Would you hire a CFO who had no accounting knowledge?
Would you call a plumber who’d never worked with pipes and fittings?
It sounds absurd, but that is essentially what boards do most of the time when hiring a CEO.
Unfortunately (and this is something I’m working to change) there’s a dearth of information available to the public on what CEOs actually do. And there is certainly very little specific training on how to be a good one. This means that most CEOs have to learn on the job. Even top MBA programs are light on guidance around the unique challenges faced by CEOs of medium-sized to large organizations.
This lack of CEO-specific guidance is masked by the sheer volume of leadership content available. A lot of that content is great. Much of it is just so-so.
But the important thing to recognize is that the vast majority of leaders aren’t CEOs.
Mother Teresa was a leader. Abraham Lincoln, Cato the Younger, your kid’s awesome swim coach—all leaders. The principles of great leadership are available to everyone. They aren’t, however, the same as the requirements of a modern CEO.
Indeed, CEOs must be good at leadership, but there is much more to this highly distinct, highly challenging, and mysterious-to-most job.
If you are a CEO or hope to be one soon, I encourage you to build your knowledge in this area. It is out there, even if it can be hard to find.
And if you want a shortcut, I’d be pleased to have you to an upcoming CEO training (see below for two newly added sessions). I also welcome you to take my CEO Assessment or, if you are currently a chief executive, schedule a free coaching session with me.