Reading Roundup: 60-Minute CEO

摘要

The biggest gasps I provoke, along with the coldest looks, come when I offer my opinion that the job at the Top is less than a full-time occupation. Dramatically less. In my latest book, I make the point that most CEOs spend considerable time doing things they knew how to do before they got their current jobs: financial management, sales, production, R&D, and the like. A significant portion of the rest of their time is taken up informing outsiders-including investors, lenders, trade press, suppliers, and the government-about the state of the company, a task that often spurs debilitating stress because of a need to paint a picture that's better than reality. The remainder of a CEOs time is typically devoted to administrative responsibilities, such as approving documents, updating the team, approving others' decisions, and serving as the official spokesperson for the organization. Maybe I'm leaving something out, but generally, heads in big audiences are bobbing about now. Invariably, some members of the audience are rolling their eyes about what a "load" it all is.