Being a successful business owner will likely require you to make changes.

However, this "golden boy" lasted less than two years in the top spot. His abrupt departure had a negative impact on the company, and the board decided to look outside for its next CEO. Everyone voiced the same question: What went wrong?

There is a big difference between being an employee, an executive or even a senior executive and being the person in charge--the person ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a business venture, Saporito explains. And there is virtually no way to prepare fully for taking on that responsibility.

Issues are more complex and difficult to grasp. Solutions require greater subtely, increased sophistication and greater involvement from others. The requirements for success are completely different than the requirements for success as an employee or underling, he says.
"New CEOs universally under-estimate the scope of the challenges. They try to respond with the actions that have worked for them in the past, but that generally does not work," Saporito says. "They must consider, instead, how to change the nature of their actions."