CEO

Why investing in senior sales leaders drives organizational success

Viewed in Egon Zehnder In today’s volatile business environment, investing in senior sales leaders is crucial for organizational success. As described by the authors, senior sales leaders face unprecedented challenges such as shifting customer behaviors, inflation, talent shortages, and accelerated digitization. Evolving sales leadership These leaders must evolve from merely managing sales to becoming holistic… More

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From solo stars to unified leadership: building a super team

Viewed in BCG A senior leadership team’s alignment and agility are crucial to a CEO’s success. When cohesive, this team effectively executes the CEO’s vision, but dysfunction can severely hinder organizational performance. Talented individuals alone do not guarantee team success. The challenge lies in transitioning from leading a business unit to functioning as part of… More

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AI reshapes corporate boards

Viewed in Axios AI is reshaping corporate boards, with many companies appointing AI bots as observers and integrating technology into their board strategy. This shift reflects a growing focus on AI among large corporations, evident in repeated mentions during 2024 earnings calls. However, despite this emphasis, most boards lack the expertise to effectively guide AI… More

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Critical steps for new CEOs

Viewed in Spencer Stuart New CEOs aiming to establish high-performing executive teams face a pivotal task that can significantly impact organizational success. The authors’ Research shows that cohesive leadership teams correlate with accelerated revenue growth and increased profitability. However, building such teams requires decisive action and a clear vision from new CEOs. Decisive actions While… More

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The rise of first-time CEOs

Viewed in Russell Reynolds The inaugural Global CEO Turnover Index Annual Report for 2023 provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of CEO leadership, with implications for businesses in 2024 and beyond at public companies. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced CEO turnover trends, causing a decline in departures during 2020 and 2021. A five-year high… More

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Unveiling the secrets of successful COOs

Viewed in Russell Reynolds The role of the COO has evolved into a more strategic position, making it a top contender for the CEO spot. This shift is driven by the digital landscape and sustainability expectations. Russell Reynolds Associates conducted a study on nearly a thousand COOs using Hogan psychometric tests, revealing some crucial insights…. More

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CEOs and CMOs: The partnership for growth

Viewed in McKinsey Amid a challenging economic environment and rapid changes, CEOs are seeking avenues for growth, and an effective partnership with their Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) can be the key. To understand the dynamics within high-growth and low-growth companies, a survey and interviews with C-level growth roles (including CMOs) and CEOs from various industries… More

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CEO succession planning: An inside look at the CHRO’s pivotal role

Viewed in Spencer Stuart The article from Spencer Stuart explores the critical role that Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) play in CEO succession planning and its overall impact on organizational success. The article emphasizes that CEO succession planning is a complex process that requires strategic alignment between the board of directors, the current CEO, and… More

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Build a robust CEO transition plan

Viewed in McKinsey Effective CEO transitions play a critical role in maintaining organizational stability, driving performance, and shaping the company’s long-term success. This McKinsey article outlines a five-step approach for successful CEO transitions: Proactive planning: Boards should establish a formal succession planning process and regularly review potential internal and external candidates. By identifying and developing… More

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The imperfect CEO

Viewed in Russell Reynolds Justus O’Brien and Dean Stamoulis, Managing Directors at Russell Reynolds Associates, advocate for leaders to embrace their imperfections and vulnerabilities in order to lead with greater effectiveness. Complexities and uncertainties The traditional ideal of a flawless CEO fails to acknowledge the complexities and uncertainties of leadership in today’s rapidly changing world…. More

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How CEOs Make Complex Decisions—Even When They Don’t Have All the Intel

Viewed in Russell Reynolds With dozens of offices in over two dozen countries, it is fair to say that management consulting firm Russell Reynolds, founded in 1969, interacts with a vast number of chief executive officers. The management consulting behemoth observes in this article, authored by five Russell Reynolds professionals, that the demands on today’s… More

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When Performance Declines: The Case for Acting Fast on CEO Intervention

Viewed in Spencer Stuart Global executive search firm Spencer Stuart’s expertise in executive and board searches is pretty much beyond reproach. Since its 1956 founding, it has grown to 57 offices in 30 countries and handled executive and board searches for some of global business’s most iconic brands (and even the U.S. government). Now in… More

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A playbook for newly minted private equity portfolio-company CEOs

Viewed in McKinsey & Company The role of a chief executive officer in the 21st century is a challenging one. Looking for something even more challenging? That likely would be serving as a CEO for a private equity-owned portfolio company. More private equity-owned companies With private equity’s growing prevalence in corporate ownership, it is a… More

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Four New Reasons for CEO Succession Planning

Viewed in Spencer Stuart One of the many crucial roles of the corporate board is the successful management of CEO succession planning, and the task is becoming more complicated and more urgent in our evolving corporate world. Spencer Stuart, one of the world’s leading executive search firms, has long been a thought leader on this… More

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Crisis Put CEO Successions on Hold in 2020. Expect a Rebound in 2021.

Viewed in Spencer Stuart As the Covid-19 pandemic enters its second year, one thing is abundantly clear: Not much is moving quickly, and much has slowed down. The traditional office environment has been disrupted, and so have the traditional business processes, including succession for corporate chief executives. CEO transitions fell in 2020 In this report… More

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14 CEOs on how to reopen businesses in the coronavirus economy

Viewed in Fortune. The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted vast damage on the global economy. Equally concerning, if history is any guide, this damage is not over yet. During the Spanish flu of 1918, for instance, it was the second wave of infections that ultimately proved the most deadly and damaging. This history has given rise… More

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Navigating the rising tide of uncertainty

Viewed in pwc.com. PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC) is the second largest professional services firm in the world. The range of their interactions with companies and these companies’ leadership is vast, which makes their reports hugely valuable contributions to public knowledge of trends in the corporate world and in the economy as a whole. PwC’s annual survey… More

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The rise of the outsider CEO

Viewed in The Wall Street Journal There are many things about business and recruiting that do not change year to year. But Wall Street Journal business columnist John D. Stoll writes in this column about one clearly demonstrable and important change: More and more companies are turning to the world outside of their respective companies… More

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The CEO life cycle

Viewed in Harvard Business Review When a team of researchers from executive search giant Spencer Stuart set out to assess the world’s best performing CEOs, they assembled a boat load of data on 747 S&P 500 chief executive officers, including shareholder return for each CEO’s company and an abundant amount of demographic and other intriguing… More

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The CEO 100, 2019 Edition

Viewed in Harvard Business Review The business world is comprised on an abundant number of companies. Some are run by very high profile chief executive officers (CEOs) whose names have become synonymous with high-level business performance of iconic businesses with household brand identity. Others, of course, are less known. Yet very few efforts have been… More

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