home » client inquiry » articles of interest » the great executive
by Frank Moscow, President
The Brentwood Group, Ltd.
featured in the High Tech Advisor
Great CEOs are not always the chest thumping, outwardly aggressive, self-promoting alpha males and females that one might typically expect. Following are thoughts and observations from 20 years' experience in high-technology executive search.
- There is no substitute for performance, such as revenue growth, market share growth, EPS, growth of market capitalization,
the development of commercially successful products and services, EBIT, cost reductions, customer satisfaction, and return on capital.
If you are leading a business, these are the metrics by which you will be judged. The better the metrics, the more likely you will be
to earn the next step up in your career. We are seeing much less "politics" and much more "performance" as the most critical factor in
selecting board members, CEOs, and all other levels of executives.
- Nice guys (or gals) can win - being a jerk or difficult personality is not a prerequisite to becoming a successful CEO. What
struck me is how many of the top CEOs are married to their first spouses or are in stable, long-term relationships. I am not a
statistician who has researched and measured this phenomenon, nor am I a psychologist. My observation is that spouses are the
great partners and stabilizers in our journey through life. Spouses prevent us from being too cocky when times are good and from
being too depressed when times are tough. A partner helps balance work and life, allowing for short-term imbalances but forcing
long-term adjustments. A spouse is an honest sounding board and confidant, who will put the trials of leading a company into a
broader perspective. I believe that the broader perspective makes that CEO a better leader. It is also interesting to note that
our clients have hired really nice people to be CEOs. Yes, they directly confront issues and have the courage to make the hard and
unpopular decisions-yet it is reaffirming to watch good people also be very successful in highly competitive businesses.
- The caliber of one's education is merely one of many determinants of success. Harvard or Stanford MBA? Congratulations. In
a top-tier MBA class, you were the best and brightest. You had an impressive undergraduate degree with strong academic credentials,
excellent test results and a strong work history. But what have you done recently? Have you thrived with the MBA as one of many
tools in your toolbox or merely done OK by leveraging the academic degree more than business accomplishments?
Some execs will always give extra points for an executive with top tier MBA school credentials. Another board member we worked with
takes a contrary approach. "A top MBA grad has had an easier path in their career-therefore I expect more. When evaluating two
candidates with similar business success, I will choose the candidate with fewer academic credentials. That person has had to work
harder, is likely scrappier and has overcome more obstacles to achieve success."
- Integrity has always mattered and always will matter! Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco aside, in the world of technology, the CEOs
and board members we know well don't cheat at golf, poker, on their spouses, or in business. For those folks, honor and integrity
aren't back in vogue-they never left! I have watched many times as CEOs and board members act in shareholders' best interests, even
when it cost them money. The leaders in executive search are delighted that the client base has moved away from the cult of
personality of the CEO to a focus on integrity and results. Our clients may not all be thrilled about Sarbanes-Oxley, but they are
livid about the con men who, under cover of the CEO or CFO title, betrayed the trust of their peers, employees, and shareholders and
our economic system.
- Leaders don't go around telling everyone what great leaders they are; they never want to become larger-than-life heroes, nor do
they aspire to be on the cover of a magazine or featured in the newspaper. They are, by all appearances, ordinary folks producing
extraordinary results. Great leaders never miss an opportunity to give credit to others and consider themselves fortunate to be
working along side such gifted executives. As Jim Collins noted in his book Good to Great, "the presence of a gargantuan personal
ego contributed to the demise or continued mediocrity in 2/3 of the companies analyzed."
Lou Holtz once remarked, "When all is said and done, more is said than done." So DO something great-by focusing on performance,
integrity, giving credit to others, addressing issues, and making tough decisions while valuing people and relationships. Lead well.
The Brentwood Group, Ltd. -
Corporate office:
4949 SW Meadows, Ste. 140 ·
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
phone: 503.697.8136 ·
fax: 503.697.8161 ·
contact@brentwoodgroup.com
The Brentwood Group, Ltd. -
Intermountain West office:
439 East Shore Drive, 2nd Floor ·
Eagle, ID 83616
phone: 208.333.2570 ·
fax: 208.333.2573 ·
thaley@brentwoodgroup.com
Copyright © 2000-2008 The Brentwood Group, Ltd. All Rights Reserved
CLIENT INQUIRY
