As a new executive, building relationships and elevating your voice are just the beginning. The next step is taking your leadership to a broader audience through a "roadshow." This isn’t about self-promotion - it’s a strategic opportunity to showcase your team’s contributions, align efforts with the company’s vision, and gain organizational buy-in. By sharing your team’s work and vision, you position yourself as a results-driven, collaborative leader.
Here’s why roadshows are essential for new executives and how to execute them effectively.
1. Aligns Your Work with Strategic Priorities. Roadshows help you demonstrate how your team’s goals directly contribute to the organization’s key objectives. Leaders at all levels need to see that your efforts are advancing the broader mission.
2. Increases Visibility and Credibility. By sharing your team’s work across departments, you raise awareness of your contributions and establish yourself as a forward-thinking leader. As Herminia Ibarra notes in Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, visibility is essential for leadership impact.
3. Builds Organizational Buy-In. A well-executed roadshow fosters alignment and collaboration, ensuring stakeholders understand how your team’s work supports the company’s success.
How to Structure an Effective Roadshow
A roadshow isn’t just a series of meetings - it’s a carefully planned communication strategy. Use this framework to ensure your roadshow resonates:
1. Clarify Your Goals. Before you begin, define what you want to achieve. Are you introducing your vision? Showcasing team successes? Building support for an initiative? Be clear about your objectives to guide your messaging.
2. Understand the Company’s KPIs. Align your roadshow content with the company’s strategic priorities. Research key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals, and connect your team’s work to these metrics. For example: “Our work on [project X] supports the company’s goal of [specific KPI], enabling us to [specific outcome].” Share measurable outcomes to demonstrate your team’s impact. For example, highlight progress against KPIs, cost savings, or customer satisfaction improvements.
3. Tailor Your Message for Each Audience. Different stakeholders care about different things. For senior leaders, focus on strategic impact and ROI. For peers, highlight collaboration opportunities. For your team, emphasize how their work aligns with the company’s vision. Most importantly, keep the information concise and impactful. Respect your audience’s time by focusing on high-impact content. Use visuals like slides or dashboards to simplify complex information.
4. Share Your Vision and Progress. Use the roadshow to paint a compelling picture of your team’s goals and contributions. Outline the “why,” “what,” and “how” of your vision:
· Why: The purpose behind your work.
· What: The key initiatives and progress so far.
· How: The ways your team will continue driving results and contributing to the company’s success.
5. Incorporate Storytelling. Facts and figures are important, but stories make your message memorable. Share examples of your team’s successes or impactful moments to create an emotional connection with your audience.
6. Invite Feedback and Collaboration. Position your roadshow as a two-way conversation. Ask for input, listen to concerns, and seek ideas for collaboration. This approach builds trust and strengthens relationships.
7. Follow Up with Action. After each meeting, send a follow-up email summarizing key points, thanking attendees for their time, and outlining next steps. Following through shows professionalism and reinforces your message.
The Benefits of Going on a Roadshow
1. Strengthens Strategic Alignment. By connecting your team’s work to organizational priorities, you ensure your efforts contribute to the company’s success.
2. Builds Cross-Functional Relationships. A roadshow fosters collaboration across departments, breaking down silos and opening doors to future partnerships.
3. Inspires Your Team. Showcasing your team’s contributions boosts morale and reinforces their connection to the company’s vision.
A roadshow is your chance to connect, align, and inspire. By showcasing your team’s impact and vision, you’ll build trust, credibility, and momentum. Leadership is about rallying others around a shared purpose—what message will you share?
Quote of the day: "Great leaders don’t just set the vision - they communicate it so clearly that it becomes a shared purpose. – John C. Maxwell
Question of the day. How can you tailor your message to ensure your team’s vision resonates with stakeholders at every level of the organization? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!
The next blog in this series 4/4 will focus on strategies for building trust and credibility.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with new executives to sharpen their leadership skills contact me to explore this topic further.
How do you share your team’s work?