In today’s leadership landscape, three challenges are particularly prominent. The first challenge is “performing while transforming”. Many organizations find themselves in a position where they must continue to operate effectively while simultaneously undergoing significant changes to meet new and evolving demands.
The second challenge involves navigating an entire organization where conflicts of interest often arise. It is crucial to ensure alignment among everyone – from employees to all stakeholders, including the communities they serve. Without this alignment, organizations can experience internal conflict that hampers their chances of success.
The final challenge lies in creating a strategic roadmap that complements a vision. While many leaders can paint the big picture, they often fail to build alignment and devise a plan to achieve their vision. As Jim McCarron, the founder and CEO of McCarron & Company, puts it, “A strategy is not a plan, and a plan is not a strategy, but to accomplish your strategic priorities, you need an executable plan.”
About Jim McCarron
Jim, fondly referred to as “Coach Jim” by his clients, is a seasoned leader with a unique blend of experience in Operations, Business Development, Turn Around Management, Change Management, Cultural Transformation, and Organizational Development.
His background in athletics and corporate sectors, coupled with a passion for Leadership Development, enables him to drive change, coach business leaders, and serve as a strategic mentor for any team across any organization. He is recognized for his work in developing high-performance teams, collaborating with executive and management teams, and enhancing the culture and morale of diverse organizations.
With over 20 years of competitive corporate experience in strategic sales and operational excellence and a passion for Leadership Development, he offers his clients a unique mix of hands-on operational experience and a robust leadership and coaching style.
Jim founded McCarron & Company after holding leadership positions in two of the largest companies in the residential construction industry and serving as the Founder/CEO of his own successful company for a decade.
As the person at the helm of McCarron and Company, he practices what they preach, focusing on strategic execution and creating a vibrant work environment.
Mirror Review recently had a conversation with Jim, who stated, “While awards aren’t a focus for us, seeing our clients transform, succeed, and grow – that’s the real award we’re looking to win.”
Q. Tell us about your background and how your career has progressed. What made you choose leadership coaching?
Ans: My journey into leadership coaching happened by accident. I took part in competitive sports and also coached during my college years. This experience sparked my interest in the business world. I always grounded my leadership style in a coaching mentality, applying the lessons I learned on the field to the boardroom. After spending many years in the corporate world, I realized that what I loved most was coaching and developing people. This led me to establish McCarron and Company, driven by a desire to address the gap I observed in leadership support and training.
Q. Please brief us on the establishment of McCarron and Company. What are the specific leadership development services do you offer?
Ans: I founded McCarron and Company based on my belief that business mirrors a team sport. I saw that the principles of a championship sports team could also revolutionize businesses. I saw many talented individuals, from employees to CEOs, stumbling due to insufficient support, and I decided to change this.
Our services are tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. We provide bespoke executive coaching, using the tools we will discuss in the next question. We aim to build highly effective executive teams and run a robust professional development program for both existing and emerging managers.
In addition, we assist executive teams with strategic planning, execution, and cultural transformation by promoting the five behaviors of a cohesive team. We also provide support to organizations during their hiring processes.
Q. What makes your coaching services unique? What tools or frameworks do you commonly use?
Ans: Our coaching services stand out due to a combination of real-life business experience, a coaching mindset, and a strong commitment to honesty and vulnerability. We believe in addressing all the hidden issues.
We employ a variety of tools, including PXT Select Leadership, Everything DiSC Work of Leaders, and 360 Feedback assessments. However, our primary focus is helping executives keep moving forward, acting as a thinking partner to identify and reframe challenges, and energizing teams toward effective execution, making adjustments as needed.
Q. What types of clients typically seek your services, and what are their most common pain points?
Ans: Our clientele primarily consists of mid-sized companies aiming to scale up. They often grapple with ineffective executive teams and a longing for greater cohesion. Common issues they encounter include misalignment, conflicts of interest, and distrust within the executive organization. I assist by aligning teams, fostering trust, managing conflict, and leading to a more effective and unified leadership that propels the entire organization forward.
Moreover, we also receive inquiries from smaller companies aspiring to grow into mid-sized entities. However, they often find themselves stuck, failing to realize that the strategies that brought them to their current position may not be the ones to take them further.
Q. Tell us how your coaching has helped your current or previous clients. Feel free to provide a few brief examples.
Ans: I’d be happy to share three of my favorite success stories. The first involves a CEO who was dealing with high employee attrition due to his old-school management techniques. He used to dictate orders, lacked active listening skills, and created a toxic work environment.
We completely transformed his leadership style, enabling him to foster open dialogue, encourage team collaboration, practice active listening, and truly lead rather than just boss around. This transformation helped him retain his high performers and triple the growth of his company.
The second example is about a female executive who needed to develop the self-confidence to take on the role of CEO. When I joined the organization, it was clear to me that she was the right person for the leadership role. However, no one else, from the board to the rest of the organization, including herself, saw her potential. We helped her build her confidence and skillset and supported her when she made the bid for CEO (which she successfully achieved), and the company has now quadrupled its growth under her leadership.
Lastly, we helped an organization increase its annual revenue from 65 million to over 300 million within five years by overhauling its strategic sales approach. We restructured their sales team, from their hiring process to development, deployment, and compensation. With our guidance, they built a high-performing sales team that consistently executed at a very high level.
Q. When motivating their team, what common mistakes do leaders often make, and how can they avoid them?
Ans: Many leaders tend to overemphasize their technical skills and strategic thinking, often neglecting the people and soft skills that are crucial for fostering an engaging work environment. This imbalance can lead to disengaged employees and high turnover rates. I consistently encourage my clients to focus on emotional intelligence (EQ), personal growth, and the development of teams that enhance each other’s strengths.
Q. How do you manage to have a perfect work-life balance? What are your hobbies/interests beyond the cabin?
Ans: I advocate a 3-circle model for my clients, which encompasses “Me,” “Family,” and “Work.” It’s essential to maintain a balance among all three, if one falters, they all do. I understand that this is easier said than done, but at the very least, it’s crucial to ensure quality in all three aspects. My “me” circle includes a commitment to fitness and a healthy lifestyle, as well as general self-care. If this circle diminishes, it leaves very little to contribute to the other circles.
Ans: Certainly, I have three key pieces of advice for my fellow leaders:
- Become a resonant leader: This involves a commitment to developing your emotional intelligence (EQ), becoming adaptable, and building resilience. Communicate, collaborate, and coordinate. It’s not just about having a talented team; it’s about how you synchronize your team that sets your organization apart from the competition.
- Commit to the strategic management process: This is especially important when it comes to execution. With 70% of all strategic plans failing, it’s crucial to commit to a real process that builds alignment and a systematic approach to executing your plan. Parallel with this, commit to developing your middle managers. They are responsible for delivering on your strategic priorities but are often overwhelmed, under-resourced, and under-supported.
- Embrace shared leadership: Leadership isn’t a solo sport. Don’t shoulder all the responsibilities and burdens of your role alone. Share them with your team and allow them to rise to the occasion. You’ll discover hidden leaders along the way. Remember, the bandwidth of a leadership team far exceeds that of a single leader.
