Klaus Kneale has written a brief apologist piece in Forbes on chief executives and the particular problems they and their companies currently face. According to Kneale,
The title of chief executive has become fraught with peril. All blame, no reward. Every chief executive, good or bad, is overpaid. (According to whom? Everyone, apparently.) Grabbing the reins of a distressed company will be a sure-fire way to get publicly villainized and possibly sued. Turnaround artists who are chief executive candidates will ask, “Can I have the same powers and responsibilities but a different job title?” No.
Check out the short piece, it’s worth a quick read. While I don’t personally agree with Kneale’s conclusions I have found it useful to read how he views their role.
Recommended Reading – Two New Chief Executives With Resumes for a Quick Sale
September 25, 2008
Recommended Reading – The Best CEOs You Didn’t Know, Forbes
December 23, 2008
Recommended Reading – The Right Way to Pay the CEO of GM, Forbes
May 29, 2009
Recommended Reading – CEO and CFO Career Consequences to Missing Quarterly Earnings Benchmarks – Academic Paper
September 24, 2008
Recommended Reading – Successful leadership – how would you know? London Business School
February 13, 2009