June 8; Every New CEO Needs A Loyal Team To Begin His Job
MANAGEMENT BY THE BOOK:
365 Daily Bible Verse &
One-Minute Management Lessons For The Busy Faithful

Chapter Six: Correction; 8 June

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and

the sin that so easily entangles…

Hebrews 12:1a

Clean Sweep

The young CEO was following in the footsteps of a legend and was concerned about making too many changes too soon.

Or so he said.

I advised him to clean house and replace key senior managers with his own lineup. He was hired by the board of directors to take the company in a new direction. He would need to be surrounded by his own team.

He said “I need to give these personnel decisions some careful thought…” A diplomatic backing out that said, ‘I don’t know…maybe later.’

Actually, I found out that he didn’t like to fire people. Nobody does.

He knew political history and he said that he was merely looking for a seamless transition like our national presidents sometimes do.

After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson retained most of the murdered president’s cabinet for continuity. Kennedy and Johnson had similar agendas and their philosophies were close. And LBJ, who had been the former Senate Majority Leader, could make things happen on the force of his oversized Texas personality.

Eleven years later in 1974, Vice President Ford would keep Nixon’s staff. After Nixon resigned as a result the Watergate scandal and cover-up, the appointed President Ford was concerned about the after shocks. Ford was more worried about calming the country than running it. Ford’s then chief of staff, Donald Rumsfeld, writes, “He opted for conformity over change…he was uncomfortable having to tell people who had served loyally that they would have to leave.”

Rumsfeld advises senior leaders to assemble an entourage of like-minded team managers and bring the crew with them. “Build your own—and do it fast…You will benefit and those departing will know they are not leaving because of poor performance…”

The CEO who Your Business Professor was counseling was slow to bring on new talent. His new initiatives were implemented even slower. Time could have been saved with his own team.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…Hebrews 12:1a.

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