The Rookie CEO, You Can’t Make this Stuff Up!” book here on Amazon. It is currently #1 New Release on Amazon in several categories.

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(Published originally on my web site at: here)