The grass is not as green as it looks when it comes to corporate C-level leadership. Are C-suite jobs becoming more complex and short lived? If you are an aspiring C-suite leader, what does this mean for you?
These are selected notes from recent Korn Ferry Insight articles:
* According to recent updates from Korn Ferry, around 222 CEOs (US) left their roles in January, the highest number for the month in at least 23 years. This comes after a record 2,221 top bosses – at US public, private, or government organizations – left their posts in 2024, a figure which itself topped the prior record of 1,914 set a year earlier.
* Disruption is a major cause of CEOs leaving, and then the CEO actually leaving is probably impacting that disruption further. Directors, themselves under pressure from a surge in activist investors, are showing less patience with CEOs who aren’t delivering positive results. At one point in 2024, nearly 40% of CEOs who left were forced out.
* When a CEO quits, it’s almost always a shock to the system. “All types of dynamics surface calling the success of the company’s future into question”.
As a result, experts say that firms need to make a special effort to develop promising talent. That may mean identifying potential successors who are currently working two or even three layers below the CEO job.
* Firms also seem to be reducing C-suite roles by collapsing and combining positions. Some tech companies have merged the CFO/COO roles, for instance, while others have folded CCO duties into those of the CMO – a role that has added responsibilities for sales, customer experience, and more – or have rebranded them under titles like CRO. This may be because combining roles could enable firms to respond faster to changes involving markets and competitors. The role-merging has happened thus far only on a small but noticeable scale.
* Developing C-suite leaders with cross-functional experience also helps firms build a pipeline of ready successors. Still, experts caution that consolidation in the C-suite runs risks. The executive who’s taking on the additional responsibilities might not perform well in their new role. Burnout is a risk.
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These are some of my reflections:
1. Companies have to increase focus on consciously developing and retaining leaders. Only focused efforts lead to positive outcomes at a systemic level.
2. A CEO change mostly leads to further leadership, talent and structural organizational changes. This can lead to major disruptions for talent, especially when uncertainty is high. Key talent engagement and retention should be on top of a leader’s agenda in such environments.
3. When a senior leader takes on multiple functions, time and attention tends to become a major challenge. Consciously or sub consciously, some teams and topics will get lesser leadership attention, leading to frustration for those members. This could lead to further disengagement. In such scenarios, it becomes critical for C-level leaders to ensure a strong second level of leaders, who can lead with high autonomy.
4. There seems to be increased chatter about broader job cuts in organizations in 2025 as well (which normally accompanies organization, work structure changes across all levels). eg. even when teams get consolidated, there are leadership and direction changes, which end up impacting even the junior levels.
5. Based on the trend of consolidation of leadership responsibilities, cross-functional/generalist experience could be back into serious leadership development focus.
Sources:
* The Shrinking C-Suite?; March 18, 2025; Korn Ferry Insights
* The Great CEO Exodus… Continues; March 12, 2025; Korn Ferry Insights
PURPOSE & IMPACT
Author: Tojo Eapen (page 1 of 12)
A March 2025 article in the IMD site from a clinical/organisational psychologist, Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg, covers perspectives on this complex topic.
Selected notes from the article below:
“What to do when those in positions of authority behave in ways that contradict widely accepted norms of civility, empathy, and ethical leadership.
The only path forward is to engage and maximize your influence by building enough power and clout to respond effectively and understand the psychology of omnipotent leaders.
* Omnipotent leaders see themselves as exempt from the norms of ethical or socially acceptable behavior due to a heightened sense of self-importance and entitlement. The mission (or rather their mission) justifies most, if not all, means to an end. Such leaders often exhibit moral licensing, believing past good deeds justify present transgressions. A tell-tale sign is excessive risk-taking and skirting formalities and rules of procedure.
* Omnipotence can also be understood within the broader framework of leadership overconfidence and hubris. The hubris syndrome is a condition wherein prolonged power and success lead to narcissistic tendencies, overconfidence, and diminished capacity for critical self-reflection.
