Article featured in Authority Magazine.

Excellent communication skills: C-suite executives need to be excellent communicators. They should be able to clearly articulate their vision, inspire their employees, and communicate effectively with stakeholders. They should also be able to listen actively, receive feedback, and respond appropriately.

As part of our series called “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective C-Suite Executive” we had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Linenberg, President of Gotcha Covered.

Paul has been the President of Gotcha Covered since 2010 following a varied career in sales, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Paul excels at being lucky, especially in being able to work with an amazing group of people at Gotcha Covered, and helping provide custom window treatments for people across the US and Canada.

Paul grew up in the Detroit area and his love of the Red Wings has never wavered. He graduated from Miami (of Ohio) and has had to explain that several hundred times over the years. Paul has been in Colorado since 2000.

Paul plays hockey, practices Krav Maga, and occasionally gets behind his drum set to fill the house with slightly off-tempo but incredibly enthusiastic drum covers. Also a fan of craft beer and not cooking, Paul and his wife, Maggie, base their relationship on those three special little words — “diet starts Monday.”

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

There’s an interesting dynamic in franchising where there is a huge percentage of people that accidentally find themselves in franchising, and I’m one of those people. I interviewed for a marketing position 15 years ago, and I’ve been in franchising ever since. Franchising has a world of its own, and it’s incredibly impactful for those working in it as well as the nation as a whole. It’s a huge engine for our economy, and it gives people a vehicle to achieve wealth. So, it’s a very gratifying industry, and I’m glad I accidentally fell into it.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

At one of our annual conferences a few years ago, we took everyone to a dueling piano bar, a place where everyone can request songs for the musicians to play live. It’s a lot of fun and very interactive. After the drinks were flowing for a bit, one of our franchise owners paid the musicians $20 for me to go on stage and play the drums with them on Bob Segers’ “Old Time Rock and Roll.” I hadn’t played the drums since college, and it was a total blast to get up on stage and play. So fun, in fact, that immediately after the song was over, I decided that we needed to create a company band!

I went around the room and found enough musicians to fill all the spots in our band, and we committed right then and there to perform at our next annual conference. We chose a dozen songs, practiced them independently in our own homes over the next year, and then flew in and rehearsed together for the first time the day before the next conference. On the opening night of the conference, we surprised everyone and — to all of our amazement — didn’t sound too bad! We had such fun that first year that we have performed at several conferences since then. The highlight so far was performing at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

My favorite quote is by Oscar Wilde, and the quote is “Be yourself — everyone else is already taken.” I love that quote because it speaks to something that I realized over my career. As I grew in my role, that quote jumped out at me as something I had already been doing. It wasn’t something that changed my behavior. It reinforced this view that we are who we are, and we all have a role to play in whatever we are engaged in. That quote can break barriers and build rapport that ultimately allows for collaboration and trust where everyone can be who they are.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on your leadership style? Can you share a story or an example of that?

It’s an oldie. I would say “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie played a significant role in how I crafted my leadership style. I read that book early in my career. It taught me that you can succeed by helping others succeed. That’s the winning formula for any interaction you have. So, that helped me understand that business is mainly about human behavior. It’s interpersonal dynamics. Just being authentic and establishing relationships where you help others succeed and they help you will create win-win collaborations. It’s the fundamental concept of human behavior.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

One of the major things that separate Gotcha Covered from other franchises is flexibility. When you look at our business model, franchise owners can run the business out of their homes or from a piece of prime real estate downtown. Either way, the opportunity for success is in their hands. With that flexibility comes the ability to develop a schedule that works for them. Many of our franchise owners are parents or have other commitments in their community. Having the flexibility to meet those obligations while also running a successful business is what appeals to many of our franchise owners and has helped us grow exponentially over the past two years.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Resilience would be the first. I don’t know if you are born with that or if it’s developed. For me, I think sports was a very good teacher of resiliency because the game is still going on. You can’t just give up. You have to continue to be out there and perform. You have to show up every day. Half of your success in life is earned by just showing up, so I think that’s critical. The resilience goes back to the recession of 2008 when we were losing franchises. It was a very negative environment. It was all about people undergoing hardship, and it was very challenging for millions of people. All you could do was show up every day and hope that things would eventually change. After a long time, things did change, and here we are a successful company on an upward trajectory.

Authenticity would be another one. Being authentic has served me really well because that’s allowed me to have a good professional relationship with our franchise owners. They know me, they can talk to me, they can be positive, and they can give me constructive criticism. At the end of the day, they know I’m looking out for them. That can help us get through any challenges we may have when things do get tough. And, when a tough conversation has to happen, we can have those conversations because of that authenticity and trust.

Being a people person would be the third. This goes back to the Dale Carnegie book. I think that putting the needs of others is significant in my role as the leader of the franchise system. It’s critical to our collective success.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?

