Can You Pass A CEO Test?

From New York Times columnist Adam Bryant, interviewing Greg Brenneman, chairman of CCMP Capital:

Q. What do you consider the keys to effective leadership?

A. The most important thing is that you treat everybody incredibly well and lead with a bit of humility. I’ve found that when I go into a company to lead it’s important to have a plan and to make that plan a simple one that everybody can understand. So even before I go into a company, or even if we’re looking at a business here at CCMP, I’m constantly asking the question, “What are the two or three levers that, if done right, if pulled correctly, will really turn this business?” Then what I do is take that and put it into a one-page plan.

A one-page plan forces you to separate the "vital few" from the trivial many." A very under-appreciated skill for a CEO...or anybody else for that matter.

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gapingvoid cartoon #378

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