CHAPTER 15

Seven Surprises for New CEOs

Michael E. Porter

Jay W. Lorsch

Nitin Nohria

BEARING FULL RESPONSIBILITY for a company’s success or failure, but being unable to control most of what will determine it. Having more authority than anyone else in the organization, but being unable to wield it without unhappy consequences. Sound like a tough job? It is—ask a CEO. Surprised by the description? So are CEOs who are new to the role. Just when an executive feels he has reached the pinnacle of his career, capturing the coveted goal for which he has so long been striving, he begins to realize that the CEO’s job is different and more complicated than he imagined.

Some of the surprises for new CEOs arise from time and knowledge limitations—there ...

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