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> Some of these are qualities that I could see leading to someone thinking he was "aimless" or a "confused mess", but these are also things that engender a lot

> Some of these are qualities that I could see leading to someone thinking he was "aimless" or a "confused mess", but these are also things that engender a lot of respect from employees. Respect from employees is a fickle thing. If someone can do all that you describe and still succeed as a CEO then power to them. When it comes time to choose between one or the other, I think most employees would rather an effective boss than one that seemed to understand them. Their opinion on the CEO might change rather quick were they to be laid off because the CEO just can't cut it. It's sort of like the cool parent that's also a friend. If they can do that and effectively parent, they're better at it than me. If it comes down to being a friend to your child or parenting them, one is nice and the other is a responsibility and has major repercussions when done wrong.

0xDEAFBEAD 3y ago
Isn't keeping your finger on the pulse of the company an important part of the CEO's job though?
- kbenson 3y ago
  What is "the pulse of the company"? Is having a bunch of meeting with people possibly multiple levels below you keeping a pulse on the business, or is it micromanaging, or focusing on an area you understand because it's easier than spending that time on an area which you understand less? I think aCEO should have people that work under them that can actually perform the duties they were hired for. Spot checking department and employees to make sure what's being reported to the CEO is accurate is probably a very good idea, but if the CEO is spending a bunch of time in meetings with people that they've already hired others to manage, that either shows there's a severe problem in that department that requires the CEO's constant attention, or a lack of trust in the people they hired to run that department to actually do what they were hired for. Neither are signs of what you'd want to see, IMO.

0xDEAFBEAD 3y ago

Isn't keeping your finger on the pulse of the company an important part of the CEO's job though?

kbenson 3y ago
What is "the pulse of the company"? Is having a bunch of meeting with people possibly multiple levels below you keeping a pulse on the business, or is it micromanaging, or focusing on an area you understand because it's easier than spending that time on an area which you understand less? I think aCEO should have people that work under them that can actually perform the duties they were hired for. Spot checking department and employees to make sure what's being reported to the CEO is accurate is probably a very good idea, but if the CEO is spending a bunch of time in meetings with people that they've already hired others to manage, that either shows there's a severe problem in that department that requires the CEO's constant attention, or a lack of trust in the people they hired to run that department to actually do what they were hired for. Neither are signs of what you'd want to see, IMO.