Change Agent

David Brooks’ NY Times Op-Ed piece, “In Praise of Dullness” provides data from numerous studies as to what does – and does not – make a good CEO.  He reports that traits that are NOT associated with being an effective CEO include many things that seem counterintuitive, including: strong people skills, being a good listener, a good team builder, an enthusiastic colleague, a great communicator.   He contends that warm, flexible, team-oriented and empathetic people are less likely to thrive as CEOs.

Rather Brooks reports that organized, dogged, anal-retentive, and slightly boring people are more likely to thrive as CEOs!  Studies show that traits which correlate well with CEO success include emotional stability and conscientiousness; being dependable, making plans, and following through on those plans.  He concludes with, “The CEOs that are most likely to succeed are humble, diffident, relentless, and a bit unidimensional.  They are often not the most exciting people to be around.”  I agree with Brooks’ conclusions on the need for doggedly following though on plans, delivering what you commit to.  But I don’t agree that this has to make one unexciting!

I also feel that being CEO of a start up or a turn around requires additional traits mentioned in Steve Blank’s post titled “Founders and Dysfunctional Families.”  Black mentions: tenacity (in the face of skepticism from investors, customers and friends); an ability to work against all rational odds to obtain financing and assemble a team; the ability to deal with crisis on a daily basis; being able to manage chaos and uncertainty; and having a bias for action.  (I think this post shows I happen to have this bias.)

Finally, I feel that being an interim CEO requires yet additional traits and skills, as noted in the five bullets in this earlier post.

Two warnings:  Blank is one of those writers who takes two pages to say what should be said in two sentences. And Brooks’s article is a quick, worthwhile read, though he spoils it in the last three paragraphs when he unnecessarily brings politics into the discussion.

This entry was posted on 27 May 2009 at 11:44 AM and is filed under A Better Way?, David Brooks, Des Pieri, Desmond Pieri, Good CEO, Interim, Interim Management, NY Times, Steve Blank, Steven Gary Blank. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.