How to succeed in your first ExecCom (Codir)

“ Being beaten is excusable; being caught off guard is unforgivable! ”

Napoleon

You’ve just been promoted and invited to attend your first Executive Committee (Codir or Comex), one of the key bodies for steering your business unit or company. You may be wondering what the “must-haves” are for your new role. Beyond managing your teams day-to-day, this position will require you to strengthen your strategic posture as well as your role as a member of the leadership team.

The Executive Committee is not necessarily meant only for decision-making. It is also a key moment for discussion and reflection, for sharing strategic information with top management, and for discussing challenges in executing agreed actions.

A necessary milestone in a leadership career, the Codir is a regular meeting with its own codes, often fairly formal, which vary by company. Here are some reference points to help you find your footing quickly.

I suggest approaching it through the five axes of the Be&Lead pentagon:

Be

If you are part of the Codir, it is because you hold an important position. The executive committee is your chance to assert your leadership posture. You are being observed in how you “take the job,” so keep the following points in mind regarding the posture to adopt.

Now, in addition to your departmental responsibilities, you are also a full member of the leadership team: you therefore have a dual posture to adopt.

Embody this posture by sharing your convictions as a leadership team member in addition to your intrapreneurial duties.

Participate in discussions from other departments to better understand the role expected of you: if you are CFO, be the best defender of financial objectives; if you are HR Director, be the best advocate for skills, talent, and team management.

I encourage you to read or revisit the excellent MIT studies on collective intelligence, which summarize that collective intelligence is linked to equal speaking time, group diversity, and “average social sensitivity” (emotional intelligence), rather than the highest IQ of participants or the group’s average IQ.

Use both “I” and “We” regularly, as a leader is also evaluated on their ability to surround themselves with high-level collaborators.

Find the right level of transparency with your teams: you have access to privileged information, so know how to maintain confidentiality — a foundation of trust with your Codir partners.

Lead

Among the skills expected of a Codir member is the ability to surround themselves with specialized profiles and to delegate at the right level. They must also keep time for themselves to plan and project forward.

I often recommend to clients that they allocate 80% of their time to current operations. The remaining 20% is for personal development (at least 5 hours per week), strategic vision, or crisis management. If you operate at 120% normally, unexpected crises will exhaust you and put you at risk.

Communication

Assert yourself as a Codir member and set KPIs for speaking up, e.g., once or twice per session.

Take your place: expressing your convictions is part of your role. Share your vision, values, stories of successful transformations, and best practices observed in your department and beyond. Be an ambassador for your department.

Use coffee breaks and Codir dinners to strengthen relationships.

When speaking, be concise — avoid getting lost in details. Prepare your storytelling with anecdotes of your successes, highlighting your teams’ crucial roles. Align your non-verbal and verbal communication until your ideas flow smoothly. Listen actively, interrupt little if at all, and value viewpoints different from your own. Always prepare your interventions — you are being observed!

Innovation

Challenge established codes, refresh preconceived ideas, and overcome overly conservative fears: innovation is urgent, even in ways of working.

As a newcomer, take the opportunity to propose a “report of surprises,” suggest inspiring and innovative locations (coworking spaces, fab labs, incubators), open up to your ecosystem, and put the client at the center of Codir discussions.

Use digital tools for real-time information sharing, like Slack or WhatsApp.

Physically change your seat at each Codir to gain a new perspective, break habits, and shake up routines.

Recognize and value your team’s controlled risks and those of the company that have paid off.

Use brainstorming or vision-sharing sessions regularly to align strategies and innovations.

Relationship

Strengthen your connections with other Comex members and key company stakeholders. Finding allies is essential for advancing sensitive initiatives, staying informed, and ensuring your messages are heard.

Set a quarterly KPI for breakfasts or lunches with these key individuals. Investing this time in building quality relationships will help you navigate delicate situations in the future.

Also leverage your network, whether physical or digital (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.), to share your convictions and reinforce your credibility.

Key attitude for network communication: be clear, congruent, visible in your areas of excellence, and inspiring to enhance your attractiveness.

Now that you’ve successfully assumed your new role, multiple opportunities lie ahead: strengthen your vision, reinforce your convictions, stay strong during crises, and rebound quickly. All these actions will allow you to ride the waves of success, satisfy your ambition, and contribute to making the world a fairer place.