When you hear of CEOs, you are probably inclined to think of
perks and corner offices. You might also consider the adjectives “greedy,
aloof and egocentric”. While in some cases this is warranted, we wonder about
how much we like to glorify the role of a CEO.
For centuries people have been intrigued by the idea of power.
We see the stereotype portrayed in bestselling books and movies. And countless
studies have certainly supported the belief that people in power are created
equal.
Winston Churchill said: the price of greatness is
responsibility. That is what we believe is the true essence of a CEO – the
responsibility to your employees, customers, community and shareholders. Yes of
course, being a CEO gives you the platform to affect change, to make something
happen that you otherwise did not have the ‘power’ to do before. But it is the
responsibility that is of most value. Nothing is pre-conceived and there is in
fact a long road to earning that responsibility.
Being appointed the CEO by a board of directors or
shareholder does not make you a leader, but leading is a CEO’s primary
responsibility. A CEO is really only empowered and fueled by the confidence
that he has earned the trust of his colleagues.
Trust plays a crucial role in the success of a business. And
Stephen M.R. Covey believed this. He wrote a book called Smart Trust to
highlight how leading companies that have built high-trust relationships with
their employees and customers, consistently outperformed non high-trust
companies up to three times.
The typical stereotype of a CEO will continue to make
headlines. But as the world changes we need to document better examples and
inspire other leaders to take themselves off the pedestals, break down the
barriers and tip the scale in the other direction. Whether CEOs are born or
made has little significance. It is our firm belief that you are measured by the
responsibility, honesty and integrity in which you lead.
