On the FX Networks' new hit show, "Damages", the character played by Glenn Close says something to the effect, "Be careful when you take power away from a man." Perhaps the writer specifically meant males or just people in power. It may be a bigger issue with men than women but still, no one likes to be forced out of a position of authority. People like it even less when they are fired, regardless of the amount of authority they had. It is a jarring and disruptive experience.
A recent presentation by David Nadler is extensively quoted in an article from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business - "Leading for the Next Act: Why CEOs Must Evolve or Step Aside" published: August 08, 2007 at Knowledge@Wharton. (Access may require a login. Registration is free and the Newsletters are well worth reviewing on a regular basis.)
In his presentation, Nadler discusses many of the issues with CEOs that overstay their time and those that transition well…
(the hourglass image to the right is from the FREE screensaver by Epic Programs - click to visit. They have many interesting screensavers.)
Would it be different if there were time or term limits on all jobs? What if you knew that you could only be in your current position for say, 7 years, and then you had to change. That does not mean you would be fired from the company but you had to have been promoted or transferred laterally before that time was up. Would you work harder? Would you feel like there was some undue pressure to achieve before the time ran out? Would you feel that if you were still in the same job in 7 years that you should be moved out?
Some people are very good at what they do. Perhaps exceptions to the rule could be made for them. More than likely, they do change what they do. They go from marketing Copy Writer to Editor to Director of Marketing. From loading dock to foreman to shift supervisor. Vice presidents become Presidents who become CEOs. If you knew not to get comfortable in your job, then maybe it would be less of a shock when the time came for a change.
I'm not sure that a rule needs to be put in place. More than likely what needs to happen is for people to realize that this is already going on. There is just an unwritten, unmonitored, and unfeeling clock ticking all the time.
Do you feel the same or is it just me?
» CEO Term Limits - Part 2 from ModernMagellans
After yesterday's post on CEO term limits, I started thinking about the concept of term limits some more. It is a complicated subject and one that I hope will have an extensive discussion. If I cannot get it going here,... [Read More]
Tracked on: August 10, 2007 3:11 PM | Permalink to Trackback