Good chief executive officers don’t simply apply online, attend a couple of interviews and start work on Monday.
Companies spend an inordinate amount of money, energy and consultant time trying to find just the right field general to lead their troops into the market wars. CEOs must have a combination of hard-to-find traits: They have to be tireless, savvy and experienced in the business, politically correct to all audiences they address, cheerleader-like in their motivational approach, as convincing as lawyers in sales situations, visionary and hard-nosed at the right times. They cannot be afraid to be the heavy and make the tough decisions, such as standing up to the board of directors when necessary, firing people and killing pet projects. Finally, they have to be exemplary leaders for whom their officers and ground troops want to serve.
These are hardly easy-to-find components to find in a single person, and that’s…
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