<Making of a CEO>

Name of the Faculty

Dr.Sandeep K. Krishnan

Area
Long duration programmes to which
this course may be offered

OB and HRM

(PGP, FPM, PGPEM, PGPPM, EPGP)

PGP, PGPEM,PGPPM

Credits (No. of hours)

(3 credits=30 classroom hours; 1.5 credits-15
classroom hours; session=90 minutes)

1.5 Credits (15 Classroom Hours)

Term / Quarter

Term 5

Grading & Evaluation

Yes

Financial implications, if any

Course objective

Yes

Course outline

Yes

Course Type (Regular)

Session-wise plan

Yes
o

Additional information

Please attach a brief profile of the guest /

adjunct faculty teaching in the programme.
If there are more than one faculty teaching
in the programme, please mention the no.
of sessions allocated for each faculty.

Course Outline Template_v2016

Course Objectives
The course is designed with the following specific objectives:
a. To understand the role of a CEO and the competencies that drive them
b. To have an overview of the role that a CEO plays in driving the organizations of
different nature through different phases growth, turnaround, startup, global
conglomerate, family business.
c. Learn from real life examples, how a professional evolve as a CEO.

Course Outline
The CEO's leadership role is responsible for overall organizations functioning and
driving larger strategic goals and purpose. The CEO is the vital link between the
management and the board and the various external and internal stakeholders. The
CEOs role has been interpreted in multiple contexts and the key is that it is a unique
role that he/she can only do as Lafley (2009) mentioned from his experiences as the
CEO of P&G. The new age companies that are tech entrepreneurship also brings to our
notice, young CEOs less than age of 40 or 35 who are extremely successful and created
wealth for their organizations and stakeholders. The demands on the CEO are also
increasing from various stakeholders including shareholders, internal employees,
board, and society at large. This course attempts to help the course participants to
understand the role better and also understand some of the practices that help in
developing CEOs. The course thus helps to interlink the learning from leadership
development to a real case of a CEO and apply the same in participants careers.

Pedagogy
The course will be based on Case studies, Videos, experience sharing by CEOs, and two
student projects that involves profiling of CEOs.

Course Evaluation & Grading Pattern

Course Evaluation is based on class participation, a concept paper on making of CEO, and Two
Group Projects that involves profiling CEOs.
Class Participation: 20 %
Concept Paper : 30 %

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The concept paper should address any of the areas that are relevant from how a professional
evolves as a CEO. For example, some of the topics may be : Learning from careers of Indian
CEOs The student may choose to study 3-4 Indian CEOs and understand their career journey
and evolve the learning into the concept paper. Another sample topic may be Role of CEOs in
turnarounds The student may choose to go deeper into one of the sessions as part of the course
and write the concept paper. The paper should be of 1500 to 2000 words. The concept paper is
an individual project.
Projects : 25 % each
The project involves interactions with two CEOs from different backgrounds. One would be a
startup CEO and the other CEO may be from an established firms. Students are expected to
understand their challenges and their career. The idea of the project is to have a deeper
understanding of a CEOs role and the real challenges they face on the ground. The profiling
should also cover their career growth- This will give the students an appreciation of what it
takes to be a CEO. The projects are to be done in groups. The group size will be determined
based on the class strength. The profiling of each CEO will be a write up of 1500 words each.

Session-wise plan
Session
No.
1

Date /
week

Topic

(Optional
)

Topic: Introduction to the course. Measuring CEO effectiveness.

Readings: Ignatius, A. (2015). The Best-Performing
CEOs in the World 2015. Harvard Business Review, November, 49-59.
---(2015). Interview with Lars Sorenson. Harvard Business Review,
November, 60-63.
Topic : CEO Competencies and Selecting a CEO
To introduce the class to the concept of CEOs with different skills
and their appropriateness for different stages of a company's life
cycle and understanding some of the pitfalls in selecting a CEO.
Readings:
Case Study: The Perfect CEO, Harvard Business School Case
Authors: G. Felda Hardymon; Ann Leamon
Article: Khurana, R. (2001). Finding the right CEO: Why boards
often make poor choices. MIT Sloan Management Review, 43(1), 91.

