Charting the Course: Understanding the Unique and Vital Role of a CEO.

Watermen, who look astern while they row the boat ahead . . .

row hard after glory but with their face another way.

—Plutarch

Many CEOs of early-stage companies function as what I call Rowboat CEOs. They row hard while facing backward, and they don’t do a great job of looking over their shoulder at what’s ahead.

In some ways, the rowboat approach is necessa…