"Keeping the lights on" isn't enough: to be a good CEO, he needs to keep making progress, especially on shared goals of both old & possible-new ownership. One

"Keeping the lights on" isn't enough: to be a good CEO, he needs to keep making progress, especially on shared goals of both old & possible-new ownership. One guess (albeit not one of high confidence) is that the outgoing head may have expressed some reservations about whatever balancing-of-concerns Agrawal was expecting, or even mentioned a firm intent to leave if/when new-ownership arrives. In that case, it'd be very reasonable for the CEO to say, "I need someone here who at least has a chance of, and can earnestly simulate an intent to, stay through the change-of-ownership."