It's easy for organizations to be wanting to be customer-centric but the challenge is the need for a leader who can set the agenda, pursue the agenda relentlessly, be steadfast about the results, be ruthless about execution across various departments in the organization etc.. But, according to Jeffrey Phillips that's the area where there is a huge gap. Company boards need to find such leaders and there seems to be scarcity for such souls:
....there are few true leaders in most businesses, since it is impossible to pursue more than a handful of "visions" or strategies in any business without complete chaos. Most senior executives in businesses are "managers" - that is, they understand the vision and attempt to implement it to the best of their understanding. They don't create the vision, and in most cases don't fully back it or understand it, but are doing their best to implement the vision. In any context, in any organization, there can be a maximum of one leader in this regard, however, in most firms there aren't any real leaders. Most CEOs are pragmatists, guided by Wall Street and expected earning and returns. Some leaders, like Jack Welch for instance, became recognized because he had a vision and pleased the street. Some leaders, like Steve Jobs, have been recognized for their vision but have had up and down experiences - most likely because they could not communicate their vision effectively to a solid management team below them. In many other firms, however, it is difficult to identify who is responsible for creating a vision and encouraging people to follow his or her vision.
....The best place today to find true leaders in businesses is in smaller, private firms.