Where Will the Next Set of CEO Shoes Drop?
The New Year is barely two cold weeks old, and already the corporate world is shuffling its top deck. We’ve seen brand-name CEO exits from Newell Rubbermaid, NPR, Fox Networks, and the ripple effects still unfolding at AMD. Name it to claim it.
This flurry of activity points to a trend that quietly started last fall: companies shifting from a “just survive” mindset in a no- to low-growth climate, to a more aggressive stance in what many hope is a slowly improving market. And where does that shift usually begin? Right at the top.
Once again, boards face the classic chicken-and-egg conundrum:
Do we need a star CEO to chart a winning strategy? Or do we need better systems, people, and culture to ensure long-term success—regardless of who’s in charge?
The real answer, of course, is both. But many boards still cling to the myth of the lone savior—the charismatic leader who can single-handedly fix what ails the organization.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for those companies bold enough to challenge that narrative—and we invite you to do the same.
Prediction time:
After several years of declining turnover at the executive level, 2025 may well see more CEO exits than the past two years combined. Then again, we made a similar call back in 2009 during the depths of the Great Recession—and many boards opted to stick with the devils they knew. That’s the nature of predictions: some stick, some don’t.
Maybe instead of trying to define the “new New Normal,” it’s better to just stay alert and enjoy the moment.
– JG