@article {Fried35, author = {Vance H. Fried and Garry D. Bruton and David Kern}, title = {The Entrepreneurial CEO as {\textquotedblleft}Coach/Player{\textquotedblright}}, volume = {9}, number = {3}, pages = {35--41}, year = {2006}, doi = {10.3905/jpe.2006.635427}, publisher = {Institutional Investor Journals Umbrella}, abstract = {What is the CEO{\textquoteright}s role in an entrepreneurial venture? Should it be that of a hands-on player/coach, or the corporate model of a Jack Welch? Either approach can be fatal. Drawing on the perspective of venture capitalists, this article solidly supports the theme of the entrepreneur/CEO as a coach/player{\textemdash}focusing on coaching activities while still being involved in some player roles. Three coaching roles are identified as critical to success in high-growth ventures: driving the strategic direction of the company, developing and motivating the organization, and managing the board of directors. Pitfalls of the {\textquotedblleft}player-first{\textquotedblright} and {\textquotedblleft}coach-only{\textquotedblright} traps are discussed.TOPICS: Private equity, manager selection, quantitative methods}, issn = {1096-5572}, URL = {https://jpe.pm-research.com/content/9/3/35}, eprint = {https://jpe.pm-research.com/content/9/3/35.full.pdf}, journal = {The Journal of Private Equity (Retired)} }