Most would answer ‘Financial outcomes‘ , Share price‘ or perhaps ‘Customer satisfaction‘ to that question.
However, when you think about it, they would all be wrong.
Each of the three is an outcome, a result of other things happening, so the right answer should be directed to those things that generate the positive outcome that is being celebrated.
As a group, those things to which the CEO’s attention should be directed are all about an engaged, motivated and well led work force.
Years ago it used to be called ‘internal marketing’, but the reality is that a term like that just scratched the surface. It is all about the leadership that creates an environment where everyone pulls together (what a terrible cliché) heading in a common direction, that are working creatively and in a focussed and determined manner towards a common purpose. In a word, ‘Culture‘.
When that climate is created, surprise, surprise, the results follow, as night follows day.
Therefore the number 1 job of the CEO should be to create that environment.
There are other extremely important items on every CEO’s agenda, but get the number 1 right, and the rest will be a lot easier. I guess in most circles the characteristic required to generate this environment would be referred to as that hard to define ‘Leadership‘
Cartoon credit: Scott Adams stares again with Dilbert
