3 ms·

Seems like a simple rule. Non-founder CEOs suck.

• lionhearted 17y ago
  That's not true - there's been great non-founder CEOs promoted from within and great outsider CEOs in history. Actually, you really want one of those in a crisis that your current team hasn't been able to dig itself out of. First to come to mind is Lou Gerstner, who turned around IBM. I read his autobiography about the experience - crazy stuff. He was up against so much built up gunk and bureaucracy, that only an outsider could've broken. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_V._Gerstner,_Jr.#IBM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_V._Gerstner,_Jr.#IBM http://www.amazon.com/Elephants-Dance-Inside-Historic-Turnaround/dp/0060523794 http://www.amazon.com/Elephants-Dance-Inside-Historic-Turnar...
  • deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
• wglb 17y ago
  Actually, the counterexample is Carol Bartz herself, with what she did with Autodesk.
• whatusername 17y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_E._Schmidt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_E._Schmidt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._P._Morgan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._P._Morgan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gerstner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gerstner I really don't think you can call the rule that simple. (Maybe they might suck as product evangelists, but as CEO's they all did a pretty good job).
• dagw 17y ago
  It would be interesting to crunch some numbers on that. My gut feeling is that the statement isn't true, esp for larger companies and companies that for whatever reason require some sort of significant restructuring. The unwillingness to kill your darling and all that.