michael porter’s seven surprises for new ceos

Published January 17th, 2009 - 02:25 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Professor Michael E. Porter, professor of Harvard Business School and acknowledged as the most influential living management thinker, has seven surprises for new CEOs.
 
He says: “As a newly minted CEO, you may think you finally have the power to set strategy, the authority to make things happen, and full access to the finer points of your business. But if you expect the job to be as simple as that, you're in for an awakening. Even though you bear full responsibility for your company's wellbeing, you are a few steps removed from many of the factors that drive results.
 
“You have more power than anybody else in the corporation, but you need to use it with extreme caution. Nothing - not even running a large business within the company - fully prepares a person to be the chief executive.”
 
Professor Porter will make his first ever public presentation in Bahrain on January 26 2009. He is the fifth thought leader to be brought to the Kingdom by international event organisers Global Leaders.