Navigating the Brink - Erik Seiersen - Chief Endurance Officer with Greg McDonough - Episode #187
Take your executive leadership, team delegation, and endurance mindset to the next level with game-changing insights on shedding executive micromanagement, navigating corporate crises without mass layoffs, and finding personal transformation across the world's most brutal ultramarathon courses. It’s time to move past the need to control every detail and start empowering your team to truly excel. Who better to guide you through this transition than 5-time Spirits Industry CEO of the Year, extreme marathoner across all seven continents, and Co-Founder of Agave Spirits LLC, Erik Seiersen?
You will learn how Erik made a high-stakes pact with his young leadership team at Diageo - promising to complete the 90km Comrades Marathon if they delivered record-breaking commercial results - and how that shift skyrocketed his leadership Net Promoter Score from 30% to 91%. Discover how Erik managed a $200M healthcare services firm through the onset of the pandemic as a first-time virtual CEO, restructured 30% of the company through voluntary programs without firing a single person, and transitioned from a numbers-focused CFO into a people-centric CEO. Get ready to build daily discipline, seek out candid coaching, and lead with purpose!
Takeaways:
- The Comrades Compact & Mutual Accountability: Committing publicly to a massive endurance goal creates mutual trust; Erik promised to finish the 90km Comrades Marathon if his team hit record results, unlocking extraordinary performance on both sides.
- Creating Space for Others to Shine: Transitioning from an all-hours micromanaging executive to an empowering leader requires stepping back, giving team members room to grow and make mistakes, and focusing on inspiration over direct problem-solving.
- Leading Through Crisis with Radical Empathy: During the 2020 lockdowns, Erik led a highly leveraged healthcare services company from the brink of Chapter 11 by structuring voluntary separation programs and transparent communication, preserving morale and earning a top-10 Great Place to Work ranking.
- Leading Without the Formal Title: Proving your leadership capability often requires stepping into the operational vacuum and driving results as an interim leader before the official title or compensation is granted.
- The "Outside-In" Perspective & Coaching: Elite athletes like LeBron James and Michael Jordan rely on coaches throughout their entire careers; corporate executives must proactively seek honest, critical feedback from mentors to avoid blind spots and temper ego.
Quote of the Show:
"I'm a better leader by creating more balance and more spaCce for the people to shine. So this is not really about me, it's about the team." - Erik Seiersen
Links:
- Eriks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-seiersen-9a03b05/
- Email: erikseierson@gmail.com
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/580aLDKac1ld031W4nWDtp
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chief-endurance-officer/id1680214218?uo=4
- Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2NoaWVmLWVuZHVyYW5jZS1vZmZpY2Vy
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c96880f-8dcd-4a6e-b1c8-fda816f872a9
- Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4340732
- Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/5897357
- Player FM: https://player.fm/series/series-3462719
- Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-5250102
- Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/chief-endurance-officer-ringmaster-KMdv2I8XwkN/
Keep up to date on our social accounts:
- Check out our Website: http://enduranceofficer.com/
- Community Discount Link: https://ceopodcast.myezrewards.com/signup/chief-endurance-officer-podcast
- Join my Endurance Leadership Community: https://endurance-leadership-community.mn.co/share/_C3ZDRz7OX2vbCme?utm_source=manual
Chief Endurance Officer is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/
Creators and Guests
Host
Gregory McDonough
Greg McDonough is a seasoned executive who has owned and operated businesses in the professional services sector, navigating them through both good and tough times. He brings his personal experience of knowing what it’s like to be ‘in the owner’s seat’ when working with clients, taking time to ask the questions others may not.
