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The CEOs Who Listened
Stories about leaders who earned great respect from the people under them.
If you’ve worked long enough in the corporate world this would be familiar to you. Your CEO sits in the ivory tower. He doesn’t understand the problems on the ground; and he doesn’t seem to care.
Why?
A psychologist friend works for a global head hunting firm. She specializes in the screening of C-suite candidates. After years of interviewing and testing CEO candidates, she noticed a common trait — they are very good at politics, and will not hesitate to throw someone under the bus if they need to.
Perhaps one could argue that a leader must, of necessity, be able to play politics well. And sometimes… sacrifice the individual for the greater good.
But I’ve also heard amazing stories of CEOs who put the folks on the ground first; and therefore, left behind a legacy of much respect and gratitude.
In the sky and on the ground
For example, I once had the pleasure of being acquainted with Tony Fernandes, the founder and CEO of AirAsia, a leading budget airline. He used to be the regional managing director of Warner Music for South East Asia. One of his former country heads shared with us her experience working with him.
