Why CEOs fail
Like Fred Wilson, I also haven't read this book, but the list of the top eleven reasons why CEOs fail struck a chord the moment I read it:
- Arrogance— you think that you're right, and everyone else is wrong.
- Melodrama— you need to be the center of attention.
- Volatility— you're subject to mood swings.
- Excessive Caution— you're afraid to make decisions.
- Habitual Distrust— you focus on the negatives.
- Aloofness— you're disengaged and disconnected.
- Mischievousness— you believe that rules are made to be broken.
- Eccentricity— you try to be different just for the sake of it.
- Passive Resistance— what you say is not what you really believe.
- Perfectionism— you get the little things right and the big things wrong.
- Eagerness to Please— you try to win the popularity contest.
I've worked for and with CEOs that displayed every single one of these traits. Some of them were very, very successful CEOs - for a while at least. All of them failed, for one or other of the stated reasons. I think the list ports well to presidents and politicians too.
