Ending the CEO Succession Crisis
by Ram Charan
WE TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP as though leaders—like Tolstoy’s happy families—are all alike. But CEO leadership should be a subject apart because it is unique in scope and substance and of incomparable importance. CEOs’ performance determines the fates of corporations, which collectively influence whole economies. Our standard of living depends upon excellence at the very top.
Who, then, would dispute that CEO selection deserves perpetual front-burner attention from the custodians of a company’s welfare? Surely, when time or trauma ushers in change, organizations should be ready with a clear view of current and future needs and with carefully tended pools of candidates.
But they’re not. The CEO succession ...
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