I believe CEOs don’t have much power in the way a corporation runs. Corporations seem to run primarily by a bunch of procedures copied from previous successful versions of themselves. Many companies are too big to be managed effectively and I don’t think anyone is really at the wheel. A lot of these things are up to chance. People need another person to look like they are running this big thing that impact their lives. When a corporation fucks up bad, the CEO takes responsibility and resigns. Very little about the way the company works changes. People think, wow, someone got fired, I guess that problem will resolve. Usually, the departing CEO’s fall from the top floor suite is cushioned with piles of money.
I think one of the CEOs primary functions is to take personal responsibility for problems that nobody knows where they came from, how to prevent, or what to do about. It doesn’t come cheap. How much would you ask for if someone wanted you to go on TV and say that Deepwater Horizon or Exxon Valdez was your fault? Before you give your answer, remember that if you show your face in public, people are going to punch it. You will need a big, secure place to live with your family, people to go to the store for you, private planes, etc…
Shareholders run these things. They take very little interest in individual companies. There are laws about the way they can operate. Don’t like it? How much of your time and money do you use working for, buying things from, or investing in corporations? It’s likely you can’t live a lifestyle you are used to without them, but you can spend part of your energy on alternative means.
