A Chief Executive Officer is top dog in the company. He /she must inspire confidence and trust in senior executives, employees and the customer base. When it comes to decision-making the buck stops at the desk of the CEO. But how do you find that magical combination of qualities that makes a good leader?
Eric Schiffer, a U.S. consultant who advises Fortune 500 companies put it this way: "The trend is toward a more emotionally intelligent leader who can understand, get, appreciate and value his or her people". Gone are the days when a company founder can run the organization like it was his /her personal empire. A few days ago, I profiled Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel. His fall from grace took a long time, but in the end his demise was inevitable. A CEO simply can't run an operation like an emperor in Imperial Rome - The Board of Directors and shareholders won't tolerate it.
Sometimes a natural leader with a bold idea can retain the top dog position through his /her charisma but only if a balance is struck between showmanship and good stewardship of the company. Richard Branson, the high-profile CEO of Virgin Group Ltd, is a great example of this balance. Branson flies hot-air balloons, sky dives, plans to run a shuttle to the moon and participates in other high-risk adventures. But he has also been universally credited with successfully connecting with customers, senior managers and front-line workers in all of his companies. He may be a showman on camera but in the daily management of his operations, he is grounded, collaborative and decisive.
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