If you are now CEO, your position does not depend on the vision you outlined, and more on the outcomes you have produced over the past 90 days. In 2024, more than 200 CEOs were replaced, and CEO turnover rates increased by 13% from 2023, well above the six-year average. The board moves faster, driven by market volatility, activist pressure and growing belief that changing leadership is the fastest way to unlock value.
At the same time, the window to provide strategies is narrower. Expectations regarding increased margins, capital efficiency and operational control have been strengthened, and long-term conversion patience is worn down. Execution is treated as a key indicator of leadership quality. As CEO, if you're not quantifying your progress and eliminating drugs in real time, conversations about your role may already be happening without you.
Why the board prioritizes execution over ideas
An era of rapid growth based on big promises and easy capital is over. Investors are no longer satisfied with the ambitious strategies that have grown over the years. They want results that can be measured now. Focusing solely on a long-term vision without clear progress puts reliability at stake. The board has begun to treat ideas as weaknesses rather than strength without follow-through, which could lead to an unprecedented number of CEO exchanges.
This shift is already being developed at major companies. Intel struggled to stay in the AI market and leadership took responsibility. Peloton faced major challenges after the pandemic, and the board lost confidence in the company's ability to recover. In both cases, the message was clear. The board wants leaders who can act quickly, manage uncertainty, and prove their impact on the changing business environment.
In all sectors, this is becoming the new standard. The board is looking for leaders who understand operations, know how to manage costs, and who can respond when the market changes. If you want to stay ahead, you need to bring actionable knowledge about finance, supply chain and data-driven decision-making into every conversation.
The rise of execution-centered CEOs
Modern executive teams are primarily changing as the board is under more pressure. Leading this environment means being clear, consistent and focused on results. It's not enough to inspire people. You need to build a team that can provide plans and adjust in real time.
Financial and operational skills are no longer options. As a CEO, you must be able to directly link financial decisions to the execution of your business. CFOs and COOs need to be able to reduce costs, support growth and move quickly when conditions change. If they can't, you are expected to answer the gap.
You also need to rely on data to guide your decisions. CEOs using real-time performance information can see risk faster, act faster, and compete more effectively. Leading without strong data is becoming difficult to defend if there are so many tools currently in existence to support better decisions.
Today, successful CEOs are those who understand multiple parts of the business. They managed profits and losses, led massive changes, worked through finance, operations and revenue. The board no longer considers this kind of background as an option. They consider it essential.
Many companies choose leaders based on their existence and appeal, leading to “foreign traps.” However, these qualities alone do not drive business forward. If you're building a leadership team or considering your next move, focus on those who can produce results. That's the most important thing right now, and that's what your board expects from you.
1. Improve strategic employment to prioritize execution over rhetoric.
In the high stakes leadership role, the gap between clarifying the plan and providing it can define success or failure in tenure. But too many employment decisions still leaning towards candidates who communicate well, rather than those who have a record of implementation.
As CEO, set the standard. To focus on charisma, raise the employment lens for the organization and focus more on evidence. That means scrutinizing past performance through hard numbers. Look for consistent revenue growth, disciplined cost management, operational improvements, and capacity for scale. Go beyond sophisticated interviews and ask for more details. Next, ask how the strategy became an action, how resistance was managed, and how the outcome was measured. Remember leadership not about how well someone talks about change, nor how well others guide them through it.
2. Strengthen your inheritance plan to build a leadership pipeline.
If your organization still relies heavily on external recruitment to play an important role, you are exposed to unnecessary confusion. Cultural inconsistencies, long onboarding curves, and expectations of inconsistencies can all undermine momentum. Prioritize the development of internal talent with the right balance of visual and operational power to maintain continuity and strategic control.
We start by creating structured opportunities for high potential leaders to rotate through financial, operational and revenue functions. Give real ownership in different parts of the business. The goal is to build true preparation. When a transition occurs and they do so, you need a leader who can intervene without hesitation and execute from day one.
3. Extend your leadership search strategy beyond your usual channels.
Filling in the executive role that shapes your company's direction requires more than a compelling resume or a strong interview performance. However, many organizations rely heavily on internal networks or standard recruitment processes.
A more strategic approach combines internal assessment with external perspectives. That may mean leveraging data-driven assessment tools and broader market insights to leverage professional partners that will help you avoid blind spots by challenging assumptions, removing biases, and revealing hidden risks. The ultimate goal is to eliminate risky critical employment by adjusting experience, competence and cultural fit. In particular, execution is the most important role.
Your employment strategy should reflect the high interests of today's leadership. It will provide you in real time, build a team that can adapt and requires as strict and dynamic processes as the environment you are leading.
Ultimately, the execution is using filter boards to assess leadership at all levels. If you want to lead or build a team in this environment, stop treating it as a secondary characteristic and start treating it as a core requirement.
