TY - JOUR T1 - The Entrepreneurial CEO as “Coach/Player” JF - The Journal of Private Equity SP - 35 LP - 41 DO - 10.3905/jpe.2006.635427 VL - 9 IS - 3 AU - Vance H. Fried AU - Garry D. Bruton AU - David Kern Y1 - 2006/05/31 UR - https://pm-research.com/content/9/3/35.abstract N2 - 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 ER -