%0 Journal Article %A Vance H. Fried %A Garry D. Bruton %A David Kern %T The Entrepreneurial CEO as “Coach/Player” %D 2006 %R 10.3905/jpe.2006.635427 %J The Journal of Private Equity %P 35-41 %V 9 %N 3 %X What is the CEO'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—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 “player-first” and “coach-only” traps are discussed.TOPICS: Private equity, manager selection, quantitative methods %U https://jpe.pm-research.com/content/iijpriveq/9/3/35.full.pdf