If I Was Mistakenly Made CEO: How Long Could I Fake It?
In the satirical novella Being There by Jerzy Kosinski, a simple gardener named Chance rises from obscurity to become a presidential policy adviser, a media star, and an inheritor of Wall Street wealth through a series of coincidences. This story raises an interesting question: how long could you 'fake it' as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company before you were discovered?
Chances of Faking It
Until you need to demonstrate your true leadership, you might be able to get away with it for a while. However, the minute you are called upon to take action, the facade will crumble. Your job as a CEO is to coordinate the company, which requires a deep understanding of the industry, employees, and customers. For instance, if you were CEO of PayPal, how would you handle the acquisition of smaller fintech companies? How would you manage the requirements for EMV chips? Is the cost going to be covered by the company, or will it be passed on to the customer, and what would the customer's reaction be?
Key Takeaways
Even if you have energy, passion, and drive, these attributes alone are not enough to sustain leadership. True leadership requires knowledge and experience, and even the most experienced leaders can make mistakes. The only way to ensure your longevity as CEO is through confidence and decision-making. If you are seen as insecure or panicking, your colleagues will lose faith in you. This lack of confidence can lead to a coup, and you could be out of the position.
The Power of Confidence
You can survive for a few years by simply asking for advice and picking an option at random. However, if you try to fake it without any knowledge, you will not last long. You could last several months by stating 'But if you' sound like you know what you are doing, you might just make it a few weeks. However, the truth is that without actual knowledge, the clock starts ticking from the moment you are in the role.
The Role of Random Decisions
Random decisions can help you stay in the CEO position for a short time. If you go with the worst option every time but still sound confident, people might continue to have faith in you. The ability to sound confident even when making random decisions is crucial in maintaining the illusion. However, as soon as people realize you are making random choices without a deeper understanding of the company, your position will become untenable.
Conclusion
True leadership is built on knowledge, experience, and confidence. While it's possible to sustain the appearance of competence for a short time through random decisions or by simply asking for advice, the underlying truth of your lack of knowledge will eventually come to light. The key to long-term success as a CEO is to acquire the necessary knowledge and cultivate the right level of confidence to make informed decisions.