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Topic: Developing skills for being a CEO

Readings: Case Study : Alaix, J. R. (2014). The CEO of Zoetis on
how he prepared for the top job. Harvard business review, 92(6), 4144.
Article: CEO Competencies
http://web.stanford.edu/class/ee353/ceo.htm
Collins, J. (2005).
Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce
Resolve, Harvard Business Review, 83(7), 136-146.

Experiences in the path of becoming a CEO

Video : Wells Fargo CEO: "What I've Learned Since Business
School"
Case Study:
Who Can Help The CEO? (HBR CASE STUDY), Phil Terry
Class Discussion
Article: Boone, L. E., & Milewicz, J. C. (1989). Is Professional Selling
the Route to the Top of the Corporate Hierarchy?. Journal of Personal
Selling & Sales Management, 9(1), 42-45.

Topic:
CEO Forum: Forum with Two CEOs and Two HR Heads on
becoming a CEO and role that organization plays in grooming /
developing CEO successors
45 minutes panel discussion followed by Q & A
Topic : CEO and Company Culture
Readings:
Article: ---(2015). How Indira Nooyi Turned Design Thinking Into
Strategy: An Interview with PepsiCo's CEO. Harvard Business
Review, Sept.
Maccoby, M. (2000). Narcissistic leaders: The incredible pros, the
inevitable cons. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 68-78.
Video: Ratan N Tata in conversation at Stanford Graduate School of
Business (Corporate Responsibility)
Topic: CEO during Turnaround
Readings:
Case Study: Yahoo Inc! Marissa Mayers Challenge, IVY Publishing
Kanter, R. M. (2003). Leadership and the psychology of
turnarounds. Harvard Business Review, 81(6), 58-69

Studen

Topic : Start up Founder CEOs/ CEO profiling

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t led
session

Project discussions by Student Groups Profiling of Start up

CEOs/ profiling of CEOs and sharing of learning

Topic: Women CEOs

Current status of Women in Corporate Sector and what it takes to
be a Woman CEO & Understanding unique aspects of CEOs in
family businesses.
Video: Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders

Topic: CEOs in Family Businesses

Case Study: Ensuring Family and Business Continuity at Indias
GMR Group, Richard Ivey Publishing
Article:
Krishnan, S. K(2010). Succession in Family Business, Human Capital,
Dec, 38-42
Russell Reynolds (2011). CEO Succession in the Family-Controlled
Firm, Available online :
http://www.russellreynolds.com/sites/default/files/ceosuccessio
n-in-the-family-controlled-firm.pdf
Topic : CEO Succession and Talent Engine
Readings:
Case Study:
GE's Talent Machine: The Making of a CEO
Christopher A. Bartlett; Andrew N. McLean
Closure of the course:
Key Learning and Closing Video
Video: MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga on Taking Risks in Your Life
and Career

10

Profile of the Adjunct / Guest Faculty

Dr. Sandeep K. Krishnan is a Director at People Business, a global leadership and human
resources consulting firm. He is a Fellow (Doctorate) of Indian Institute of Management
Ahmedabad. Prior to joining People business, he has worked with organizations like IBM,
Infosys, Ernst and Young, and RPG. As a consultant he has led large assignments in the areas of
leadership development, talent management, and employer branding with both public and
private sector organizations. He is a certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)
from HRCI and has completed certification in Executive Coaching from University of
Cambridge. Sandeep has worked with organizations in managing their leadership pipeline and
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closely interacted with CEOs from across the spectrum in understanding their challenges in
managing the role and expectations. Sandeep is also an Adjunct Faculty at the Indian Institute
of Management Indore where he teaches and research in the areas of employee attrition and
engagement, employer branding, strategic human resource management, high performance
organizations, careers, and leadership development. His research has been published in Human
Resource Management, Business Strategy Review, South Asian Journal of Management, and
Vikalpa. He has authored many case studies, and articles in professional journals.
sandeephrm@gmail.com
Mobile : 9986028339
Address:
401, Mahaveer Wilton, JP Nagar,
22 Main, 5th Phase, 560078

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