logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
33m 53s

182. CEO alpha: How to cultivate great l...

McKinsey & Company
About this episode

For any company, having a CEO who makes effective, strategic decisions can help teams go far. CEOs who excel at this have what McKinsey senior partner Sacha Ghai calls “CEO alpha.” In today’s episode, Sacha speaks with Brian Vickery, a partner in our Boston office who hosts our Deal Volume podcast which is focused on private capital. During today’s discussion, they’ll cover a range of topics, including the implications of CEO Alpha for chief executives who are leading private equity portfolio companies, the different mandates these CEOs face, the steps they can take to create alpha, and how they are navigating an increasingly volatile economic and geopolitical environment.  


Related reading:

The CEO alpha: The advantages of exceptional leadership

CEO alpha: A new approach to generating private equity outperformance

CEO Excellence collection

Related listening:

Deal Volume on Apple Podcasts

Join our LinkedIn community of more than 91,000 members and follow us on X at @McKStrategy

Explore our collection of Inside the Strategy Room episode transcripts on McKinsey.com. 

 

Discover our latest insights and join more than 90,000 influential professionals who are part of our LinkedIn community.: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/

See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Up next
Today
259. “You’re not a line manager anymore”: A conversation with AXIS President and CEO Vince Tizzio
Vince Tizzio is President and CEO of AXIS, a specialty insurance and reinsurance company that delivers customized solutions to organizations worldwide. Since taking on the role in May 2023, Vince has led AXIS on an ambitious transformation journey. In this episode, he speaks with ... Show More
32m 9s
Jul 4
258. Andy Mattes on the challenges of driving M&A as CEO
Mergers and acquisitions are among the more complex processes new CEOs have to learn, whether they’re in the role for the first time or taking over at a new company. Andreas “Andy” W. Mattes has navigated this multiple times in his roles as CEO of Siemens Communications, Diebold, ... Show More
33m 48s
Jun 25
257. The new and timeless truths of valuation
Measuring value creation is critical, as company leaders grapple with geopolitical shifts, digital disruption, and other trends affecting their businesses. Two co-authors of the new edition of Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies join Sean today to discuss wha ... Show More
49m 58s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Gen AI talent: Your next flight risk
Active users of generative AI are high value and in demand—and in many cases, poised to quit. New research reveals how to attract them, keep them engaged, and motivate them to stay put. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey talent leaders Aaron De Smet and Brooke Wedd ... Show More
28m 53s
Apr 2024
CEO priorities: Where to focus as the year unfolds
Over the past several years, CEOs have faced mounting uncertainty—and 2024 is proving no exception. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Homayoun Hatami, McKinsey’s managing partner for client capabilities, and Liz Hilton Segel, McKinsey’s chief client officer, speak with glo ... Show More
24m 38s
Mar 2024
Analyzing the CEO–CMO relationship and its effect on growth
CEOs acknowledge the expertise and importance of chief marketing officers and their role in helping the company grow, yet there’s still a strategic disconnect in the C-suite. CEOs and chief marketing officers (CMOs) must work together closely for any marketing plan to flourish. O ... Show More
19m 3s
Apr 2023
Six CEO priorities for 2023
Over the past few years, CEOs have found themselves repeatedly recalibrating in the wake of shock after shock. As 2023 shapes up to be another year of uncertainty, stable ground may continue to seem elusive. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Homayoun Hatami, senior partner ... Show More
26m 10s
Oct 2023
The Secrets of The Highest Paid CEOs in the World… | Ep 77
"It's much more useful to focus on traits rather than what you do because it's much more about who you are, not what you do." Today, Leila (@LeilaHormozi) discusses the successful traits of a CEO and emphasizes the importance of character over skills. She draws examples from icon ... Show More
42m 58s
Mar 2022
How to Evaluate Company Leadership
You probably can’t meet with the CEO of a company on your watch list, but you have some tools to evaluate them. Motley Fool Senior Analyst John Rotonti talks with fellow analysts Auri Hughes and Alyce Lomax about how to spot great business leaders. We also break into our archives ... Show More
24m 8s
Nov 2023
Ownership to CEO | Ep 635
“Ownership. Is the goal, not CEOship”. Today, Alex (@AlexHormozi) highlights the importance of structuring a business for potential sale, even without immediate plans. He explores the distinction between being a CEO and an owner, the benefits of transitioning from CEO to owner, a ... Show More
9m 47s
Jul 2022
Learning and earning: the bold moves that change careers
Corporate attrition persists, but one way to lure employees back is to develop their knowledge, attributes, experiences—in short, their human capital. But how? What’s best for the employee? Is it worth leaders’ time? Two authors of McKinsey’s report, “Human capital at work: The v ... Show More
37m 14s
May 2024
How Executives Can Turn CEO Concerns Into Opportunity
As CEOs work to meet the dual challenges of growing the business while responding to evolving markets, they are calling on the executive leaders underneath them for support and innovation. In a keynote originally delivered at Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo, Distinguished VP A ... Show More
30m 34s
Jun 2023
Alibaba announces new leadership
Alibaba Group (BABA) Announces Chairman and CEO Succession Plan (00:25). Biden sees progress in U.S.-China ties after Blinken meets Xi Jinping (00:53). New York Stock Exchange President sees Cava (CAVA) debut ending drought of IPOs (01:40). Our links: Wall Street Breakfast: Seeki ... Show More
5m 45s