The Six Responsibilities of an Outstanding CEO: Lessons from CEO Excellence
Drawing on McKinsey's "CEO Excellence" research into roughly 7,800 CEOs, this summary breaks down the six core responsibilities that separate outstanding leaders from merely good ones: setting bold direction, aligning organizational systems, building a true leadership team, leveraging an advisory board, managing stakeholder relationships, and maximizing personal effectiveness. It's illustrated with real examples from a lighting company and a furniture business, showing how bold bets, disciplined meeting rhythms, and smart delegation (including hiring a business assistant) drive outsized growth. The piece closes with practical self-assessment questions and a framework for building a "star company" through mission-critical products, top market positioning, and the ambition test of tenfold growth.