Class 1: Introduction—Getting Ready for School

Before school starts, we’d like to define some common ground. The CEO is the most senior executive in the company. He or she oversees the business and makes key decisions within the framework of authority given to him or her by the board of directors. So what makes a good CEO? Our experts agree that a good CEO has a sufficient (five to seven years) track record of delivering superior operational and financial performance (beating industry competition and delivering returns to shareholders), creates a solid foundation for the business’s growth in the long run, prepares a successor and leaves a positive legacy that outlasts his or her tenure. The 20 experts agree that this all adds up to a very challenging task, but from their experience they know that it’s not impossible.