Episode 195: Building Teams That Don’t Depend on the CEO with Carol Schultz
CEOs, what would happen if you could stop fighting fires and start focusing on building your business? On this episode of The Future of Teamwork, Dane Groeneveld sits down with Carol Schultz, CEO and Founder of Vertical Elevation, host of the Evolving Your Workplace podcast, and author of the best-selling book, Powered By People: How Talent-Centric Organizations Master Recruitment, Retention, and Revenue (and How to Build One). Carol shares how organizational scaffolding can help businesses build a framework that allows it to run independently, allowing the CEO to step back into higher-level work. Plus, she explains why competency-based hiring is so effective, how good communication can be taught, and how leaders can create a culture of honest feedback. If you feel like a hostage to your business, this episode is for you.
🔗 Learn more about Vertical Elevation
Building Teams That Don't Depend on the CEO with Carol Schultz
Guest Bio
Carol Schultz, CEO of Vertical Elevation and Inc. Magazine columnist, is an outspoken entrepreneur who helps CEOs stop running their companies and start leading them. She draws on decades of experience as a recruiter and executive coach to deliver The Chief of Staff Scaffold System, a 9-step program that teaches founders to restructure their time, delegate effectively, and refocus on growth. Known for her no-BS honesty and willingness to ruffle feathers, Carol combines bold truth-telling with lessons learned from her own early leadership missteps.
Key Takeaways
00:00 Welcome to the Future of Teamwork Podcast
00:29 Meet Carol Schultz
01:15 Carol’s Recruiting Origins
01:56 How the Internet Changed Hiring
02:34 Writing Powered by People
03:38 CEO Priorities Talent vs Revenue
04:49 Pivot to Fractional Chief of Staff
07:02 Dane’s Chief of Staff Impact
10:08 Carol’s Three Phase Process
11:18 Communication Across Generations
13:04 Fixing Job Descriptions and Hiring
14:47 Competency Models for Interviews
16:30 Skills Based Hiring vs Culture Fit
20:14 Using Competencies for Performance
22:37 Teams and Cross Functional Friction
23:28 Culture of Feedback Starts at Top
25:51 Feedback Without Judgment
26:27 Use I Statements
27:31 CEO Sets Feedback Culture
29:05 Vulnerability Builds Trust
30:31 Coach High Performers
32:55 When Stars Turn Toxic
38:38 VC Pressure and Burnout
40:00 Recap and Next Steps
41:39 Where To Find Carol
42:47 Closing Disclaimer
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