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Money, power and prestige is a pretty attractive triumvirate of reasons to be a CEO.


"To serve people" - is a far more attractive reason to be a CEO and a far more likely reason to succeed massively as a CEO. Most business books focus on the "how", but the "why" is critical for a CEO.

Money, power and prestige are byproducts and make very poor motivators in themselves. A CEO motivated by money, power and prestige (even those who naively pretend second order effects) will likely make suboptimal decisions.

"If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."


Have you heard of Larry Ellison?


Cue the ever amazing Bryan Cantrill Oracle rant: https://youtu.be/-zRN7XLCRhc?t=33m8s


Yet yearning for that might not make you best placed for the role.


Probably why there are so few good CEO


I think 'power' here sounds negative (probably not intentionally), but remember with power comes the ability to make meaningful change and have a real impact.




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