Resuming the Climb – CEO Leadership in a post COVID World.

Some of us are not the right lead­ers for this moment.

It is now clear that Sil­i­con Val­ley’s ven­ture-backed com­pa­nies are fac­ing a new post-COVID world, one where rev­enue growth and inno­va­tion are in real jeop­ardy. Most of these com­pa­nies are head­ed by Founder/​CEOs. Investors, clients, and employ­ees alike are all look­ing to the Founder/​CEO for new direc­tion and oper­at­ing discipline.

Today I am hear­ing from ven­ture firm Man­ag­ing Part­ners to dis­cuss the option of bring­ing in expe­ri­enced pro­fes­sion­als to take on the CEO role in sup­port of Founders and their teams. It may be the best way to ensure that their port­fo­lio com­pa­nies are pro­tect­ed and on-mis­sion. There are excep­tion­al CEOs out there with suc­cess­ful track records run­ning young com­pa­nies who can be brought in: CEOs with wis­dom, prag­mat­ic expe­ri­ence and men­tal toughness.

If you are a ven­ture investor, it’s time to ask the tough questions: 

• Is this a com­pa­ny I still sup­port and will con­tin­ue to invest in? 
• If yes, do I have the right CEO for the lead­er­ship chal­lenges in a post-COVID world?