CEOs are faking it says Stanford Professor

According to Stanford professor Robert Sutton, most CEOs have little impact on their companies, and the bigger the company, the smaller the impact they have.

"The amount of control a leader has over a company is exaggerated, " Sutton says. He also adds, "If you look at these Fortune 500 companies where they get paid a fortune, they have the least impact."

According to Sutton, some of the best managers are the ones who do the least.

I partially agree.

A great CEO, like Jim Curtin of Win4Lin, is worth every penny he is paid, probably much more. A truly bad CEO can screw up an otherwise healthy company in no time.

A great CEO increases a company's chances of success significantly. But even a great CEO at a super promising and successful company can fail! There are just too many variables, too many unknowns, too much out of anyone's control.

My money is bet, figuratively and literally, on Pierre Noel of The Arial Group, A CEO who understands the limitations of power, as well as the responsibilities and challenges. Yes, I have a vested interest!