01/20/2022

Why Every Association Professional Doesn't Aspire to Be a CEO

Team members can often contribute more and be seen

Becoming an association CEO is considered the pinnacle, the fulcrum of professional achievement. And many view “up” as optimal, while “down” is seen as failure. But let’s face it, there are more people who aren’t chief executives than there are associations because typically there is room for only one person at the top.

In a 2014 interview with The Washington Post, Richard Hytner, former CEO of the global advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi, recalled the moment he said, “I just never want to be a chief executive ever again. It’s horrendous,” out loud in an office hallway. After the HR director admonished him for saying that in public, Hytner realized: “There is still an embedded assumption that if you choose to be a No. 2, there’s something wrong with you. You lack ambition. You’ve lost your talent… you’ve given up.”

But what if you’re an association professional who doesn’t aspire to be a CEO?

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.