Comments on: What Keeps CEOs Awake at Night? http://blog.expertceo.com/2008/11/06/what-keeps-ceos-awake-at-night/ Leverage the Expertise of Senior Executives Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:45:39 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: here is the site http://blog.expertceo.com/2008/11/06/what-keeps-ceos-awake-at-night/#comment-229 here is the site Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:45:50 +0000 http://expertceo.wordpress.com/?p=95#comment-229 I can only say thanks, this post has actually helped me with something ;) I can only say thanks, this post has actually helped me with something ;)

]]> By: Harian http://blog.expertceo.com/2008/11/06/what-keeps-ceos-awake-at-night/#comment-223 Harian Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:36:17 +0000 http://expertceo.wordpress.com/?p=95#comment-223 Thanks for nice post. Thanks for nice post.

]]> By: Ramotar http://blog.expertceo.com/2008/11/06/what-keeps-ceos-awake-at-night/#comment-191 Ramotar Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:33:20 +0000 http://expertceo.wordpress.com/?p=95#comment-191 great post, thanks for providing so much. Keep up the good posts.! www.hoover-f5914900.com great post, thanks for providing so much. Keep up the good posts.! http://www.hoover-f5914900.com

]]> By: aaronross383 http://blog.expertceo.com/2008/11/06/what-keeps-ceos-awake-at-night/#comment-5 aaronross383 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:39:28 +0000 http://expertceo.wordpress.com/?p=95#comment-5 One opportunity that I've heard CEOs appreciating about these hard times: it's been a chance to reset (that is, reduce) unrealistic growth expectations that had been overly aggressive last year...even before the downturn. It's given them a valid reason to go to the board to have that conversation and actually receive support for it. Of course, it's likely that for most companies, no matter how much they shrink their targets, they'll still be too aggressive... One opportunity that I’ve heard CEOs appreciating about these hard times: it’s been a chance to reset (that is, reduce) unrealistic growth expectations that had been overly aggressive last year…even before the downturn. It’s given them a valid reason to go to the board to have that conversation and actually receive support for it.

Of course, it’s likely that for most companies, no matter how much they shrink their targets, they’ll still be too aggressive…

]]> By: smoothspan http://blog.expertceo.com/2008/11/06/what-keeps-ceos-awake-at-night/#comment-4 smoothspan Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:20:35 +0000 http://expertceo.wordpress.com/?p=95#comment-4 Having worked with a number of CEO's through some very tough times, and having been a CEO myself, I suspect there is a particular sub-species of "running out of cash" or "missing my sales forecast" that leads to particularly intense nightmares at present. That is the case of knowing that in many cases, the economy can totally overwhelm the CEO's ability to make a difference on those issues. Worse, it isn't even so much the economy, but all the negative karma associated with it: "Nothing bad has happened to us yet, but everyone is talking about how bad it is, so we need to pull our horns in." Pretty soon you have a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's lonely at the top and keeping your spirits up while facing your darkest fears is particularly hard when you feel you've lost control. Having worked with a number of CEO’s through some very tough times, and having been a CEO myself, I suspect there is a particular sub-species of “running out of cash” or “missing my sales forecast” that leads to particularly intense nightmares at present.

That is the case of knowing that in many cases, the economy can totally overwhelm the CEO’s ability to make a difference on those issues. Worse, it isn’t even so much the economy, but all the negative karma associated with it:

“Nothing bad has happened to us yet, but everyone is talking about how bad it is, so we need to pull our horns in.”

Pretty soon you have a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s lonely at the top and keeping your spirits up while facing your darkest fears is particularly hard when you feel you’ve lost control.

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