More boards of directors want Brand U leaders who can transform and galvanize their organizations. Such companies as AT&T, Eastman Kodak, and IBM had a rock-hard principle of promoting from within. All CEO’s had to be imbued with the corporate culture. They knew the industry, processes, and products. Companies would hire in their own image. Homesteaders would be promoted. CEOs would anoint handpicked successors, often ‘yes’ men. Well as we say things change. A board of directors doesn’t want a herd of senior management clones.
As we’ve mentioned, more CEOs are becoming portable Brand U’s. A board now wants a Brand U CEO who brings broad perspectives and experiences to the job because business risks are now much higher. There are a number of reasons for this. Companies are bigger because of the merger and acquisitions mania. There are many more stakeholders. The competitive bar is higher and the business turf is much more slippery. Failure costs and risks are much higher. And, leadership supply is much thinner than it has ever been.