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T hey’re far from a figurehead – the typical CEO of an A/E firm. Whomever is in this job, like it or not, is one of if not THE single most important person to the success of the firm. These six traits are most likely to lead to success and are absolute “musts” for whomever is the CEO of the firm. The role of the CEO in an A/E firm
We all know it’s not an easy job. There will always be critics who tell you, “It’s not like it used to be here,” or, “We used to be like a family,” or, “When we had only 30 people we made a 27 percent profit and now we only make 15 percent,” or other such criticisms and complaints. When you are in the job sometimes you’d just like to scream at people but you can’t. You have to maintain your cool at all times. Here are some other attributes of a CEO for A/E firms that, in my experience, are most likely to lead to success in the role: 1)They are a good “doer.” Many will argue with me on this point. No, the best architect or best engineer is not always the best person to be the top leader/ manager for the firm. But it sure helps. At least being competent in the actual work of the firm will get you a lot more respect and credibility with
the rest of the people. There are very few instances of non-architects or non-engineers who have successfully led and managed an A/E firm. After more than 40 years in this business I could count the ones I’m aware of on less than five fingers of one hand. 2)They are humble. No one likes to work with someone who is an ego maniac or credit hog. Being humble – being able to publicly admit mistakes, say you are sorry when necessary, and promote the accomplishments of others is endearing, and it sure helps if the other partners and staff like the CEO. 3)They are visible. The CEO cannot go hide out in their office. They need to be moving around the office, stopping in at meetings, asking people what they are working on, and offering suggestions or asking necessary questions. They also need to be the public face of the firm and should have a
Mark Zweig
See MARK ZWEIG, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER OCTOBER 12, 2020, ISSUE 1363
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