A CEO I coach said that to me recently. I haven't stopped thinking about it.
I started with something he already knew: his seat is lonely.
His spouse doesn't fully understand. Most of the exec team is focused on their own function.
The best CPOs I've seen sit right beside the CEO and look at the whole business.
They run the same scan the CEO runs, through a human lens:
Where is there friction?
Where is collaboration breaking down?
What left the last meeting with no owner?
Whose behavior is pulling us in the wrong direction?
That vantage point is what makes a great CPO a trusted resource.
And if your CEO can't name what great looks like yet, you may get to help define it.
People leaders: how would you communicate to a CEO what "great" looks like in your seat?