A CEO as President

Though I know there is an unemployment problem, but I’m sure I’m not the only one in America that works for a large publicly-traded company. After that debate - all of them, really - I want to say what I think we’re all thinking…

I feel very fortunate that I’ve worked under (way, way under) a few very impressive CEOs. I think that they’ve done as much right in their jobs as is humanly possible. But would that make any of them a good president? In my personal case maybe, because I work in a science-based industry. But let’s just say in general, Does being a CEO predispose you to be a good president?

Here’s the thing: there is no way to layoff someone from being an American Citizen. There is a permanence to that that cannot be overcome. The job of the President must act both for the Greater Good, but also on behalf of every single citizen. Though unfortunate, in a company, if times get tight or if there is a strategic advantage, people can get laid off. Research budgets can be cut, too. There are other things as well, such as not investing in growth (or even in maintenance, if you must) and even cutting production. When those things happen, the displaced workers are supported by the USA and the safety net.

So what happens when the thing you’re running is the very thing that is the safety net? As I said, you can’t layoff an American Citizen.

So can a CEO be a good president? Of course. This is America. Any one of us can grow up to be President. But do you have an indispensable skill having been a CEO that nobody else could ever have? No, I don’t think so.