A Playbook For Your Next CEO Exit
Turnover in the top spot has never been higher—and boards are too often caught flat footed. Consider this advice as you plan for unexpected CEO turnover.
Turnover in the top spot has never been higher—and boards are too often caught flat footed. Consider this advice as you plan for unexpected CEO turnover.
Public controversy prior to Occidental Petroleum’s recent acquisition
 of Anadarko Petroleum epitomizes the pressure boards can face in supporting a CEO caught in the spotlight
Celebrity CEOs may be in fashion, and public image is undoubtedly part of the job. But the future CEOs who will awe and inspire us won’t be those trailed by paparazzi.
Most new CEOs assume that if they have been successful in previous jobs, they will be successful in this new role. But the truth is that this next level of leadership comes with a degree of stress and adversity unlike anything they have encountered previously.
We all have examples of succession executed with precision; some of us have just as many where we were caught flatfooted with no plans to deal with the unexpected. Don’t leave it to luck.
Whether you find your next CEO internally or from outside your company, it’s imperative to have a methodical and disciplined approach to selection and integration to guard against biases such as the halo effect.