Appointing a CEO Today: What Boards Really Expect

By Mehdi El Idrissi, Senior Partner – Alides | ECI Group

In a world dominated by instability, fragmented stakeholders, and rising human tensions, the question of CEO succession has once again become a profoundly political and deeply strategic decision.

It is no longer merely about selecting a competent executive. It is about bringing forward a leadership presence capable of defining a clear and credible direction, driving rigorous execution, and embodying respected authority in an organisation under pressure.

As many companies approach major inflection points — shifts in market cycles, digital transformations, external growth, or capital openings — boards are being called to reinvent the way they think about the CEO: the role, the profile, and above all, the process for their appointment.

What Boards (Really) Expect of a CEO in 2025

Strategic Clarity

Amid complexity, the ability to maintain a clear, mobilising, and consistent course is decisive. CEOs can no longer rely on abstract ambition — they must translate vision into operational priorities that hold over time, even under instability.

Top Team Alignment

Board attention is shifting from the “hero CEO” to the “orchestra conductor CEO.” What is valued now is less personal brilliance and more the ability to build, develop, and mobilise a high-impact leadership team. Inspired by the Talent to Value framework, this requires rethinking how critical talent is positioned and held accountable in the roles that truly drive value.

Political AcumenThe modern CEO must navigate the organisation’s silent frictions: implicit trade-offs, tensions between reporting lines, conflicts of priority, and internal influence games. This balancing skill is now considered as critical as sector expertise or P&L mastery.

Why Successions Fail — and How to Avoid It

Despite heightened awareness, many boards fail to anticipate or manage critical CEO transitions. Three recurring mistakes stand out:

1. Denying the Timeline — Waiting for a crisis to trigger succession planning is already to lose control. A credible process takes 12 to 24 months to build.

2. Lack of Alternative Scenarios — Too many nomination committees proceed without a Plan B. The illusion of stability can mask an inability to imagine other leadership models or organisational designs.

3. Neglecting Cultural Fit — A CEO may have all the “on-paper” qualities yet fail to mobilise if they misread tacit codes, old loyalties, or collective taboos. These are the fault lines where transitions derail.

By contrast, successful successions are treated as full-scale organisational projects, integrating:

• A clear-eyed diagnosis of the current power dynamics.

• A stakeholder and influence mapping.

• A rigorous selection and preparation process (internal potential vs. external profiles).

• A clear transition governance model that reassures all parties.

How the CEO Role Has Evolved Since 2020

From Invulnerability to Constructive Vulnerability

The most credible leaders today are those who acknowledge uncertainty, listen actively, and are willing to adjust their positions. Feigned invulnerability is no longer perceived as strength.

From Vertical Authority to Transversal Legitimacy

The CEO is no longer only at the top of an org chart but at the centre of an ecosystem: shareholders, partners, employees, civil society. The ability to embody an ethical, balanced stance is now decisive.

From Fixed Plans to Iterative Strategy

In a rapidly shifting environment, the ability to re-evaluate assumptions, adjust priorities, and update roadmaps has become a differentiating capability.

Appointing a CEO Is an Act of Organisational Architecture

It shapes strategic coherence, human dynamics, governance legitimacy, and the capacity to deliver under uncertainty.

The most exacting boards know this process cannot be improvised — nor outsourced without discernment. It demands a partner capable of reading political undercurrents, assessing the “intangibles” of leadership, and managing a transition across all its dimensions: strategic, human, and symbolic.

At Alides, it is in this tension between strategic rigour and human insight that our role is most fully exercised.

Summer Strategic Series

1. Editorial – Setting the tone for a season of decisive leadership moves, where strategic clarity and timing become a competitive advantage.

2. Restructuring with Impact – A structured roadmap to align leadership architecture with strategy during the summer pause.

3. The False Move of False Change – How to distinguish optics from substance and avoid political, cultural, or human missteps in reorganizations.

4. Appointing a CEO Today – The new leadership standards boards now demand: clarity of vision, team alignment, and political acumen.

5. Silent Transformation – Real-world examples of coherent execution, delivered without ostentation — yet with authority.

6. Reading to Decide Differently – A curated selection for leaders engaged in strategic reflection.

About Alides

Alides is Morocco’s exclusive member of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), delivering discreet, high-calibre executive search Morocco, leadership assessment, and succession planning across Africa and the Middle East. As part of the global ECI Group network, we partner with boards, CEOs, and investors to secure transformative leadership for growth, digital reinvention, and cross-border expansion.

Every engagement is guided by the highest ethical standards and a singular objective: to ensure leadership becomes your most enduring competitive advantage.Learn more at www.alides.org.