Early in his career, Paul McKenzie discovered the three “C”s, a concept that he says has been critical to his success as a leader. As Chief Operating Officer for the world’s fifth largest biotech company, CSL Behring, McKenzie recently shared the three “C”s during a “World of Promise” podcast interview with the company’s Chief Communications Officer Anthony Farina.
This concept is important for a leader who wants to foster an environment where innovation thrives, McKenzie said. The three “C”s are all about the energy around a leader and how that leader creates, channels, and conserves energy, he explained.
Create
“Am I creating the right energy?” is a question that every leader should ask herself or himself. Leaders have the ability to create different kinds of energy when they enter a room. “You can create energy that’s not very useful,” he said, explaining that leaders always need to be conscious of the type of energy they are creating.
Channel
“How am I channeling the energy?” is another question leaders need to ask. Follow this up by asking if the people in your organization are working on the right projects and toward the right goals. “It’s very easy to be very busy, but if it’s on the wrong list of things, it doesn’t get you there.”
Conserve
“How do you conserve energy?” is the last question that leaders must ask themselves. “People work very hard,” McKenzie said. “But they can’t be so tired that they can’t work efficiently and work in a safe environment. And they also have to save a little bit of energy for home,” he added. “It’s important that people get that right balance between work and family.”
Get the latest stories from Vita by signing up for our newsletter.
To hear to more of what Paul McKenzie has learned throughout his 30-year career, including his insights into what the future holds for biotech, listen to the latest episode of “World of Promise” here.
