A Radical, Yet Surprisingly Logical Idea

Picture this: It’s Election Day at your company. Ballots in hand, employees from every corner of the organization line up to cast their votes—not for the latest office snack or Friday’s playlist, but for their next CEO. Sound like a scene from a corporate dystopian comedy? Perhaps. But hang on a minute…what if this idea actually had legs?

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School royalty and someone who’s probably written more books than most of us have read, suggests it might not be as wild as it sounds. In her recent article, she posits that giving employees a voice in picking their next fearless leader could transform corporate culture, create genuine buy-in, and maybe—just maybe—lead to better results. And I’m starting to think she might be onto something.

Let’s Face It: We’re All Already Voting…In Our Heads

Whether it’s through watercooler chatter, Slack threads, or the “What did the CEO say this time?” eye-roll, employees are constantly forming opinions about their leaders. Why not formalize it a bit? Instead of passive-aggressive emails or cryptic one-liners in exit interviews, let’s get direct.

Consider this: employees are on the frontlines every day. They’re dealing with customers, navigating the quirks of your software, and troubleshooting real-time problems. They see the product as it is, not as it’s pitched in a boardroom. If anyone’s got a sense of who should be at the helm, it’s the people actually sailing the ship.

The Case for Employee-Centered CEO Elections

Take a minute to imagine the perks of a CEO election. Wouldn’t it be nice to see candidates pitching their vision directly to employees? No more mysterious appointments based on who-knows-who from which Ivy League network. Instead, we’d get leaders who can win over the people they’re supposed to lead. I mean, if you’re choosing someone to run a company, wouldn’t you want them to be the type of person who can inspire the employees to actually, you know, work toward the vision?

Now, we’re not talking about every employee giving a TED Talk on corporate strategy before casting their vote. But if Sam Altman can get reinstated as CEO of OpenAI because employees rallied behind him, isn’t that a tiny hint that maybe—just maybe—employees have a clue?

But Wait, Wouldn’t This Be Utter Chaos?

I hear you. This could go spectacularly wrong, right? Picture a charismatic, meme-loving candidate who’s popular for reasons entirely unrelated to leadership skill. It’s like electing your favorite person to run karaoke night, but now they’re controlling budgets and strategies. Yikes.

But before you run off to prep the “No thanks!” emails, let’s remember that there are precedents. Cooperatives, like Crédit Agricole or Ocean Spray, already allow employees a say in who leads. And guess what? The sky hasn’t fallen.

In fact, when employees are part of the process, they tend to care just a bit more about the direction the company takes. You give someone a seat at the table, and suddenly they’re a lot more invested in making sure dinner goes smoothly. Same with business. That CEO who talked to the sales team before assuming office? They’ll probably have a better grasp of what’s going wrong (and right) on the ground.

The Takeaway: It’s About Voice, Not Votes

Sure, CEO elections across the corporate landscape may not be coming soon. But the broader point here is giving employees more of a voice. And I don’t mean the occasional town hall with awkward pauses where everyone’s afraid to ask a question. I’m talking about a real, structured process where employee insights are valued during leadership transitions.

If we open up these conversations, we might just get more transparency, stronger leadership, and, let’s be honest, fewer awkward moments where the new CEO is asking how to use the coffee machine.

After all, the people in the trenches know more than you think. Maybe it’s time we let them weigh in a bit more—whether or not there’s a ballot involved. Now, if only we could vote on having a second coffee machine too…

Have thoughts on whether employees should get a vote in the C-suite? Let me know in the comments!

Author

Don Noble, a Partner at the Florida CFO Group and the owner and founder of Accelebron, has an extensive background in financial leadership and advisory roles. Leveraging his wealth of experience, he collaborates with businesses to optimize their financial and technological strategies, fostering growth and resilience in a dynamic marketplace. Don is also a doctoral student studying CFO leadership at Liberty University. You can also visit Don’s LinkedIn Profile for more information.

Reference

Kanter, R. M. (2024, September 14). Would Companies Get Better CEOs if Employees Had a Vote? WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/business/c-suite/ceo-vote-companies-employees-2a34b3ca