CEOs and Leadership, Essay Example

A true leader is someone who possesses the ability to get others to willingly follow their direction and guidance. Chief executive officers (CEO) have traditionally been seen as leaders; although most are not. Leaders need to have vision, dedication, integrity and humility. They should be creative and assertive with a sense of fairness and openness. Building trust is one of the key qualities a leader needs to be successful.

When CEOs Aren’t Leaders, an article by Henry Givray, warns organizations of the problems with expecting CEOs who do not have these qualities inherently.  A major role of a success CEO is the profitability of the organization. Too many executives focus on the financial aspects of the business and fail to demonstrate true leadership qualities. After scandals such as Enron and WorldCom, corporations are beginning to rethink how to recruit a CEO and what attributes and qualities should they be searching for.

CEOs are measured by the quantitative results they produce whereas leaders are shaped and defined by character (Givray, 2007). CEOs are expected to be financial wizards and boost profits; a component of the interview process. Leaders are chosen depending on their ability to inspire and empower employees to be productive and realize their worth and skills. Employees naturally see the CEO as a leader; regardless of whether they are or not. When a CEO is in charge and their primary goal is personal gain, prestige and a wealthy lifestyle, it takes away from the values and ethics of the organization.

Recruiting a strong CEO who is also a leader is beneficial to any organization. The CEO should possess the distinguishing qualities and characteristics of great leaders. The core values of CEOs should be examined just as closely as their drive, intellectual depth, financial acumen or track record (Givray, 2007). I have always believed that a sense of humor is an attribute that a CEO and leader should posses to relive tension and defuse hostility.

In order to recruit an effective CEO who can also lead requires investigation into the candidate’s personality and character. The hiring personnel will need to look past just the resume and the past accomplishment financially and look to the management talents, values, morals and ethics of the individual. The CEOs of today need to understand that the winning-at-all-costs mentality is not longer acceptable for a productive organization (Givray, 2007).

I believe that CEOs are in a position to be a leader and set high quality examples for the staff, organization and community. Companies must begin to understand that although making money is usually one of the primary goals; it is not all that is important. Companies not only provide goods and services to the community and society as a whole, they are also vital in setting examples.

Imagine the lubrication that could be added to businesses and economic engines if society recognized that the vast majority of CEOs are honorable leaders driven by more than the prospect of personal gain (Givray, 2007).  Allowing the greedy to continue to fill the CEO positions will only hurt the organization but society as well. Setting the example in a high position, thereby providing the reputation for the organization, benefits everyone; from the CEO to the employees and the community.

References

Givray, H. S. (2007, September 3). When CEOs aren’t leaders. BusinessWeek, 102.