Become the CEO of Your Own Role with Lee Benson

What do playing 1,000 nights in clubs and running a $100M+ business have in common?  According to Lee Benson, everything. From his early days as a musician to building and selling multiple companies, Lee has developed a powerful leadership philosophy:

Every team member should act as the CEO of their own role.

In a recent episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience, Lee shared how the MIND Methodology can align teams, drive growth, and create unprecedented business value.

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1. Adopt a Value-Creation Mindset

Lee's journey started with a simple lesson: success comes from creating value. Whether it was pulling weeds as a six-year-old, teaching guitar lessons, or running a multimillion-dollar aerospace company, his focus remained the same: to deliver value that customers can't ignore.

How?

• Identify how your work creates value for your organization.
• Stop thinking in terms of job descriptions; instead, ask yourself, How does my role contribute to the company's success?
• Continually improve what you do, just as a CEO would optimize their business.

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2. Embrace Radical Transparency

One of the most transformative leadership lessons Lee shares is the power of radical transparency. He believes that most companies fail to engage employees because they don't provide clarity on the business and financials.

At Able Aerospace, Lee held monthly meetings where every team member, from the C-suite to the frontline, had access to the company's full financials. 

How to implement this:

• If you're a leader, share key metrics with your team and provide context for how they impact the business.
• If you're an employee, ask your manager how your work affects the company's financial success.
• Make transparency a daily habit and talk openly about challenges, wins, and areas for improvement.

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3. Find Your Most Important Number (MIN)

Lee's MIND Methodology is built around one core idea: every team and individual should focus on a single, Most Important Number (MIN). While companies track dozens (or even hundreds) of KPIs, the reality is that only a few truly move the needle.

How to find your MIN:

• Ask yourself: What's the one number that best reflects my contribution to the company?
• For sales, it might be revenue. For marketing, it could be the number of qualified leads. For customer service, it might be the retention rate.
• Once you identify your MIN, align your daily work around improving it.

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4. Stop Setting Goals That Don’t Work

According to Lee, most goal-setting frameworks fail because they focus on activities rather than outcomes. Traditional approaches like OKRs or quarterly goal-setting often feel like busy work rather than genuine value creation.

Instead, he recommends focusing on:

• The desired outcome (your MIN).
• The structure that supports achieving it.
• The people who drive results.

This shift from arbitrary goals to outcome-driven accountability makes teams more agile and focused on impact rather than just "checking boxes."

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5. Own Your Role Like a Business

To act like the CEO of your own role, you need to:

• Take responsibility for results, not just tasks.
• Be proactive in finding solutions instead of waiting for direction.
• Treat resources (time, budget, tools) as if they were your own investment.
• Continually look for ways to optimize and improve your impact.

Every decision a CEO makes is about maximizing value. By applying the same mindset, you'll become an invaluable asset to your company and open doors for career growth.

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6. Build a Culture of Accountability

Lee's leadership framework ensures that every employee understands how their work contributes to the company's success. He encourages leaders to:

• Meet with their team members monthly to discuss progress.
• Ensure employees know their MIN and how to improve it.
• Provide clear expectations and frequent feedback to eliminate surprises.

If you're an employee, you can take ownership by:

• Seeking clarity on how your performance is measured.
• Asking for feedback proactively.
• Holding yourself accountable for driving results rather than just completing tasks.

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7. Understand Your Company’s Business Model

One of the biggest reasons CEOs fail, according to Lee, is that they don't ensure their teams understand the business model. Many employees operate in silos without knowing how their work affects profitability and long-term success.

To truly act like a CEO:

• Learn how your company makes money.
• Understand pricing, costs, and profitability drivers.
• Ask leadership how different teams contribute to revenue growth and customer success.

When employees understand the business model, they make smarter decisions that drive efficiency, innovation, and profitability.

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Leadership isn't about title; it's about mindset. Whether you're a CEO, manager, or individual contributor, adopting the principles of the MIND Methodology can help you create more value, increase your impact, and drive growth in any role.

To recap, here’s how you can become the CEO of your own role:

1. Adopt a Value-Creation Mindset
2. Embrace Radical Transparency
3. Find Your Most Important Number (MIN)
4. Stop Setting Goals That Don’t Work
5. Own Your Role Like a Business
6. Build a Culture of Accountability
7. Understand Your Company’s Business Model

Now that you know why it's important and how to become the CEO of your own role, discover the full list of episodes at The B2B Revenue Executive Experience. If you enjoy the show, instructions to rate and review it are found here.

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