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①When Liam McGee departed as
president of Bank of America in August, his explanation was surprisingly
straight up. ②Rather than
cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was
leaving “to pursue my goal of running a company.” ③Broadcasting his ambition was “very much my
decision,” McGee says. ④Within two
weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial
Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on September 29.
①McGee says leaving without a position
lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. ②It also sent a clear message to the outside
world about his aspirations. ③And
McGee isn’t alone. ④In recent weeks
the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that
they were looking for a CEO post. ⑤As
boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder pressure,
executives who don’t get the nod also may wish to move on. ⑥A turbulent business environment also has
senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud their
reputations.
①As the first signs of recovery
begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without
a net. ②In the third quarter, CEO turnover
was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had,
according to Liberum Research. ③As
the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders.
①The decision to quit a senior
position to look for a better one is unconventional. ②For years executives and headhunters have
adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who
must be poached. ③Says Korn/Ferry
senior partner Dennis Carey:“I can’t think of a single search I’ve done where a
board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first.”
①Those who jumped without a job
haven’t always landed in top positions quickly. ②Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a
decade age, saying she wanted to be a CEO. ③It was a year before she became head of a
tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. ④Robert Willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with
ambitions to be a CEO. ⑤He finally took
that post at a major financial institution three years later.
①Many recruiters say the old
disgrace is fading for top performers. ②The
financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a
bad one. ③“The traditional rule was it’s
safer to stay where you are, but that’s been fundamentally inverted,” says one
headhunter. ④“The people who’ve been hurt the
worst are those who’ve stayed too long.”
26. When
McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being .
[A]arrogant
[B]frank
[C]self-centered
[D]impulsive
27.
According to Paragraph 2, senior executives’ quitting may be spurred by .
[A]their
expectation of better financial status
[B]their
need to reflect on their private life
[C]their
strained relations with the boards
[D]their
pursuit of new career goals
28. The
word “poached” (Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means .
[A]approved
of
[B]attended
to
[C]hunted
for
[D]guarded
against
29. It
can be inferred from the last paragraph that .
[A]top
performers used to cling to their posts
[B]loyalty
of top performers is getting out-dated
[C]top
performers care more about reputations
[D]it’s
safer to stick to the traditional rules
30. Which
of the following is the best title for the text?
[A]CEOs:
Where to Go?
[B]CEOs:
All the Way Up?
[C]Top
Managers Jump without a Net
[D]The
Only Way Out for Top Performers
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