Do CEOs Matter?

theatlantic.com

4 points·robg··4 comments

CEOs are like movie directors. Just barely more important than the other cogs in the machine, they have managed to use excellent PR to convince everyone that they're the most important (by far) cog, essentially auteurs, and therefore require not just good compensation, but adoration.

Both your comment and the article assume that CEOs function in similar capacities as Steve Jobs. This may be appropriate for Apple for the last 5 years, but the same may not apply for CEOs for different companies, different times, and different situations.

As the article pointed out, CEOs taking a PR role will follow the same rules as PR, which justifies the stock dip. Others will steer towards management, optimization, or new-venture roles - but this isn't saying they replace all management, optimization or new venture initiatives. CEOs merely approach things on a larger scale and must balance the relationships between each component of the business.

So, Yes we need CEOs and No, CEOs don't need shouldn't require more compensation and definitely not adoration. There are CEOs as equally successful whom are loathed.

You seem to have misunderstood my point, since you basically rephrased it. By "Good PR" I meant that CEOs have used PR about their position to gain additional status and compensation.

I apologize. I misread.

Regardless, my previous comment applies to the article.

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