Overview of Role of Chief Executive

Sections of this topic

    Overview of Role of Chief Executive

    The chief executive officer is the most important role in the
    management of an organization. This topic in the library does
    not go into great detail about each of the particular systems
    and practices managed by the chief executive officer because those
    systems and practices are explained in depth across many of the
    other topics in this library. This library topic provides sufficient
    overview for the reader to gain basic perspective on the typical
    roles and responsibilities of the chief executive officer and
    how those responsibilities are typically met.

    Sections of This Topic Include

    Gaining Broad Perspective on Role of Chief Executive Officer

    What is the “Chief Executive
    Officer”? (includes definition and major roles of position)
    What Do Chief Executive Officers Do? (includes
    major functions and example job descriptions)

    Core Areas of Knowledge and Skills Required by Chief Executive
    Officers

    Basics in Management and Leadership
    Planning
    Organizing
    Leading
    Coordinating Activities/Resources (including
    performance management)

    Special Topics

    CEO Development
    Evaluating the CEO
    Transitioning to New CEO (detailed procedure,
    contracts, etc.)
    Other Miscellaneous Topics (board relations,
    executive pay, etc.)

    Founder’s Syndrome

    This syndrome occurs when the organization operates according
    to the personality of someone in the organization (usually the
    founder) rather than according to the mission of the organization.
    The Chief Executive Officer can make a big difference in helping
    an organization to detect Founder’s Syndrome and recover from
    the Syndrome.
    Founder’s
    Syndrome — How Organizations Suffer — and Can Recover

    Also consider
    Related Library Topics

    What is the “Chief Executive Officer”?

    A “Definition”

    The definition of “chief executive officer” (almost
    always) depends on whether a business is a corporation or not,
    that is, whether it (usually) has a board of directors or not.
    In an organization that has a board of directors, the “chief
    executive officer” is (usually) the singular organizational
    position that is primarily responsible to carry out the strategic
    plans and policies as established by the board of directors. In
    this case, the chief executive reports to the board of directors.
    In a form of business that is usually without a board of directors
    (sole proprietorship, partnership, etc.), the “chief executive
    officer” is (usually) the singular organizational position
    (other than partnerships, etc.) that sets the direction and oversees
    the operations of an organization.

    Major Roles of the Position of Chief Executive Officer

    The following link references the major roles carried out by
    the typical chief executive officer.
    Roles and
    Responsibilities of the Chief Executive

    Position Can Have Various Titles

    This organizational position, whether in corporations or not,
    is also sometimes called the President, Executive Director, Chief
    Administrator, etc. Information in this topic will use the phrase
    “Chief Executive Officer”.

    What Do Chief Executive Officers Do?

    Typical Responsibilities

    The following link references a listing of the broad responsibilities
    of the typical position of chief executive officer.
    Typical
    Responsibilities of Corporate Chief Executive Officer (nonprofit
    or for-profit)

    Job Descriptions

    The following links reference additional overviews of the general
    responsibilities of a chief executive, including listing of those
    responsibilities in job descriptions.

    “Generic” Job Description

    Roles and Responsibilities

    Job Descriptions of Nonprofit CEOs

    Thanks to Betsey M. Noble, Internet Research Librarian, Global
    Employment Solutions, Inc., for the following:
    CEO Job Descriptions in Non-Profit Organizations
    Sample Nonprofit Executive Director Position Description
    TheCEO Role in Associations
    Nonprofit Job Description Toolkit
    Job Description for Nonprofit Executive Director

    Job Descriptions of For-Profit CEOs

    The CEO Job Description
    The
    CEO Job Description
    What
    do CEOs do? A CEO Job Description

    Core Areas of Knowledge and Skills Required by Chief Executive
    Officers





    The chief executive officer is the overall, primary management
    and leadership role in the organization. Therefore, it’s critical
    that chief executive officers have strong knowledge and skills
    in a wide variety of areas. However, there are certain basic areas
    of knowledge and skills which provide the foundation from which
    chief executive officers can add knowledge and skills customized
    to the particular nature of their organization, its industry (service,
    manufacturing, wholesale, etc.) and the current environment (political,
    social, economic and technological).

    Basics in Management and Leadership

    Managing
    Yourself
    core skills in managing/a>
    Core
    Competencies for Leading
    Boards
    of Directors

    Planning

    Business
    Planning (plan a new business organization, product, business
    department, etc.)
    Strategic
    Planning (establish organizational goals and how to reach them)

    Organizing

    Human
    Resources Management
    Organizing
    Staff
    Organizing
    Various Types of Groups
    Organizing
    a New Business (whether for-profit or nonprofit)
    Guidelines
    to Reorganize a Current Organization

    Leading

    Leading
    Other Individuals
    Leading
    Groups
    Leading
    Organizations

    Coordinating Activities and Resources (including performance
    management)

    Ethics
    Management Systems
    Finances
    (For-Profit)     or
    Finances
    (Nonprofit)
    Fundraising
    (For-Profit)     or
    Fundraising
    (Nonprofit)
    Employee
    Performance Management
    Group
    Performance Management
    Guidelines, Methods and Resources for Organizational Change Agents
    Organizational
    Performance Management
    Policies
    and Procedures
    Product/Service
    Management
    Program
    Management
    Marketing
    and Promotions     and Public and Media Relations
    Systems
    Thinking

    Special Topics

    CEO Development

    Leadership
    Development Planning
    Management
    Development
    Seven Surprises for New CEOs

    Evaluating the CEO (Typically Referred to as “Executive
    Director” if Nonprofits)

    Guidelines
    for Evaluating the Chief Executive
    Sample
    Form to Use During Evaluation of Chief Executive
    Sample
    of a Board’s Supervisory Skills Development Plan for CEO
    The Dreaded E.D. Evaluation!
    How
    Can I Get My Board to Evaluate Me?
    Founder’s
    Syndrome (when the top executive is a poor manager)
    Time for the CEO or Executive Director’s Annual
    Performance Review by the Board
    Firing the Executive Director

    Transitioning to New CEO (including use of contracts)

    Hiring
    / Transitioning to a New Chief Executive
    Succession Planning
    Contracts for Nonprofit Executives
    CEO
    Contracts
    Meatloaf
    or Tartare?

    Also consider
    Succession
    Planning

    Other Miscellaneous Topics

    Founder’s Syndrome
    (when the top executive is ineffective manager)
    CEO
    Education, CEO Turnover, and Firm Performance
    Results
    of New Daring to Lead Study on Nonprofit Leadership – What a Board Should
    Know
    Executive
    Remuneration – A View from the UK

    Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to the Role of Chief Executive

    In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs
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