Why do CEOs fail?
The average length of tenure for a UK CEO is less than five years. In some sectors, such as the NHS, that drops to as low as three-and-a-half.
What?!
Yep, barely time to make an impact and get your strategy off the ground.
So what are the main reasons CEOs fail?
They don't connect. Being a great leader is all about relationships. That doesn't mean that everyone has to love you. They won't. But you need to build trust. Understanding what is important to others and making sure that your 'why' aligns both play a big part.
They don't listen. (that explains point 1 👆🏻) Making changes without listening and understanding is a sure-fire way to stop taking people with you.
They don't communicate. The most successful CEOs are straightforward, they keep people informed of what they are doing and where the organisation is going. And they keep it two-way, they don't see it as a tell and sell job.
They don't adapt. They're not horizon scanning to pick up early warning signals. They don't have an eye to the medium AND long-term. And they tend to focus on mistakes made rather than learning opportunities.
Yes, there are other reasons - poor performance for example - but, at the root, one or all of the above four points will have significantly contributed.
The good news is that these are all areas that leaders can - and should - continually work on, even before they move into that coveted senior leadership role.
How do you feel you perform against this list?