I have had the pleasure of speaking with several website hosting small business CEO's in the past few days and I have come to realize that there are four basic types of small business CEO's in my experience. Of course there are CEO's with multiple characteristics mixed together, but they almost always seem to fall under one of the four basic types. Here are my categories - based on real-world experience and conversations. I'd like to acknowledge the help of a small business CEO who helped to formulate this model, Mr. Daniel Foster, co-owner at UK website hosting company 34SP.com. Here are the four basic website hosting small business CEO personas.
The ''People Person'' CEO - All CEO's have charisma of some description. People are naturally drawn to those individuals who make people feel good about themselves as well. The ''People Person'' CEO is at the highest end of this scale. I was speaking in a conference call this week with a small business CEO and he was constantly asking those on the conference call questions like, ''Do you remember that guy? He was really fun. Remember how he used to do this thing and we would all laugh?''. His point of reference was clearly on the people side of the equation. Which brings us to his opposite - The ''Number Cruncher'' CEO.
The ''Number Cruncher'' CEO - Also very recently, I was speaking and working with a small business CEO who saw people not as individuals - but as cogs in a machine. Like parts in the engine of a car, this CEO felt that anyone could be replaced at any time. Simply find the same replacement part and move on. CEO's of this type may have an accounting or finance background. They reduce the business down into a series of spreadsheets showing inputs and outputs and yielding a bottom line number.
The ''Bully'' CEO (also know as ''The Yeller'' CEO) - I have been very fortunate in only having the occasion to work with or under the "Bully" CEO twice in my life. It was enough - trust me. This is a CEO who is clearly attracted to the power of the position, and uses that power to flex their authority at every available opportunity. I remember being present at a company meeting where the CEO got worked up about the goals (which we weren't meeting at the time) and he slammed his fist down on the podium so hard that his watch fell off his wrist. Of course he was yelling too. Some employees it seems respond well to being yelled at. Not me.
The ''Visionary'' CEO - This is a CEO who can see beyond the everyday aggravations and distractions, and somehow focus on the vision of what the business can be if everything goes very well in about 10 years from now. It is a compelling and even breathtaking view - which harnesses the very best efforts and very best ideas, coupling them with hard work and passion - to arrive at the best we all can be. If this vision is married with a small dose of practicality - I believe it leads to the best business outcomes.
So what do you think? Are these descriptions accurate? Are there other types of CEO's out there? Add your comments if you think I've missed a basic type of small business CEO.
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Comment by Anonymous on Monday, November 09, 2009
Thanks for a great article Derek. The "number cruncher" and the "bully" can be described as the 'tyrannical man'. The one who operates solely on a pure profit motive, without any consideration for the underlying 'human' relationship(s) involved and thus the ethical consequences of these purely economic decisions.
Comment by Bernard Dahl on Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Many successful CEOs seem to have at least a little bit of each of these attributes, with one particular element standing out. I can't help but wonder which CEOs inspired you to write which profile...!
Good article, thanks Derek!
Bernard
Comment by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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