|
For years you've crowed about the company you built. Now it's time to hand over the reins. Here are answers to some questions you've asked -- and some you haven't even thought of.
How do you hire a CEO when you're not even sure what a CEO does?
That's the query we received from an anonymous letter writer, an angst-ridden company founder who had tried and failed -- and tried and failed again -- to replace himself. One sleepless night he finally realized why he was floundering: he'd led his company by instinct. And it had worked, for a time. But now, when he wanted to grow his business to the proverbial "next level," he realized he didn't even know how to write a job description for the professional CEO he needed.
For most entrepreneurs, the notion of replacing oneself is an unsettling, deeply unpleasant concept. It's like looking into a fun-house mirror and seeing no reflection at all. How can your company continue to exist without you? What kind of a person could possibly work as hard as you do or have as much passion? Who can nurture your baby? The answer often is that whoever you ask to take over enters as a hero and winds up as the devil you wish you'd never invited in.
To help you avoid that scenario, we asked several experts to share some lessons about what a skilled CEO does -- and if, when, and how you should hire a new leader for your business.
So what does a CEO really do, anyway? The entire article can be read here http://www.inc.com/magazine/20020601/24257.html Cheers, Bill
|
