CEOs are the leading light in any organisation. They are the evangelist, the visionary, the motivator, the leader. They are strategic in thought, tactical in planning and commercial in action.

In a small or growing business, they also have about 5 other hats too!!! In the more mature businesses, they may have decided to be CEO, but that means they need a highly capable and unified team around them.

To truly realise their sustainable, competitive advantage in a commercial landscape that seems to be in a permanent state of flux, CEOs must embrace three interconnected, and I would argue, circular, value drivers: a people-centric approach, technology at speed and innovation at scale. To truly harness the benefits of a perpetually changing landscape it is the execution of strategic roadmaps that will distinguish a business from its contemporaries and its competitors.

By reviewing the capabilities and capacity in the business, it becomes very clear very quickly where there are gaps. Gaps are just an opportunity to enhance the capabilities and perhaps move people into roles they would excel in. It is those who narrow the 'knowing-doing' gap, who move forward, hit their targets, and are able to grow and scale quickly, efficiently, lucratively.

Technology is and should always be a fantastic member of the team. It should work for the organisation and help catapult them forward. Even if the organisation's product or service is tech-based, organisations need to ensure their own business is well-serviced technology-wise. Technology is developing at break-neck speed and so it can be easy to be left behind. To my mind, the CTO function shouldn't just relate to organisations who produce tech, but to those organisations who use tech as an internal resource. Be ahead to stay ahead.

Lastly, innovation is a word that gets used a lot. What it really means is "changing things up". Innovation can be in the form of a new product or service, but it could also be in the form of a change in process that produces a better, more efficient, more desirable product or service. And having a high performing team who can manage and commercialise this innovation is key.

Which brings me back to capacity and capability. And people. The first value driver we discussed.

I spend a lot of time validating and realigning strategic frameworks and roadmaps to create the anchor, resource, and direction of organisations. If organisations don't execute that roadmap effectively, or they 'get busy' and distracted, then the time and effort and hard work they put into creating and validating that roadmap will reduce the plans to a document that is in the bottom of a drawer somewhere. And that would be a waste.

Strategy, capacity, capability, galvanised by a solid execution plan will allow organisations to create a highly productive, agile culture. This will in turn deliver superior long-term stakeholder value, maximise their growth & scaling potential and position themselves as market leaders, in the best place to grasp emerging opportunities and turn those opportunities into success.