Thought Leadership
What makes a great Chief Executive?
This report analyses the qualities and traits that separate the truly great CEOs from the rest. It is based on interviews with more than 80 of the UK’s most prominent business leaders, including multinational Chairmen and Chief Executives of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.
The report finds that the best CEOs have great vision about where the company should be heading, combined with unimpeachable personal integrity. Perhaps one of the most surprising findings of the research is that great CEOs spend much more time with their internal stakeholders than speaking to those in the City or the media.
In the current downturn, the report also finds that truly great company leaders need to have mastered a range of softer skills too – ones not often associated with hyper-successful business men and women. Participants cited creativity, personal charm, a concern for others, and an ability to mentor the next generation of managers, as vital management skills for the 21st century.
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Are NEDs in NHS Trusts working too hard?
Why are NEDs in NHS Trusts spending more time on their role than the core 2-3 days each month they signed up for? Authorisation as a Foundation Trust sets the bar for aspiring NHS Trusts and represents a step change in governance capability; NEDs find they get seduced into spending more and more time with the Trust. Through our research and experience we have identified how they can avoid the traps and work "smarter not harder".
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What makes an exceptional NED? - Latest findings
Whitehead Mann’s recent survey of 50 FTSE 100 Company Secretaries shows NEDs are motivated by reputation not money or share packages.
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What makes an exceptional NED?
The changes in corporate governance over the last decade have redefined the role that a successful NED should play, as well as increasing the risks, responsibilities and time commitments of the job. This report asks the question “What is it that defines an exceptional NED?” which has been answered by Chief Executives, Chairs, NEDs and a group of significant investors – whose views represent their experiences across 552 Boards. This definitive report about the necessary qualities required for this critical appointment is one of a series entitled ‘The Whitehead Mann Leadership Debate.’
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Is the boardroom heating up?
Is 'climate change' the direct result of man's actions or due to the 'natural variability' in the earth's weather cycles? No one really knows for sure but how business leaders respond to the challenge is of paramount importance to shaping this debate. Whatever your view - the way we deal with extreme weather changes and declining energy resources is arguably one of the crucial issues facing the business world in particular. Prompted by the UK government-sponsored Stern Report, Whitehead Mann undertook this study to discover what business leaders are really thinking about climate change issues and what they believe the implications are for their business strategies and their leadership responsibilities. Our latest report shows that the split of business opinion is greater than we might have imagined.
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What makes a great board Chairperson?
Being the Chairperson of an organisation can be both satisfying and challenging, but it is a role for which there is little formal preparation or training. We asked 215 directors of FTSE 100, FTSE 250, large private companies, private equity companies and public sector bodies about what they believe makes a great Chairperson. The results are revealed in this report, one of a series entitled ‘The Whitehead Mann Leadership Debate.’
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