Three key approaches can be employed while engaging with omnipotent leaders:
* Rather than challenging an omnipotent leader head-on, anchor your ideas as a natural plot in the leader’s vision, define yourself as a main character, and shape the narrative early. Whoever speaks early sets the stage.
* Frame feedback to omnipotent leaders that align or complement their self-image. Validate their leadership before steering the conversation toward constructive insights.
* Speed matters – shape the story before they do. Build rapport by finding even the smallest points of agreement. If escalation is inevitable, don’t go for it alone.
In a world where power dynamics are accelerating and all-powerful leaders set the tempo, the challenge is not simply to resist or comply but to navigate strategically and psychologically. “
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What other approaches have worked for you?
Source: Three ways to deal with the almighty boss; Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg; 14 March 2025; I by IMD
Image Source: TungArt7, Pixabay
We are seeing this phenomenon play out quite a lot. Success or expertise in some areas does not translate to expertise in other/all areas.
At a personal level, we need to be really conscious and careful about whom we listen to or believe blindly. It’s always helpful to reflect, ask questions and think deeper before giving the benefit of doubt to any point of view (including experts) and allowing it to influence/become our own. It’s also important to remind ourselves and watch out constantly to not fall into this fallacy.
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“The idea that expertise in one area automatically translates to expertise in another is a cognitive bias, often called the “spillover fallacy” or “ultracrepidarianism,” where individuals mistakenly assume their knowledge in one field applies to unrelated areas.
The Fallacy:
Expertise is highly specific to a particular field. A person’s knowledge and skills in one area don’t necessarily extend to other, unrelated domains.
Examples:
A brilliant scientist might be a poor writer, or a world-renowned geologist might not be knowledgeable in philosophy.
Someone who is an expert in a particular programming language might not be an expert in other programming languages or in web development.
(Success/expertise in business might not translate to expertise in science.)
Related Concepts:
Dunning-Kruger Effect: This cognitive bias describes individuals with limited competence in a specific area overestimating their abilities.
Curse of Knowledge: This bias occurs when experts assume others share their knowledge and understanding, leading to difficulty explaining things clearly.
Why it Matters:
Recognizing the limits of one’s expertise is crucial for effective learning, decision-making, and collaboration. Overestimating one’s knowledge can lead to poor decisions, wasted resources, and even harm.
How to Mitigate:
Seek diverse perspectives: Consult with experts (listen to multiple points of view with an open mind) in different fields to gain a broader understanding of a problem.
Acknowledge your limitations: Be open to the possibility that you don’t know everything and be willing to learn from others.
Think like a beginner: Try to understand concepts from a novice’s perspective to better grasp the complexities of a field.”
Develop, constantly work on a growth mindset.
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A valuable comment that I received from an ex colleague on this topic:
“The mindset to think like a beginner is a blessing if there is a mentor. I did waste a lot of my time when I was learning something new since there was no one to guide me. Rabbit hole is one aspect where I spent my whole weekend on something and I couldn’t answer what new did I learn related to the new topic I was planning to learn. Finding a mentor never occurred to me at that time.
Today, AI can play the role of a mentor to provide roadmap when I start learning something new so that I can save my time and energy. Yes, asking the right questions and validating the response is one of the key thing.”
Source: Notes from Google Search Generative AI, with few personal edits
Image Source: OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay
What makes it difficult to address toxicity in organisations, especially when they centre around star employees?
If you do not address toxicity, the resulting damage to teams and organisations can be immense. The more senior level this happens, the higher the potential for damage.
According to a recent post from Stanford faculty, Dr. Bob Sutton, based on an interview between Wall Street Journal and Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn, they even observed how a star job candidate treated the driver who picked him. How the candidate treated the driver was part of the job interview.
Bob wrote in his book, “The No Asshole Rule”, “the difference between how a person treats the powerless versus the powerful is as good measure of human character as I know.”
When a leader of a large, successful enterprise like Siemens shares perspectives, it’s valuable to listen, reflect and act. This is the gist of how Siemens President and CEO Roland Busch responded to the question, “What leadership qualities are most critical in the Intelligence age?”, during a LinkedIn event, from Davos on January 23, 2025.
