ncides exactly with the way he is leading such a traditional bank…” With other words, he didn’t agree with the CEO / Leader, someone who is changing the bank away from whatever tradition.

From a cultural point of view you could ask whether the CEO is only responsible for this strategy or that the CEO is merely the one representing the corporate culture. The difference between a manager and a leader is important in this sense. A manager would represent the actual culture, th

The CEO of a company represents a company’s culture. Important –- regarding change -- is whether the role of the CEO is more that of a manager who is safeguarding the current culture or one who is leading a (cultural) change.

The difference between leading a company and managing the same is not a secret. Leaders take the lead and come (up) with a new direction. The manager is the custodian of the (new) direction. Let’s take Google as an example. Larry and Sergey were leading the company (before it made any real profits), and Eric “took over” to manage the profits.

Nancy is the CEO of Wolters Kluwer a Dutch company dedicated to information brokerage. Nancy got elected to manage Wolters in 2005 as an incentive to increase the company’s performance. Before her position as a CEO she led the North American division of Wolters. Favoring her as a CEO made clear that her way of managing the division and later the company was to set an example. The company’s culture would soon have to follow this new way. She was elected as a new leader.

Rijkman is managing ABN AMRO -- a Dutch bank -- for the last seven years. This bank has been acquiring others in a smooth pace but up to now the bank was not able to consolidate these acquisitions in a way that the earnings per share could rise at the same time. The “market” demanded a solution. A possible merger with Barclays from the UK has been targeted as such a solution, but other banks are interested in parts of the bank too. Currently, the market is leading the company; the CEO is currently bounded to a margin in this change process.

This growth dilemma could have been avoided by choosing a less risky strategy. But in this example the bank got stuck in the middle and instead of acquiring others she became a takeover candidate herself.

Recently a famous soccer player-coach-ambassador commented: “The impression I got from talking with him … coincides exactly with the way he is leading such a traditional bank…” With other words, he didn’t agree with the CEO / Leader, someone who is changing the bank away from whatever tradition.

From a cultural point of view you could ask whether the CEO is only responsible for this strategy or that the CEO is merely the one representing the corporate culture. The difference between a manager and a leader is important in this sense. A manager would represent the actual culture, the

g the company (before it made any real profits), and Eric “took over” to manage the profits.

Nancy is the CEO of Wolters Kluwer a Dutch company dedicated to information brokerage. Nancy got elected to manage Wolters in 2005 as an incentive to increase the company’s performance. Before her position as a CEO she led the North American division of Wolters. Favoring her as a CEO made clear that her way of managing the division and later the company was to set an example. The company’s culture would soon have to follow this new way. She was elected as a new leader.

Rijkman is managing ABN AMRO -- a Dutch bank -- for the last seven years. This bank has been acquiring others in a smooth pace but up to now the bank was not able to consolidate these acquisitions in a way that the earnings per share could rise at the same time. The “market” demanded a solution. A possible merger with Barclays from the UK has been targeted as such a solution, but other banks are interested in parts of the bank too. Currently, the market is leading the company; the CEO is currently bounded to a margin in this change process.

This growth dilemma could have been avoided by choosing a less risky strategy. But in this example the bank got stuck in the middle and instead of acquiring others she became a takeover candidate herself.

Recently a famous soccer player-coach-ambassador commented: “The impression I got from talking with him … coincides exactly with the way he is leading such a traditional bank…” With other words, he didn’t agree with the CEO / Leader, someone who is changing the bank away from whatever tradition.

From a cultural point of view you could ask whether the CEO is only responsible for this strategy or that the CEO is merely the one representing the corporate culture. The difference between a manager and a leader is important in this sense. A manager would represent the actual culture, th

mpany’s culture would soon have to follow this new way. She was elected as a new leader.

Rijkman is managing ABN AMRO -- a Dutch bank -- for the last seven years. This bank has been acquiring others in a smooth pace but up to now the bank was not able to consolidate these acquisitions in a way that the earnings per share could rise at the same time. The “market” demanded a solution. A possible merger with Barclays from the UK has been targeted as such a solution, but other banks are interested in parts of the bank too. Currently, the market is leading the company; the CEO is currently bounded to a margin in this change process.

This growth dilemma could have been avoided by choosing a less risky strategy. But in this example the bank got stuck in the middle and instead of acquiring others she became a takeover candidate herself.

Recently a famous soccer player-coach-ambassador commented: “The impression I got from talking with him … coincides exactly with the way he is leading such a traditional bank…” With other words, he didn’t agree with the CEO / Leader, someone who is changing the bank away from whatever tradition.

From a cultural point of view you could ask whether the CEO is only responsible for this strategy or that the CEO is merely the one representing the corporate culture. The difference between a manager and a leader is important in this sense. A manager would represent the actual culture, th

banks are interested in parts of the bank too. Currently, the market is leading the company; the CEO is currently bounded to a margin in this change process.

This growth dilemma could have been avoided by choosing a less risky strategy. But in this example the bank got stuck in the middle and instead of acquiring others she became a takeover candidate herself.

Recently a famous soccer player-coach-ambassador commented: “The impression I got from talking with him … coincides exactly with the way he is leading such a traditional bank…” With other words, he didn’t agree with the CEO / Leader, someone who is changing the bank away from whatever tradition.

From a cultural point of view you could ask whether the CEO is only responsible for this strategy or that the CEO is merely the one representing the corporate culture. The difference between a manager and a leader is important in this sense. A manager would represent the actual culture, th

ncides exactly with the way he is leading such a traditional bank…” With other words, he didn’t agree with the CEO / Leader, someone who is changing the bank away from whatever tradition.

From a cultural point of view you could ask whether the CEO is only responsible for this strategy or that the CEO is merely the one representing the corporate culture. The difference between a manager and a leader is important in this sense. A manager would represent the actual culture, the leader the preferred culture.

Another example. Is George leading “Corporate America” or is more a kind of a manager directing an “administration?” Not long ago I found an interesting article: “An Open Letter To the Good People of the Middle East From the We're Not that Stupid Americans”

The article could be summarized as: “He is only the CEO and I don't agree with the strategy!”. America is much more, like the Bank is much more than the CEO. Yet this and any other CEO represent an important aspect of the corporate culture.

Whether the CEO is more of a manager or a leader, in either case; the CEO is the example or the most visible facade representing the corporate culture.

© 2007 Hans Bool