CIO OPINION
According to reports , the change of heart by the board was in part driven by an employee-led threat of mass resignations .
We only have to look at examples such as OpenAI , or even the recent government cabinet reshuffle , to see the influence that senior leadership has on whether people even want to work for the organisation .
Increasingly CEO and senior leaders will play a crucial role in turnover , attraction , and retention rates .
37 % of professionals in South Africa would rethink accepting a job offer based on a company ’ s CEO , even if they liked their line manager , with a further 15 % stating that they would outright decline a job offer based on who the CEO is .
Further to findings , two fifths , 41 % of professionals believe that CEOs who lead by example bring the most value to a company , whilst a quarter put CEO success down to being empathetic and a good listener . Just over a fifth feel that being decisive and taking advice where needed is the key to winning people in the company over .
Increasingly we are finding that professionals want to know that the leaders sitting at the helm of major companies know what they are doing and can lead with confidence and conviction , as well as maintain an empathetic and listening ear to their employees , and even wider society .
Importance of the CEO at the helm
• 55 % would rethink or reject a job offer based on the company ’ s Chief Executive
• 45 % feel CEO ’ s and leaders have the biggest impact on workplace culture
• 4 in 5 feel the biggest value CEOs bring is the ability to lead by example
• 64 % trust the leader of their company to do what is right
• Almost a quarter say that hidden agendas and playing into corporate politics are the primary factors leading to distrust in leadership
It is all about being in-touch with the people around you , having a diverse team , and hearing a host of different opinions and mediating on the single best solution to any problems that may arise . No matter how experienced a leader may be , they should never assume they have all the answers .
The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer found that out of the 71 % of employees who felt trusted by their CEO , 87 % trusted their CEO in return , whilst the 29 % of professionals who did not feel trusted by their CEO , only 27 % trusted their CEO .
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA 39