Another Month, Another Milestone

Welcome to yet another issue CEO Pakistan. Personally speaking, I am more comfortable with the designation of the CEO than the other designations, simply because it is probably one of the easier designations to identify and link with the leadership of an organization. And because it signifies leadership, it is easier to identify and approach the CEO to make a decision which will impact the company. Take the culture in Pakistan for example. Everyone in the organization, at least the really aggressive ones, strives to be the CEO. The decision-maker. The boss.

Compared to the CIO, for examples, each one of the thousands of technology companies will have a CEO and the CTO, but not all will have a CIO. Same goes for other verticals. The CEO, as some would say, is omnipresent.  The shape sorter. The Go-To guy that guides you who you need to speak to or what you need to do. He (or she) does what it takes to get the team revved up and ready to go. The CEO does not necessarily get involved and do the work unless he is a seasoned manager, even though this discussion is up for discussion.

This issue of CEO Pakistan celebrates the character of the Chief Executive. You will end up with very weak momentum forward if you have weak leadership. The tough decisions that need to be made during the crunch times, or the justification that the Board of Directors or Stockholders need, are all usually done by the CEO. In success you hail the Chief Executive, and in times of failure, you also hold him solely accountable. But such may not be true.

A good CEO hires people smarter than him, more efficient than him and more effective than him so that he can guide all those qualities towards building a strong team. That’s what you’ll find in the anonymously submitted article about “5 Things I hate About My CEO”, where the young professional addresses exactly this issue. When there is a team ready to be lead, but no apparently inspiring leader available to take on the reigns.

BOYB might be an acronym  usually used to refer to something else, but in our case, we’re talking about the trend of entrepreneurs in Pakistan. “Be Your Own Boss” addresses some of the opportunities that self-running businesses can provide or cater to if used effectively. And, just like the article says, you cannot BYOB just for the heck of it – it has to be something that satisfies a demand. Niche or otherwise, think this critical decision through well before you start or much before you decide to quit.

On behalf of the CIO Pakistan team and all the people who are involved in our various communities, I’d like to wish you a Happy Independence. Let’s continue to work hard and give it all we’ve got, so we can continue showcasing these great stories.

Until the next issue,
Signing out!

Umair Naeem
umair@ciopakistan.com