The CEO Tightrope

How to Master the Balancing Act of a Successful CEO

Joel Trammell

• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781626341067
• eBook ISBN: 9781626341074
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

No CEO can find a point of balance and then stand still--that’s not even possible on a tightrope. The expectation is that the business must always move forward.
 
The American CEO walks a tightrope daily... many times blindfolded and without a net below. The job of balancing the often-competing interests of a company’s constituents is so challenging that the average lifespan of a newly minted CEO is around five years. Why is it that our most successful businesspeople, individuals who have been wildly successful at every other position in their career, often fail when they get to the CEO chair? The job of the CEO is unlike any leadership position, yet many CEOs are unprepared for its challenges. Yes, you must have business acumen and people-management skills, but you’ll also need to own the company vision, provide the proper resources, build the culture consistently and in alignment with company goals, make key decisions, and deliver performance that satisfies boards, shareholders, and investors. And, to complicate matters, you must work in an ambiguous environment in which you have absolute responsibility but questionable control. Your biggest challenge will be the balancing act required to be successful--to grow your company in the short term and create a long-term advantage that makes your efforts sustainable. Joel Trammell, successful entrepreneur, CEO, and investor, explores the various points of balance that challenge every CEO. He identifies what it looks like when a CEO is off balance and offers modern techniques and approaches to regain balance, drawn from almost thirty years of study and experience. You’ll learn about the 50+ daily struggles that might pull you off balance, such as how to build credibility while avoiding the cheerleader vs. Eeyore trap; how to identify the right growth opportunities while avoiding the budget blower vs. budget tyrant trap; and how to create strong alignment while avoiding the CIA vs. amateur trap.Trammell has created this resource for aspiring, new, and more experienced CEOs. He shares stories that allow you to identify your own strengths and weaknesses and provides questions that promote self-analysis. Filling a void in the market for a clear, compelling guide for CEOs, The CEO Tightrope is certain to become your go-to valued resource.

INDEX

acquisitions, 87, 88, 116, 151–52, 156, 187, 188, 269–70

adaptability of CEO, 67–68

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), 22, 83–86, 91, 137–38, 205–6

Aflac, 20

A-level employees, 80–81, 109–12, 116, 129–30, 144–45, 156, 169, 242–43

alignment within the company, 48–51, 53–55, 88–89, 167–70, 171, 227–28

amateur CEOs, 52–53

AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), 22, 83–86, 91, 137–38, 205–6

Amos, Dan, 20

analytical approaches to problems, 37

anarchist CEOs, 166–67

Anderson, Chris, 254

annual reviews, 143

Apotheker, Léo, 24–25, 88

Apple, 28–29

architect role of CEO, 36. See also strategy

Art of Action, The (Bungay), 54, 232

Attila the Hun CEOs, 178

auditor CEOs, 238–39

authoritarianism, 16–17

autonomy, 157, 231–32

Bakke, Dennis, 195

balance, 5, 8, 9–11, 13, 16–18, 39, 176–82

Balsillie, Jim, 69

Bankable Leadership (Eurich), 181

Barbarians at the Gate (movie), 12, 212

battle-picking, 191–93

behavioral interviewing, 133–34

best friend CEOs, 176, 177

big picture. See decision nexus

birthday party for Tyco CEO’s wife, 27

black hole CEOs, 194

black-swan CEOs, 106–8

Blanchard, Ken, 168

B-level employees/B players, 81

board of directors, 215–16, 233–35

Bock, Laszlo, 133–34

body-count CEOs, 105–6

bonding events, 158

Branson, Richard, 63

Broughto...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Stepping Onto the Rope
• Own the Vision
• Provide the Proper Resources
• Build the Culture
• Make Decisions
• Deliver Performance
• How to Improve as CEO
• Prepare Yourself for Tough, Rewarding Work
• About Khorus Software
• Thanks
• Notes
• Index
• About the Author