Coincidentally, I was discussing Growth Mindset and Psychological safety during a session with a group of experienced managers on the same day.
1. Growth Mindset – Constant learning, trying new things, keep on going even after failing, learning from mistakes. (Belief that everyone can learn and push the limits).
2. Collaborative spirit, build a network, especially important while working in a virtual world.
3. Empathy, with strong communication skills to communicate, connect with people.
4. Especially in management, Empower people. Let them do what they are good at, and that goes together with Accountability.
Last but not least, having a solid set of values.
Couple of additional notes:
* He also said in his experience, diverse teams deliver better results than those that are homogeneous.
* Also, emphasised the importance of staying curious, open.
From the Siemens website:
Siemens Limited is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, digital transformation, transport as well as transmission and generation of electrical power. Globally, Siemens employs 312,000 people. It had a revenue of EUR 75.9 billion in fiscal 2024.
Siemens’ long-term commitment in India began in 1867, when the company’s founder Werner von Siemens personally supervised the setting up of the first telegraph line between London and Calcutta. Today, Siemens has a strong manufacturing footprint across the country, various Centres of Competence and R&D centres as well as a nationwide sales and service network.
If you have seen the news about DeepSeek in recent days (including rattled financial markets) and are wondering what the noise is all about, why this is disruptive, important and relevant, this video below from CNBC is a helpful watch. It includes an interesting interview with Perplexity CEO, Aravind Srinivas, with pertinent questions and inputs (from early Jan ’25).
In this week’s Business Standard, an article stated that “DeepSeek has become the most downloaded app on Apple App Store in India across all categories, according to data from Sensor Tower… It was released worldwide on January 10, with an update on January 27…
DeepSeek is the most downloaded app on Apple Store in the US… On Play Store, it is the second most downloaded app…
However, in countries like the UK, Australia, Singapore and Canada, it already hit the number one spot amongst all apps on January 28. But it has not made a similar domination in most European countries.”
This development seems to have taken most experts by surprise. The achievement, speed, budget, resources and context of all this could be a valuable case study in itself. Some countries are already thinking/concerned about the security and ethical aspects as well.
There is a 2011 HBR article with the title, “We Need More Mature Leaders”.
It definitely seems to feel that way while seeing many news articles and discussions nowadays.
While we can say a lot about mature leaders, how do we observe immature leaders/leadership? Here are some notes from “Understanding Leadership Maturity (John Mattone Blog, July 2024)”. The list is not comprehensive, there are surely many more. This also indicates where getting leadership coaching early could be helpful.
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“Recognizing the signs of immature leadership is crucial for addressing and correcting these behaviors before they lead to significant negative outcomes.
Immature leaders are often emotionally reactive and have poor interpersonal skills, which can harm their teams and organizations.
If a leader does not possess maturity, the below signs may show:
* The impression that they simply do not care about the opinions or feedback of other colleagues.
* Refusal to listen to others and remaining stuck in their own ways.
* Constantly interrupting others without allowing them to speak about new ideas or feedback.
* Leaning on emotions, rather than facts, during challenges or obstacles within the workplace.
* Not paying attention to how they come off to others and how this impacts them.
* Using unclear messaging and communication creates confusion within the workplace, which could lead to conflict and mistakes.”
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Some leaders don’t realise they need help and drive ahead, blissfully unaware. Others know but don’t care or use excuses, regarding why they can’t change but are still great/successful (while their teams suffer). There is much hope for the category of leaders (and their organisations) who are self-aware, identify the leadership behavioural gaps within themselves and work on getting better.
I found the article, “The Four Archetypes of Transformational Leadership” to be thought provoking and reflective.
Here’re some notes that strongly resonated with me:
As we step into 2025, the need for transformational leadership has never been greater. The world is more connected digitally but more disconnected emotionally.
The world doesn’t need more productivity hacks or complex frameworks – it needs more connection, gratitude and inspired leadership.
These archetypes are not traits you have to be born with; they are small practices/habits that can be developed by anyone who aspires to lead with impact.
