Most leaders claim they’re customer-focused or business-savvy, but let’s be brutally honest—most aren’t. They’re stuck prioritizing what they’re already good at, not what actually matters most or what gives them the most joy.
Here’s a simple yet powerful exercise, the CBTO Stack Rank, designed to force you into uncomfortable clarity about where you really stand.
CBTO (full blog post explaining it here) aligns clearly with the foundational elements of successful organizations:
- Customer = Product: What customer-facing value are we creating?
- Business = Strategy: How will we succeed and thrive long-term?
- Technology = Execution: How do we build and deliver effectively?
- Organization = People: Who will make it happen (and ensure we have fun along the way)?
Here’s how the CBTO Stack Rank Exercise works:
- Understand CBTO (PSEP) – Effective leaders balance four critical lenses; each directly connected to a foundational element:
- Customer (Product): Deeply understanding and fiercely advocating customer needs to deliver meaningful value.
- Business (Strategy): Crafting clear, sustainable paths to achieve long-term success.
- Technology (Execution): Skillfully leveraging technology and processes to ensure effective implementation and delivery.
- Organization (People): Building, developing, and nurturing high-performing teams and cultures to execute the vision—while making sure it’s enjoyable and fun.
- Current Strengths Stack Rank – Honestly rank yourself from strongest to weakest across these four dimensions.
You might say: “I’m strongest in Technology, decent in Organization, weaker in Business, and weakest in Customer—so T-O-B-C.” - Future-Focused Stack Rank – Now ask yourself: “Where should I intentionally invest my energy and focus over the next 5–10 years?”
You might say: “I’m already an excellent Software Development Manager, but I really want to become a multi-discliplinary leader and also be excellent leading Product. So for the next few years I’m going to prioritize learning Product skills. So, C-O-T-B.” - Role Alignment Stack Rank – Finally, stack rank again based on what your current company or manager expects most from your role moving forward.
You might say: “I actually just asked by boss, and she says she needs me to be much stronger in O. She doesn’t need another Product leader, but she does need more Sr. Manager’s of Software Development. So, O-T-B-C.”
This straightforward exercise reveals uncomfortable truths about personal biases and organizational gaps. And yes, it’s equally powerful when applied at the team or organizational level, helping clarify strategic priorities and identifying critical growth opportunities.
Most leaders find that their most significant development isn’t about patching weaknesses—it’s about intentionally aligning their growth with doing work that’s fun, future roles, team needs, and market demands.
Want brutal honesty and clarity about your leadership approach? I’m available to help during open office hours: kindel.com/officehours.
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