The Capable Executive: What the Executive Role Involves and What it Takes to Succeed

Abstract

Senior managers play a very important role in organisations. The strength of their performance can mean the difference between company success or failure. Yet, as David Kearns, the former head of Xerox notes, ‘All too many executives believe that management at the upper reaches of a company is mysterious and defies any sort of worthwhile analysis’. As a result, activities like recruitment, succession planning and development are often approached in a haphazard way.