Today's Corporate culture is strongly driven by fierce deadlines and stiff competition . Consequently the benchmark on performance for today's CEO is far higher and the criteria's on evaluation is equally stringent. Some of them manage to stay afloat by exhibiting an exceptional skill set and delivering to the core but most of them go through a phase of transitions and shuffles on the bumpy road . We have some really interesting snakes and ladder stories leading to the much expected desire hire and fire.
Looking at the Indian brigade-turbulent leadership changes come to surface - To quote one of the latest switches, we have Dell India, who announced a change in its key leadership team in December 2010, where roles were reshuffled; Sameer Garde and Vikas Bhonsle were designated as Vice President (Global OEM solutions) and GM(India large operations) respectively.
Then we have a very fresh example of AMD-CEO Dirk Meyer’s ouster, considering his long term of service to the company; that too when AMD did not meet any severe loss during his tenure. Meyer just happened to miss the bus when it came to recognizing the tablet markets potential. Call it ambition; call it being insensitive or just a strategic change, it was a drastic step which created ripples all around. AMD seems to be unaffected and unfazed as it stand by its decision.
There is not only firing but a lot of hiring happening too, where firms are changing heads due to strategic changes in their goals. One example which comes to the mind instantly is, Google hiring Microsoft’s ex-MD to head its India operations; that is a big step indeed. Experts credit this hire to Rajan Anandan’s expertise on investment which comfortably aligns with Google’s aggressive growth plans for India.
But Microsoft proved to be the head amongst the firing-hiring squad. What is Microsoft trying to do? Who did it not fire in the last fifteen months? From chief software architect Ray Ozzie, office unit head Stephen Elop, entertainment and devices unit head Robbie Bach and Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell to the most recent expel, servers and tools business Bob Muglia, all of them faced the axe. Has CEO Steve Ballmer gone berserk? Apparently not! Though he himself now has moved to an unsecure domain, he just completed 11 years at Microsoft. This very factor probably will turn against him; the company’s board of directors are already putting him under the scanner, if we believe the rumor mills.
Having said it all, it cannot be concluded that these firms are indulging in quick hires and fires. The IT giants in fact use the potential of these valued leaders to the fullest, but the shelf life for these CEO’s has definitely reduced. Honestly, nobody is to be blamed here, the need of the hour is to play hard and play even smarter. Drastic decisions, to bring about fresh change in the company leadership have become essential, however cruel they may sound.
In the future such news will only become more frequent; after all, the entire world is under constant rotation. And on this even science seems to agree where “Revolution occurs only with rotation”.