Most Leaders Aren't CEOs: Why?

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 av…