What Ken Chenault has said about Leadership hiring and promotion
3 quotes · 1 episode · Nov 2, 2026
Ken Chenault, Former chairman and CEO of American Express, chairman of General Catalyst, author of the memoir Equal to the Task, has been quoted on Leadership hiring and promotion 3 times in 1 episode of The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk, most recently on November 2, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.
In their words
Chenault says he judges leaders on the quality of their followership, measured by whether they develop and attract the best people.
“what was the followership tree that's being created by the leader? Do they train and develop and attract the best people to work for them?”
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: 713: Ken Chenault - Leadership Lessons from 17 Years as American Express CEO: How to Earn the Top Job, Hire Great Leaders, Build Culture, Challenge the Status Quo, and Lead with Character (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 8:21
Chenault says trustworthiness is the core requirement for any leader he hires.
“there is a core requirement that that leader is someone who engenders trust. that people can trust the leader. Everything flows from that”
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: 713: Ken Chenault - Leadership Lessons from 17 Years as American Express CEO: How to Earn the Top Job, Hire Great Leaders, Build Culture, Challenge the Status Quo, and Lead with Character (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 9:12
Chenault argues enduring leadership requires courage, which he screens for by asking candidates when they went against the status quo.
“I think to be an enduring, effective leader, you need courage”
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk: 713: Ken Chenault - Leadership Lessons from 17 Years as American Express CEO: How to Earn the Top Job, Hire Great Leaders, Build Culture, Challenge the Status Quo, and Lead with Character (Nov 2, 2026) · Listen from 9:11
Episodes
713: Ken Chenault - Leadership Lessons from 17 Years as American Express CEO: How to Earn the Top Job, Hire Great Leaders, Build Culture, Challenge the Status Quo, and Lead with CharacterThe Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk · Nov 2, 2026 · 53 min
Former American Express CEO Ken Chenault tells Ryan Hawk about his father's lessons, hiring leaders, challenging the status quo, earning the CEO job, and race in business.
Ken Chenault on other topics
- CEO succession and career advancement · 2 quotes
- Organizational culture · 2 quotes
- Equal to the Task (memoir) · 1 quote
- Corporate operating principles · 1 quote
- Race and Black executives in American business · 1 quote
- Brown v. Board of Education · 1 quote
- American Express · 1 quote
- Bain & Company · 1 quote