CM Autumn Template - Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario

(From page 11)
These top leaders, referred to by the authors as
‘synergists’, can stand in the eye of the storm with what
they refer to as “synergistic intuitions that can transform
seemingly intractable conflicts into solutions that are
beneficial to all parties.”
An interesting finding in the survey was the fact that half of
this top one per cent were committed to meditation as a
regular practice. This allowed them to be grounded, aware
of their own feelings and the feelings of those around them
and, very importantly, in real time while it’s happening, not
after the fact. Is it only a matter of time before Meditation
101 becomes part of the business school curriculum?
There is some consensus among the experts and
researchers:
• CEOs are the organization’s top role model – how you
talk, walk, dress, interact with and engage others, and
go about your business are all keenly observed and
emulated. You set the tone and the model for
appropriate behavior. Begin practising early in your
career.
• You need to develop breadth – experience in various
functional areas and different businesses, perhaps
international exposure, and a second language can all
be valuable. Continuous learning is your mantra.
• You must develop your people skills – your ability to
listen and synthesize information, empower and
engage the team, articulate your vision, and persuade
and influence stakeholders is an absolute requirement.
Mark Palmer, an executive recruiter with his own firm in
Toronto, has had his share of CEO assignments and has
some insightful anecdotes on becoming CEO. He recalls a
conversation he had with one of his clients who ran one of the
most consistently profitable and best-managed companies in
his industry. This client also had only a grade 10 education
and is part of the minority, entrepreneur-turned-CEO class.
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12 CheckMark • Autumn 2009
When asked why he has been so successful, the client
replied: “Because I have no shareholders and do not need
to focus exclusively on achieving the bottom line”. He
added that the way in which he achieved the bottom line
was equally important. He was also quick to point out that
he surrounded himself with outstanding managers.
Mark also relates the story of recruiting a president for the
Canadian subsidiary of a U.S. parent. The U.S. parent was
so pleased with Mark’s results that they invited him to
undertake subsequent searches for all their senior
executives in the U.S., with one condition. This was that
half the candidates Mark would present would have
Canadian business experience.
When asked why, his client responded that Canadians
make better general managers than Americans. He
elaborated by stating that Americans tend to produce
specialists while Canadians produce generalists, due to
the sheer size of the respective markets. He felt Canadian
managers were exposed to a broader perspective earlier
on in their career and by the time they reached the
executive suites, were trained to think in broader and often
more strategic business terms.
A final comment, and an obvious but important one, comes
from Bob Muschewske of Personnel Decisions
International. “You have to want to be at the top to be a
successful CEO. This is not a role you fall into. Top leaders
are comfortable calling the shots, persuading others about
the decisions they think are right and taking the
responsibility that goes along with the power position.”
So, do you want to be a CEO?
Guest contributor Robert Gagnon, CA, Associate Director,
Professional Development, oversees the Institute’s
Executive Programs. The Institute is launching its own CEO
executive program called ‘Becoming CEO and Staying
There’. Developed and instructed by Dr. Jim Murray, the
program will debut in the fall of 2010.
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