Why Should the Boss Listen to You?: The Seven Disciplines of the Trusted Strategic Advisor

2.5. Talents Advisors Need

Successfully meeting the expectations of CEOs and leaders requires six special qualities: initiative, inspiration, intuition, projection, loyalty, and urgency.

2.5.1. Initiative

The most common criticism I hear about both outside and inside advisors is that although ideas abound, few advisors seem capable of picking up an idea, developing it, and moving it forward without prompting or specific direction.

Initiative at very senior levels carries significant risks, and quite often the higher the altitude, the more risk averse individuals become. Because leaders must, for the most part, spend time waiting for things to happen, progress, or finish, those with initiative earn a higher degree of respect and attention than ...