C Suite Leadership

Executive coach outlines tactics for leading under hands-on founders

An executive coach who works with C-suite leaders at founder-run companies says many executives are hired with job descriptions promising authority over strategy or operations, only to find founders unwilling to relinquish control of those areas. The coach cites Bain research showing founder-led companies have delivered more than twice the shareholder returns of other companies over the past decade. Based on client experience, the coach outlines methods executives use to navigate this gap, including testing what founders will actually delegate and identifying the informal circle of advisers who influence founder decisions.

entrepreneur.com · 2026-11-06

Careerminds study finds confidence gap between executives and managers on leadership readiness

A Careerminds study released in August found that 98% of people managers and 97% of HR professionals believe managers are prepared to lead, but fewer than half of managers rate themselves as highly prepared for the specific challenges they face. The gap widens at senior levels, with 66% of C-suite executives calling managers very ready compared with just 42% of managers themselves.

entrepreneur.com · 2026-10-20