However the recruitment are heavy meanings

Appointed in June at the head of Airbus, Christian Streiff claimed more autonomy. 100 days after his appointment, he has disclosed an ambitious strategy of industrial reorganization and its program endorsed by the group. But the new CEO, however, preferred throwing the sponge to the complex and chilling circuit decision of the EADS Group. He was replaced in his position by Louis Gallois, the current and most recently co-President of EADS which is immediately set to work out the manufacturer of the crisis. Not easy to impose at the head of an organization. The CEO of Airbus had yet exceeded 100 days, the time required for all new CEO to tackle priority sites.

As Christian Streiff, the newly appointed CEO have to hurry to establish the most credible of the roadmaps. Because there are many shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, financial analysts to observe their first not.

Denis Ranque still clearly keep in mind its debut to the Presidency of Thales, in 1998: "this market, I think, for the following reasons: firstly, the company had wanted to leave, there was a real appetite to regain momentum after two years of stalling.". "On the other hand, the shop is very légitimiste and I had been chosen," says in a recent book (1).

The Booz Allen Hamilton strategy consulting firm, the key to success through a fine knowledge of the "Organizational DNA" of a group that can provide a CEO recently appointed an accurate assessment of the problems and major organizational obstacles to overcome. "We have seen very experienced CEOs fail by taking control of a new company, simply because they thought that their new organization would behave like that where they were previously, notes Pierre Péladeau, Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton in Paris." Each type of organization has characteristics and behaviors that are unique.

Once chosen, the CEO must quickly address a limited number of priority projects. First, the condition of the premises. "Since the early days a message bearer of hope (with a large V) values of the group is also essential," said Emeric Lepoutre, CEO of Spencer Stuart in France. This is what made Yves Thibault de Silguy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BTP Vinci Group, after the highly publicized resignation of Antoine Zacharias. There however, he expected three months before detail its first building and to establish a model of "Presidency divorced" exercised jointly with Xavier Huillard.

Who reports to whom

In Altran, Yves de Chaisemartin, recent Chairman of the Board of Altran to replace Christophe Aulnette, party suddenly, seeks to reassure to rumours of assignment of the Group and reaffirmed its willingness to develop the company. Tuesday, it was Louis Gallois moved to Toulouse to meet unions, managers of Airbus and the Mayor of the city and take a language of truth while is that reassuring. And many other messages are expected in organizations in crisis. Among the equipment manufacturer Faurecia, where operates a transitional management team waiting for the arrival of a new CEO. Successor of Marc Levi, fort there to morality rules of the game with the German builders, turn the page of the scandals and find the road to profits.

"Third site priority, the establishment of a strategy." Everything must go at the same time. "He has to start together strategies in one, two, five years", said Emeric Lepoutre. Alan Mullaly, new leader of Ford, where expected rapid results, hurried to issue a strategic message strong.

His arrival at France Telecom, Didier Lombard was not quick to talk about his strategy for the integration of mobile and fixed radio. Last week, is Pierre Mongin which has given the "the", three months after his appointment as head of the RATP: modernization, challenge of the competition, replacement of 40 of the workforce are on the roadmap. "Styles are different." Some, for example, do not hesitate to spend three to four weeks to meet with staff to understand how they work, said Pierre Péladeau. "They are then of announcements about a new product line, a new organization or a new mode of compensation".

The success of the implementation of the strategy would be based on three pillars: the circuit of decision, the flow of information and what is called the "incentives". In other words, the newcomer to the direction of a company or organization has interest to quickly understand who reports to whom How is the information And how to motivate employees

Legal threats

Another shipyard: the constitution of a new team. This is a key area on which Christian Streiff felt not having no autonomy, all appointments must be approved by the Franco-German Council. However, the recruitment are heavy meanings. "Replace some barons who epitomized the old culture is not trivial", said Pierre Péladeau. Especially, the CEO must not fear the competition of the best talent. In this regard, Eric Saint-Frisian, President of Ford France, entrusted, on 10 March, Olivier Basso and Catherine Blondel (1) that "do not want to recruit too good people for fear of being in trouble is a mistake." Those who believe this are those who do not know quite: it's hard to hold together two strong personalities, but that is what is pleasant to work with people of talent! .

Despite attractive remuneration, the CEO function is, in the general public, less admiration and company bosses are no longer, as earlier, untouchables. France as in the United States (see box), more and more CEOs, now with more responsibilities to be able to, are placed on ejection seats. Afraid to be wrong, to not be understood to be inadequately recognized: fear, new phenomenon, saving more large patterns. Today, the requirements of transparency, a strong media coverage, legal threats, the strong rise of the aversion to risk, the accentuation of internal and external pressures dissociate the position of CEO of a captain, only master on board his ship. More question for him, as previously, navigate to view as good seems to be wrong without consequences. For him as for many managers in companies today, the time which they could still learn from mistakes seems far. For CEOs, it is permanently gone.