Here are three surprises that most first-time CEOs face, according to an article in Inc.
1. There are substantial differences between CEO and second-in-command. Even those who previously held No. 2 roles or other positions in the C-suite often realize they are not fully prepared for the myriad of challenges that face a CEO.
“What I didn’t realize is there is a massive difference between being number one and number two,” said Jim Whitehurst, who became CEO of Red Hat, a provider of open source enterprise IT products and services, after previously serving as COO of Delta Airlines, according to the report. “Even though I ran Delta’s day-to-day operations as COO, there was someone else behind the curtain somewhere. When you’re the CEO, you are the person behind the curtain. There is no one else.”
2. Your interactions with others change. New CEOs often say people treat them differently than when they held other roles. For example, people tend to believe the CEO holds all of the answers and turn to them for advice. They laugh harder at the CEO’s jokes, but also scrutinize every decision, according to the report.
3. A specialized background can be a limitation. Although most CEOs are selected because of accomplishments in past jobs, prior experience that was narrowly focused can actually hold them back. In such circumstances, it’s important for new CEOs to proactively insert themselves into projects, meetings and other learning opportunities to ensure they understand the demands of their new role.
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