Kenneth Chenault
Kenneth Chenault
Kenneth Irvine Chenaultis an American business executive. He has been the CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001. He is the third black CEO of a Fortune 500 company...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth2 June 1951
CountryUnited States of America
plans possibly public
My plans were to practice law and then possibly go into public service.
conscious time
I say this all the time: Everyone can make a conscious choice to be a leader.
attracted believed prepare school
I was attracted to law school because I believed it would help me prepare for a career in the real world.
businesses owned people small support
If people support independently owned small businesses in their community, they can make a difference.
business companies focused model pursue
Companies will need to pursue a more diversified business model, but I think those companies that have what I call a focused diversified business model will be more successful.
engage face job message principle understand washington
My message to Washington is very simple. Face reality. Be leaders. Demonstrate accountability. Engage in principle compromise. And understand your job is to find solutions.
ask compromise consistency difficult felt issues people
For me, integrity is the consistency of words and actions. Part of the way that you do that is to ask people questions on some of the most difficult issues that you confront. 'Take me through where you felt you had to compromise your values.'
regular
Regular feedback is one of the hardest things to drive through an organization.
businesses half private
Small businesses create half of the jobs in the private sector.
believe leadership strongly
At the end the day because I believe so strongly in leadership, what I look for first, what I try to assess, is integrity.
develop formal
You've got to develop relationships. You can't do things just in a formal context.
follow people
Many people don't focus enough on execution. If you make a commitment to get something done, you need to follow through on that commitment.
case context lessons
For me, one of the lessons from 9/11 is that you have to give the organization context for how you're acting, and you've got to communicate constantly, in this case particularly with all the changes that were occurring in the financial marketplace and in the economy.
banks choice free light number plan possible resume
In light of this decision, we plan to resume our conversations with a number of banks -- now free to make a choice -- about possible card-issuing ventures,