The Economic Times – Today is the Age of the Humble, Vulnerable CEO

Leaders are under constant scrutiny, and the time to respond is becoming shorter and shorter. Information now being more readily available to everybody is also reducing the power centers, said Egon Zehnder CEO Rajeev Vasudeva in conversation with The Economic Times’ Saumya Bhattacharya. “The landscape we are operating in is changing dramatically. Growth has been a big challenge for most companies. Technology is disrupting business models. There is much more diverse workforce with much more millennial workers in the workforce,” he said. As these factors create a high degree of complexity, it is important, for CEOs especially, to unlock the potential of individuals, teams and organizations.

So, what are the traits CEOs of the future need to have? “Today is the age of the humble and vulnerable CEO. Being vulnerable means you are open to feedback, self-discovery and learning,” he said. While CEOs are getting younger, the age has not come down dramatically. “We should talk about potential rather than age,” said Vasudeva. “It is about how you keep yourself agile, and how you engage others. Leadership is about substance and potential.”

Full Story: “Today is the age of the humble, vulnerable CEO” by Saumya Bhattacharya (27 February 2018).