Executive Leadership at the Holiday Table

Thankgiving meals tend to be rather chaotic, democratic affairs. But how different might the holiday feast be if it gained the vision and leadership that would (ideally) come with the oversight of a chief executive?

The New York Times talks to several leadership experts about what a CEO-run Thanksgiving meal might look like. A key goal, as articulated by Stewart Friedman, a management professor at the Wharton School, would be to start with “a compelling image of an achievable Thanksgiving.” (I guess you could count on plenty of delicious corporate-speak to accompany the sweet potatoes.)

I wonder what a Thanksgiving run by a CFO or a CMO might look like? Or how about a Thanksgiving run by an office manager, a lawyer, or an administrative assistant? Software engineer?

A holiday meal helmed by a journalist might mean plenty of recipe reading beforehand, several phone calls with Thanksgiving experts, time spent observing other family's holiday meals, and then considerable cooking procrastination. No matter--the meal would definitely get done by deadline.