THE DOWN SIDE OF A CEO

It is the wish of most people to become a CEO. When you hear the title (Chief Executive Officer) what comes to an average mind is an arm chair-sitting, chauffeur- driven, tea-sipping, fat salary-earning, order-issuing, little or no work-doing executive, often times called the boss. A junior executive would usually wonder what he does behind his big desk since he (the junior executive) and his colleagues are responsible for creating the company’s product, marketing and generating sales, accounting and balancing finances and after sales customer relations management. So it is easily assumed that all the boss probably does is to take credit for his subordinate’s efforts while earning a fat pay.
A friend recently confessed to me that he used to envy his boss’ position in his early working days. He told me that his assignment then was overlapping with other departments. He was primarily in production, while he was giving a sales target. So he had to be running around marketing after the day’s production, he also had to balance his account so as to follow up on creditors. Meanwhile, his Big Boss then will continue to hand out orders while not fully appreciating his self-perceived enormous tasks. So he coveted that No. 1 position passionately at a time when the popular seminar topic among motivational speakers was ‘Be Your Own Boss”. Try to imagine how he felt when he heard speakers convincing him of his dream. “Resign and start your own thing”, “Make money for yourself instead of making it for someone else”. They all chorused these in common. It was like a prayer answered. He foolishly reduced his level of contributions to his employer then and later resigned without the full understanding that the numbers beyond six (6) is more than seven (7).
Like I wrote in one of my books “David’s War Strategies for Business”, a CEO is the man on whose shoulders the success of his entire organisation rests. He determines the strategies that his company must employ for growth. He occupies a position where he is expected to have a glimpse of 2years market trend from now and create a plan that his workforce will work with. At times, it may truly seem like he is doing little when his people are working on the laid down path he has established. But in reality, he is out networking and checking to see if his projections and assumptions are in tune with present reality while also watching for the next 2 years market trend. So in my view, a CEO is someone who has the capacity to see what everyone else in the organisation can’t see. His role is 75% of the job done. His decisions determine where everyone else will go. If he ever makes a wrong decision, everybody will most likely go wrong.
The fact is that he employed the production, marketing and accounting men so that he can concentrate on what everyone else may not be working on such as competitive forces, industry regulation, government policies, political issues, power factor (especially in Nigeria), funding, expansion plans etc. The bulk stops on his table; the failure of his work force is automatically his failure. The CEO of a one time vibrant brand (MY PIKIN teething mixture) is presently in court. We all know the story of the killer syrup and how NAFDAC tried to save the situation. If convicted, the man will go to jail. Personally, I don’t think he was aware nor had anything to do with the product contamination. But he is culpable. It was his primary responsibility to create a structure that forbids such occurrence, but it happened. If he is freed by the court, I doubt if the My PIKIN brand can ever resuscitate (although I should never say never). I believe MY PIKIN’s CEO should have stepped out to call a press conference telling their distributors and retailers to return all product with them with instructions to cooperate fully with NAFDAC officials while they work out the solution to the problem, when the problem was initially noticed. He ought to have work with a reputable PR agency to earn consumers sympathy. Remember that Indomie noodles and Close-up tooth pastes had similar challenges which were nipped in the bud. They both remain super brands till today and are still enjoying huge market share. I think that a major decision maker didn’t do his job at MY PIKIN’s factory at a time of their crisis. The CEO will probably be regretting he ever become a CEO (I can feel his pains and I wish him well).
Let’s take an example of industry regulation as a job of the CEO, with the case study of Kennis Music (a musical company) with a CEO in the person of Mr Kenny Ogungbe. One of their recent musical videos that enjoyed massive airplay and was relatively doing well was banned. The said video was beautifully done in the United States of America , the music was a great one, the artiste is a talented guy yet the music was banned by NBC. A lot of resources must have been expended on the project. Such a setback could cripple someone else’s business. But it didn’t in this case, because Mr Ogungbe had what it takes to deal with such a problem. This example makes it obvious to anyone who envies Kenny Ogungbe and believes that a musical company is all about singing, shooting videos and then playing it in the media. Take a look at what LAASA (Lagos State Advertising and Signage Agency) did to outdoor advertising CEOs. Some of them might have developed high blood pressure when many of their billboards were pulled down. You know, it is easy for some of the employees of the companies whose billboard were removed to apply to banks, main stream advertising companies and get juicy employment. But a CEO can’t easily do that. In most cases CEOs sinks when their organization sinks.
Having written this much about the down side of being a big boss, it is important to note that if all obstacles are overcome, it is a position of fulfilment, a place of honour and a platform for impact. But uneasy usually lies the head that wears the crown.
Prince Ayo Oyebade is a brand strategist and creative writer.
He can be reached on ayodeleoyebade@yahoo.com or 08074425540.