A CEO No More
A CEO No More
Once you are on your own, the world seems to pay no attention to you at all. And when it does, it is only to ask, ~{!0~}Who the hell are you?~{!1~}
Dick Signorelli was the chief executive officer of a chemical company, with sales of about $200 million a year and plants in the US and UK. He was a hands-on executive, someone who took pride in his visibility on the factory floor, dealing with workers at every level of the company. Nevertheless, he was the boss, and he had become accustomed to having a responsive staff of talented people dedicated to carrying out his desires.
He admits that even as he looked forward to a time when he would not bear such heavy responsibilities, he had never quite considered what life would be like once he stopped being the boss. He foresaw a new, more leisurely, more flexible career in which he would spend his time sharing his expertise in strategic management and corporate turnarounds with other executives and students.
What he never expected was that the deference to which he had been accustomed would end, and that he would suffer treatment that bordered on contempt. Moreover, he had never imagined how powerless he would feel to deal with such behavior.
The incident that brought this painful feeling home to Dick happened at an event that appeared, at first, to be the entr~{(&~}e to exactly the sort of career he had imagined. It was a five-day workshop for top executives from several different companies. He had been asked to prepare himself to be the leader for one of the days, with the understanding that if he did well, he would lead entire sessions on his own.
He worked hard to prepare his presentation, which he outlined extensively on his computer using the PowerPoint presentation program. However, he was concerned that he might repeat what the principal leader had already said. So he asked both the person who had asked him to come and the principal leader if they would like to look through his presentation, but both declined.
The night before Dick was to make his presentation, the leader changed his mind. He came to Dick~{!/~}s hotel room at 10 o~{!/~}clock to look at the presentation on his laptop computer. He told Dick that it was good, though he had some changes to recommend. Dick let the man sit down at the keyboard and do some work.
A few minutes later, the leader told Dick that there was a problem. He had inadvertently, he said, destroyed the entire presentation on Dick~{!/~}s computer. He offered a perfunctory apology, then told Dick not to worry. Rather than do an entire day of presentation, Dick could stand up for 15 minutes. The leader would be able to handle the rest.
Dick was flabbergasted. He was infuriated. Unfortunately, he was also speechless. He believed himself to be the victim of a blatant and willful act of sabotage, but he didn~{!/~}t want to sully himself by confronting this man who had revealed himself to be Dick~{!/~}s adversary.
When the man left his room, Dick called a friend who told him how to recover the computer file. Technically, he hadn~{!/~}t been defeated. He had his full day of presentation notes.
But the next morning, he could not rouse himself to confront the leader. He sat at the back of the room for the entire day, until, late in the afternoon, the leader invited him to stand up and speak for 15 minutes. And that was that.
Dick packed up his computer and went home, having learned that, when he~{!/~}s in business for himself, even an ex-CEO is just another guy.
A CEO No More - To learn more about this author, visit James Chan's Website.
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One of the most shocking things about leaving a corporate job and setting out in business on your own is the realization of how alone you are. In the corporation you play a role. Its hierarchy provides an identity. Your job often gives you a profile in your community. You may not like the corporation or respect your fellow workers, but whether you know it or not, being employed offers reassurances that go far beyond a paycheck.
Once you are on your own, the world seems to pay no attention to you at all. And when it does, it is only to ask, ~{!0~}Who the hell are you?~{!1~}
Dick Signorelli was the chief executive officer of a chemical company, with sales of about $200 million a year and plants in the US and UK. He was a hands-on executive, someone who took pride in his visibility on the factory floor, dealing with workers at every level of the company. Nevertheless, he was the boss, and he had become accustomed to having a responsive staff of talented people dedicated to carrying out his desires.
He admits that even as he looked forward to a time when he would not bear such heavy responsibilities, he had never quite considered what life would be like once he stopped being the boss. He foresaw a new, more leisurely, more flexible career in which he would spend his time sharing his expertise in strategic management and corporate turnarounds with other executives and students.
What he never expected was that the deference to which he had been accustomed would end, and that he would suffer treatment that bordered on contempt. Moreover, he had never imagined how powerless he would feel to deal with such behavior.
The incident that brought this painful feeling home to Dick happened at an event that appeared, at first, to be the entr~{(&~}e to exactly the sort of career he had imagined. It was a five-day workshop for top executives from several different companies. He had been asked to prepare himself to be the leader for one of the days, with the understanding that if he did well, he would lead entire sessions on his own.
He worked hard to prepare his presentation, which he outlined extensively on his computer using the PowerPoint presentation program. However, he was concerned that he might repeat what the principal leader had already said. So he asked both the person who had asked him to come and the principal leader if they would like to look through his presentation, but both declined.
The night before Dick was to make his presentation, the leader changed his mind. He came to Dick~{!/~}s hotel room at 10 o~{!/~}clock to look at the presentation on his laptop computer. He told Dick that it was good, though he had some changes to recommend. Dick let the man sit down at the keyboard and do some work.
A few minutes later, the leader told Dick that there was a problem. He had inadvertently, he said, destroyed the entire presentation on Dick~{!/~}s computer. He offered a perfunctory apology, then told Dick not to worry. Rather than do an entire day of presentation, Dick could stand up for 15 minutes. The leader would be able to handle the rest.
Dick was flabbergasted. He was infuriated. Unfortunately, he was also speechless. He believed himself to be the victim of a blatant and willful act of sabotage, but he didn~{!/~}t want to sully himself by confronting this man who had revealed himself to be Dick~{!/~}s adversary.
When the man left his room, Dick called a friend who told him how to recover the computer file. Technically, he hadn~{!/~}t been defeated. He had his full day of presentation notes.
But the next morning, he could not rouse himself to confront the leader. He sat at the back of the room for the entire day, until, late in the afternoon, the leader invited him to stand up and speak for 15 minutes. And that was that.
Dick packed up his computer and went home, having learned that, when he~{!/~}s in business for himself, even an ex-CEO is just another guy.
A CEO No More - To learn more about this author, visit James Chan's Website.
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James Chan Video - James Chan, Ph.D., created the phrase "The China Formula" to help Americans understand China in one word.
Dr. Chan is President of the Philadelphia-based, independent consultancy, Asia Marketing and Management (AMM). AMM specializes in advising U.S. manufacturers, trade associations, and information companies in building business relationships in China and in exporting American-made products and services in China and Asia. To view AMM's detailed profile online, go to: www.AsiaMarketingManagement.com.
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