Before Steve Jobs returned, Apple operated on a consensus model where steering committees required multiple documents and agreement from all disciplines. This approach, intended to avoid a 'tyrannical' leader, resulted in slow, bureaucratic processes and 'middle of the road' products lacking genius.

To avoid repeating its prior chaotic CEO succession, Disney orchestrated a highly public and well-managed 'bake-off' between internal candidates. This telegraphed process, overseen by an external chairman famed for succession planning, stabilized the company and provides a model for other large corporations.

To avoid repeating the Bob Chapek succession "fiasco," Disney's board deliberately structured the process to retain the runner-up. By creating a new President and Chief Creative Officer role, they ensured the finalist had a strong partner and prevented a disruptive executive exit.

Drawing from his experience partnering with Apple, Solomon cautions that most large-scale partnerships fail. For a partnership to succeed, it must have 'compelling glue'—meaning deeply aligned incentives, a shared purpose, and a governance structure that can overcome the natural friction between two different organizations.

Corporate politics stems from misaligned incentives that encourage lobbying for self-interest. A CEO can dismantle this by explicitly rewarding collaboration, even if the outcome is imperfect. Valuing how a decision impacts team motivation over simply having the 'right' answer fosters a company-first culture.

Autodesk's history shows two models for fostering innovation. One CEO, Carol Bartz, succeeded by creating a single, well-supported "rebel" team. Her successor, Carl Bass, let "a thousand flowers bloom," creating hundreds of groups that stressed the company's ability to execute and lacked focus. The former proved more effective.

CEOs are often exceptional at building relationships, which can co-opt a board of directors. Directors become friends, lose objectivity, and avoid tough conversations about performance or succession, ultimately failing in their governance duties because they "just want them to win."

The sudden return of long-time CEO Jay Adair, ousting his hand-picked successor after just four years, suggests significant internal dissatisfaction with the company's direction. This move, unprecedented in Copart's history, was interpreted by the market as an admission of underlying problems requiring a course correction.

While the Adobe CEO is staying until a replacement is found, announcing the search without a successor is unusual. This is likely a strategic move by the board. Facing disappointing results, they are publicly signaling a change is underway to get ahead of potential pressure from activist investors like Elliott Management.