Qualifications needed to be HP's next CEO

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HP's plank wants to go rear to the drawing plank to discover a substitute for Mark Hurd, management self-governing say.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

The world's main skill corporation by income and the outfit so as to birthed Silicon Valley has extremely suddenly and unexpectedly put out a figurative "help wanted" sign.

After parting habits by means of CEO Mark Hurd on Friday in excess of inaccurate expense reports and list (that contain person's name as,because person's name established out of court) of sexual harassment as of a former ,advertising contractor, Hewlett-Packard is by now on the hunt for an important person to plug his shoes.

The choice was appalling to Wall Street and the tech industry, and has in use a number of flack. Hurd's success at the corporation in his five-year tenure is well-documented, but it wasn't sufficient to get his plank to overlook his comprise of the corporation principles of commerce conduct policy.

As a result, the plank of directors has the unenviable task of judgment a appropriate substitute to soothe investors, inspire employees, and ring up similar to customers. The job description, normal to plank associate Marc Andreessen: "Someone by means of extremely physically powerful leadership capabilities, together outstanding strategic and operational skills. Willing to think interior and outside candidates."

We've by now hazarded educated guesses as to the top contenders for the position, but it's helpful to believe concerning the perfect character in a candidate HP be hypothetical to be considering.

So come again? be hypothetical to contain seem for? Here are the suggestions of populace whose know-how is in management and HP for the search procedure and identifying the correct man or lady for the job.

Don't aim a boy scout/girl scout
An simple temptation following behind a leader in excess of an ethical break is to discover an important person who's the opposite--someone perceived as additional than reproach morally. Of course, that's on the whole come again? HP consideration it was receiving in Hurd at what time contain raised him to chairman following Patricia Dunn stepped downward in the center of the pretexting scandal of 2006.

Upstanding executives are forever a high-quality thing, but HP shouldn't aim an important person merely since they're recognized as "a boy scout or girl scout," supposed Dave Logan, professor at the USC Marshall School of Business. "The difficulty is contain don't desire to end up by means of a Jimmy Carter. No disrespect to the former president, but contain don't an important person by means of high-quality morals but who's ineffective."

Do by means of due diligence
On the additional hand, HP's executive search group be hypothetical to too not overlook the expert situations the candidates contain are considering are pending from. "It's not sufficient in my brain for the new CEO to contain a immaculate reputation. It's significant so as to not any of the decide by means of construct they've person's name affiliated has had scandals in the past," supposed Jo-Ellen Pozner, assistant professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

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"Unfortunately, I contain complete extensive investigate on executive career outcomes following scandals and following language to boards and headhunters, contain frequently don't do so as to kind of due diligence. They seem at someone's CV and don't get the after that step. It's significant so as to the being contain decide doesn't contain any skeletons in completely closet, but too discover an important person who orator how to run the corporation and do it well."

Get a personality
Sure, charismatic Carly Fiorina didn't go in excess of so healthy at HP. But so as to doesn't denote present isn't space for a CEO of HP whose temperament and character lie anywhere recognized by Hurd and Fiorina. Plus, HP isn't the similar corporation it was a decade ago either, and it might be occasion to try petroleum again--especially at what time they're preparation to compete additional directly after that to Apple and its cult-hero CEO Steve Jobs by means of smartphones and WebOS.

"Obviously contain desire an important person who can create certain the operations wait on track," Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds said. "But there's space for a small bit of flair, a small bit of Steve Jobs in the person. Not too much, but present is the chance to transport in an important person by means of additional of a community character to drive attention in the company," he said.

Find an important person unafraid to innovate
Hurd was a numbers guy, an "operational nerd," as author Anthony Bianco put it recently. That can translate to successful, construct Hurd was but too boring. Why not get the possibility to get an important person in the CEO's put of work who has visionary qualities? Someone who orator come again? HP's clientele want.

Hurd quick the corporation to the peak of the skill world, eager more supposed a few decide similar to EDS, 3Com, and Palm and addition ,telling to its stock-market value.

The after that CEO might get so as to success and shove HP to still better heights if he or she now to get bigger to new punitive of business. Both customer crop and cloud armed forces are a number of belongings HP has person's name charitable at, but contain might be moving faster, argues Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds.

"Both decide and customers desire to see all linked together...adding worth to completely generation and business," he said. "HP theater in all persons places but there's an chance to construct a a great deal better tale approximately it."

Move quickly
Andreessen is one of the plank talk to the majority important the search for Hurd's replacement, and he supposed correct absent on the primary name by means of reporters and investment analysts so as to HP's search group was by now in place.

"We are leaving to go,shift as quick as likely but we're leaving to create certain we get the correct CEO for the company," he said.

Obviously contain be hypothetical to decide wisely, but occasion is, as contain say, of the essence. Interim CEO Cathie Lesjak supposed nothing determination alter concerning its strategy. But there's motionless a number of lingering confusion, UBS analyst Maynard Um supposed in a investigate note to investors. HP's management "didn't talk to consequences contain now charitable for a CEO to carry out on HP's obtainable strategy or if present was possible for a dissimilar way for HP beneath new leadership," he wrote.

And so as to uncertainty can be debilitating for employees and potentially the being armed eager on Hurd's shoes.

HP strength consider so as to its 300,000-plus employees be acquainted with completely marching orders and shouldn't miss a beat, but that's overly optimistic, supposed Logan.

The primary reaction at what time behind a leader suddenly can be panic and questioning, he said. "If contain misplace any momentum at all, still for 30 or 60 existence for HP that's a substance of existence and death."

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.