I had to make a difficult decision recently regarding our franchise owners. There were growing costs of running our company that made us decide that we had to shift some costs to our franchise owners. So, across the board, we made the decision to have them pay for some things that we had been paying on their behalf. It’s not something that we wanted to do, but it’s something we had to do for the betterment of the franchise system. It benefits the collective, but it may not be well received by the individuals. With a commitment and obligation to operate in the best interest of the collective, it was a decision that had to be made. It’s like getting your child a flu shot. You don’t want to do it, you know it’s going to be painful, and you know they aren’t going to like it, but you know it’s in their best interest long-term. That’s what you have to do in business from time to time.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a C-Suite executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what a C-Level executive does that is different from the responsibilities of other leaders?

As a C-Level executive, the buck stops here. Everything flows uphill, and we are ultimately responsible. I don’t have anyone to delegate to. It’s on me to be the ultimate determinator and solve problems that only I am in the position to solve. So, that changes my role and makes it a lot different than other roles.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a C-Suite executive? Can you explain what you mean?

People will watch movies or talk to certain people in certain companies, and they think that executives are conspiring in the boardrooms to take advantage of customers and exploit employees. There are exceptions that prove the rule because when that does happen, it’s unpleasant. The misconception is that corruption is widespread across all businesses. I can tell you that’s a myth. The more I deal with business owners and C-Level executives the more I’m impressed by the general quality, character and ethics within that group. It counters the preconceived notions that many have.

What are the most common leadership mistakes you have seen C-Suite leaders make when they start leading a new team? What can be done to avoid those errors?

One of the major mistakes leaders across the board make is imposing rather than collaborating, which is oftentimes driven by ego. If you operate off ego, you think it’s much more important that things go your way. If you operate with the interest of getting the best results, then it doesn’t matter whose ideas they were. I think that leads to much better results and happier people all around. That’s the mistake — leading from ego rather than being collaborative with your team.

In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?

I would say that people looking over my shoulder might not realize the amount of time we spend on simply paying attention to detail. It can be perceived that we are disconnected from the business, and we’re sitting in our office barking orders at people. A little bit of that is inevitable because you can’t always be involved with the day-to-day operations because there is only so much time in a day. With that said, we have to work and pay attention to the details that you wouldn’t think we had to do.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective C-Suite Executive”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.

1 . Strategic thinking: One of the most important skills for a C-suite executive is the ability to think strategically. They should be able to see the big picture and develop a long-term vision for their organization. They need to be able to analyze complex situations, identify challenges and opportunities, and develop creative solutions to help their organization succeed.

2 . Strong leadership: C-suite executives need to be able to lead their teams effectively. They should have the ability to motivate and inspire their employees, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and make tough decisions when necessary. They should also be able to build strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, and regulators.

3 . Financial acumen: C-suite executives need to have a solid understanding of finance and accounting. They should be able to interpret financial reports, understand financial models, and make informed decisions based on financial data. They should also be able to manage budgets, allocate resources effectively, and drive profitability for their organization.

4 . Excellent communication skills: C-suite executives need to be excellent communicators. They should be able to clearly articulate their vision, inspire their employees, and communicate effectively with stakeholders. They should also be able to listen actively, receive feedback, and respond appropriately.

5 . Adaptability: C-suite executives need to be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be flexible in their approach. They should be able to anticipate and respond to market changes, regulatory shifts, and other external factors that could impact their organization. They should also be willing to learn and grow and be open to new ideas and perspectives.

In your opinion, what are a few ways that executives can help to create a fantastic work culture? Can you share a story or an example?

There are probably lots of ways to foster a strong work culture, but I think that most of them would revolve around breaking down barriers between people within the organization. If the right people are in the organization and share the core values of the organization, everyone should understand that they are playing a role in helping the organization move forward and that it is OK to be authentic and real with each other. As an executive, operating from this ego-free environment will demonstrate by example that ego is not necessary- or in fact, tolerated- within the organization.

An example I can use from my own career is the story I shared earlier about our company band. As an equal member of the band (some would say I’m a lesser member since I’m just the drummer), our collective endeavor shows everyone that I do not place myself in a higher position than everyone else due to my title. Rather, I am just a dude trying to play some good music with other talented people trying to do the same thing. And what is music, after all, other than a way to communicate and bring everyone together?

Of course, not everyone can be in a company band, but executives should be able to find ways to interact with other members of the organization in settings where rank and title aren’t in play. Volunteer events and social outings we be common opportunities for this kind of interaction.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I spend a lot of time thinking about this and have yet to come up with a firm answer. That being said, I think that success and happiness in life come from one’s personal values. Things like working hard, honesty, integrity, empathy, and so on. I think that as a culture we don’t talk much about values a whole lot anymore, and I think we’re ready for a return to teaching them early and often and raising the next generation to have these shared values that will help them live a useful and full life. If that sort of movement were to take off, it could positively affect millions, if not billions of people.

How can our readers further follow you online?

I am very busy running Gotcha Covered, but you can always connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/plinenberg/

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this  link to learn more and apply.