It is easy to imagine that the members of your c-suite have reached the top of their game and will now dedicate the rest of their career to helping your business to run efficiently and profitably.

You would be wrong in this assumption.

Highly-ambitious and driven individuals with seniority are just as likely to be restless as any employee, and they are far more susceptible to perceived slights or disrespect from anyone within the business, no matter where they sit in the chain of command. Having worked extensively with c-suites I have seen this happen time and again, often becoming an external sounding board for their disquiet.

I work closely with c-suites, often providing their voice in the shape of ghost-writing or helping them develop their own brand via trade or national press editorials. Our relationship is always understood as one of equals. I am an expert in my field, they are an expert in the specialism they were hired for. I find opportunities for them, I suggest profile pieces that would benefit them and, without either of us mentioning it, build them the platform for their next career move.

Setting up your c-suite to leave is never my intention, but it is something that both keeps them happy and on top of their game. I don’t want them to leave (not least as there goes some of my income), but I get to see why they do, and the reason is nearly always the same: not feeling needed or respected. And there is nothing that will accelerate this process faster than them being saddled with either no opportunities to express themselves via thought leadership, or having an agency of staff junior to them for this purpose.

I have always been clear that creating and maintaining a thought leadership profile for leaders, founders and c-suites should always be a senior role, not least as it shows respect. But it also shows an understanding that thought leadership needs an authoritative voice that comes from discussion, disagreement and a sharing of expertise. This is not going to happen if you decide your account manager can do the job or your intern can take care of it. That is no way to form a relationship and just shows that an agency or an employer is undervaluing senior staff.

In short, if you want your c-suite to thrive and to stay, then treat them with respect and treat them like you are setting them up for their next move, up and out. If you want to know more about how then contact me on iain@thisidea.co.uk to discuss how to keep your c-suite and senior staff in post.