1. The Reflective Listener – Great leaders listen deeply. Reflective listening is about absorbing words and emotions without the urge to respond, interrupt or redirect the conversation. It’s about truly creating space for others to share fully, knowing that the act of being heard is transformative in itself.
2. The Insight Seeker – Leadership is about asking the right questions. Insight seekers use thoughtful inquiry to unlock the unsaid, uncover hidden opportunities, and guide others toward clarity and solutions. It’s not about showcasing your knowledge; it’s about unlocking the wisdom in the room.
3. The Connector – Connectors understand that relationships, not transactions drive long-term success. It’s not just about knowing people; it’s about bringing the right people together.
4. The Strategic Empath – Empathy is powerful because it aligns action with insight. Empathy doesn’t mean avoiding conflict; it means addressing it with care and clarity, and focusing on outcomes.
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Source: The Four Archetypes of Transformational Leadership, RollingStone, Chris Schembra, January 10, 2025
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) Chairman R C Bhargava on Osamu Suzuki, who led Japan’s Suzuki Motor for more than four decades and played a key role in turning India into a flourishing auto market. Osamu Suzuki died on Christmas day, aged 94.
“I have lost someone who was closer than a brother. He changed my life and showed how nationality is no barrier to people building unbreakable bonds of trust in each other. He was my teacher, mentor and person who stood by me even in my darkest days. If I played a role in the success of Maruti, it was because I was his student and he taught me how best to grow a firm and make it competitive…”
In April 1982, when Osamu Suzuki, then President of Suzuki Motor Corporation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maruti Udyog Limited to manufature a 800cc car(which later became the iconic Maruti 800), a carry van and a pickup truck, even the Japanese embassy in Delhi was not in favour of the deal. Bhargava, then an IAS officer working at Maruti, had met Suzuki for the first time just a month before the MoU was signed.
In the first year of production, about 850 units of Maruti 800 were sold. Last financial year, MSIL produced 2.135 million vehicles. Today, MSIL is India’s largest car maker with more than 40 percent market share by volume.
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Source: Business Standard, 28 December 2024, Visionary auto tycoon who made winning bet on India, Reuters, Tokyo, 27 December, 2024
Another Christmas is nearing. While the world is evolving in many ways difficult to understand, there is valuable wisdom and reminders for improvement from the Bible.
Here are few selected notes, especially those with links to personal development. Personal development is continued work in progress, with a basic intent to become a better human being. There is no one perfect state, only continuous improvement actions and improving wisdom in life. It is valuable to take some time during the last week of the year to reflect on one’s own progress and evolution in life.
* “…So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another….And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.” (from Colossians 3)
* “If you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.” (from Isaiah 58)
* “Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort.” (from Ephesians 4)
*”Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.” (from Proverbs 18)
* “Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn…” (from Proverbs 18)
* “…When you stop learning, you will soon neglect what you already know (from Proverbs 19)
* “What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand.” (from Proverbs 20)
* “He remembered that they were only mortal beings, like a wind that blows by and is gone.” (from Psalms 78)
* “We leave this world just as we entered it – with nothing. In spite of all our work there is nothing we can take with us”. (from Ecclesiastes 5)
* “Be grateful for every year you live. No matter how long you live, remember that you will be dead much longer.” (from Ecclesiastes 11)
About Tojo Eapen
Leadership Coach, Consultant, HR Leader with diverse, global experiences (U.S.A, Europe, APAC).
Master of Human Resource Management from Rutgers University, New Jersey, U.S.A. Recipient of the U.S. Garden State Council SHRM HR Leadership Scholarship.
Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India.
Certifications: MBTI, Hogan, RBL Leadership Code, SHL 360, Team Management Profile, NeuroLeadership Results & Team Coaching.
Facilitated coaching sessions, workshops and programs with multicultural teams in Helsinki, London, Berlin, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kerala, in addition to multiple Global/Virtual sessions.
Mission: Enable healthy, purposeful, and impactful organizations, through leadership knowledge and wisdom.
Contact
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