Make-A-Wish CEO Richard Davis Says: Set A Direction, Not A Goal

Too often in our careers, many of us get caught up in the title we want to have on our business cards next year, and the year after that. Not Richard Davis. The president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America has enjoyed some pretty lofty job titles in his day. Prior to coming to Make-A-Wish in 2019, he was executive chairman and CEO of US Bank, the fifth largest bank in the U.S. Davis currently serves on the boards including Mastercard, Mayo Clinic, Dow Chemical, and Wells Fargo.

But Davis, who played tennis and basketball growing up, says sports taught him that win or lose, you tend to have more fun when you’re in the game. So, instead of setting a goal to play a certain position, he always did whatever he could to be a utility player, in sports and business.

“If I had set a goal to be a bank branch manager by the time I was 25, I would have taken the straight line to get there as fast as I could,” explained Davis in a recent interview. “And then later in life, if someone asked me to lead a commercial banking group, I’d have to say I couldn’t. Never learned how.”

Davis has always preferred the winding pathway paved by curiosity, a route that may have been less predictable than hard-and-fast goal setting but would be more likely to satiate his hunger to do more, make himself more promotable, and have more influence in the long run. “I liked the idea of developing a wide and deep experience curve early in my career because I just wanted to play,” he admitted.

“And the chances of getting called in to play in a game, whether I’m scoring or defending, are greater by virtue of having skills to do more than one position. I want to be there to celebrate when we win but also share when we lose. Either beats sitting on the bench.”

By focusing on the journey rather than the destination and on learning and growing rather than earning promotions, Davis also managed to work his way through the ranks from the bottom to the top. As he made himself more valuable, the job titles also fell into place.

All aspiring business leaders would do well to take to heart Davis’ mantra to “set a direction, never a goal.” While this may sound like anathema in a business magazine, it makes all the sense when you consider the importance of continuous learning for individual and corporate success. Davis’ experiences offer a trove of wisdom for leaders in any stage of their journeys, including:

Boosting your own and your team’s CQ (curiosity quotient). Said Davis, “When you are curious about many things, including how best to do your work, leaders recognize that as a talent, a skill that they want on their team.”

Using leadership transitions to take stock of what your successor should know. “The overlap you give yourself during a transition is the most valuable opportunity as a CEO to help the new leader get a handle on your routines and rituals,” said Davis.

Repaying trust with gratefulness and success. “When the coach puts you in a game, don’t look at it with anything other than gratitude,” he said. “Then promise yourself you won’t let the coach down.”

Genuine trust and gratefulness are two sides of the same coin, avers Davis. “There is something beautiful about them, especially at the senior leadership levels when such humility is genuine.”