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CEOs get one chance to make a good first impression. What does it take to transition well?

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Starting strong as a CEO

In the news

•

Business as a battlefield. Some CEOs leading through tumultuous times are undergoing leadership development exercises that mimic military training, with companies paying anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 for the experience. Corporate interest in military exercises shows how leaders are trying to reassert power and control, one workplace strategist says. The CEO of a company whose members participated in a pit stop simulation says that the experience helped his colleagues communicate more and share their weaknesses with one another. [NYT]

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A team effort. Even superstar CEOs can’t do it all alone: behind every great leader is a great team. To build a strong leadership team, a successful leader needs to consider which leadership team style is best for the company, its mission, and the CEO’s personality. For instance, the CEO could foster competition or cooperation among team members. By aligning on the leadership team’s purpose, outlining team structures, and deciding the right approach to dissent and decision making, executives can mold individuals into one team. [Fast Company]

“Outsider CEOs have an advantage in bringing a fresh eye and they tend to move more boldly and quickly to challenge orthodoxies.”

On McKinsey.com

•

A challenging transition. The CEO role is unique. As the face of the company and the ultimate integrator, the chief executive’s position comes with new responsibilities and stakeholders. So it’s no wonder that 90% of CEOs say they wish they had managed the transition differently, according to McKinsey senior partners Kurt Strovink and Carolyn Dewar . Dewar coleads McKinsey’s CEO excellence work and is a coauthor of the book CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.

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Success from the start. In writing CEO Excellence, the McKinsey authors sat down with about 70 of the world’s best CEOs. More than two-thirds said that the role wasn’t what they had expected it to be, Dewar shares. Yet there is a profound opportunity for both personal and institutional renewal. Transitioning to a new CEO can “unfreeze” organizations, reaffirm what’s valuable about the culture, and innovate for the next chapter. For four elements of a successful CEO transition, listen to the full interview on our Inside the Strategy Room podcast series.

Learn how new CEOs can succeed

— Edited by Katherine Tam, editor, New York

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by "McKinsey On Point" <publishing@email.mckinsey.com> - 12:06 - 5 Sep 2023

Archives

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info@learn.odoo.com

Attention

If you’re feeling burned out, you’re not alone. How widespread is employee burnout?

CEOs get one chance to make a good first impression. What does it take to transition well?

Starting strong as a CEO

In the news

“Outsider CEOs have an advantage in bringing a fresh eye and they tend to move more boldly and quickly to challenge orthodoxies.”

On McKinsey.com

Archives

in

info@learn.odoo.com

Attention

If you’re feeling burned out, you’re not alone. How widespread is employee burnout?

CEOs get one chance to make a good first impression. What does it take to transition well?

Starting strong as a CEO

In the news

﻿“Outsider CEOs have an advantage in bringing a fresh eye and they tend to move more boldly and quickly to challenge orthodoxies.”

On McKinsey.com

“Outsider CEOs have an advantage in bringing a fresh eye and they tend to move more boldly and quickly to challenge orthodoxies.”