C-Suite by Certificate?
Ashwin Khorana
Bogey Golfer | Advisor - Banking, Digital & FinTech | Reflecting on what worked, staying sharp for what’s next | Believe in enjoying life’s simple pleasures instead of being caught in constant transformation and crisis
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From “earned it” to “learned it” the rise of the express elevator to CXO roles
When I took on leadership roles back in the day, the only “executive education” I got was a brutal Monday review meeting followed by a reality check from a tough boss and a crashing server. No playbooks. No fancy dashboards. Just long hours, hard knocks, and the quiet (or not-so-quiet) fear that if you didn’t deliver, you’d be shown the door.
It was brutal. It was real. It was also, oddly enough, effective.
Today, though, things look different. Management institutes including venerable names like IIMs and ISB have taken to advertising CXO programs like sneakers during IPL. “Chief Business Officer in 6 months,” “Future CTO by IIM So-and-So,” “ISB Strategic CFO Program : Enrol Now!” The only thing missing is a “Buy 1, Get 1 COO Free” deal.
The Rise of Certification Signaling
Now, don’t get me wrong. Learning is always good. Structured education is better than aimless floundering (which some of us did in our early years). But what’s interesting and slightly worrying is the trend where titlesare being pursued before tenure.
It’s almost become a script:
Step 1: Try two jobs in two years. Step 2: Realize you haven’t found your “true calling.” Step 3: Sign up for a CXO program.Step 4: Add “Future CPO | CXO Aspirant | Strategy Enthusiast” to LinkedIn bio.Step 5: Wait for HR to notice.
For Gen X, the badge came after the battle. For Gen Z, the badge seems to be the ticket into the battle.
What These Programs Get Right
Let’s pause the sarcasm for a minute. These executive programs do have genuine value:
They offer frameworks and structured thinking.
They expose learners to cross-industry best practices.
They create peer groups and alumni networks that can last a lifetime.
They help mid-career professionals formalise what they’ve already been doing instinctively.
In fact, I’d argue they’re great for someone with 10–12 years of experience, who’s seen the terrain and now wants to sharpen their edge.
But are they meant for someone still unsure about the difference between a COO and a CDO? Or someone who’s yet to manage a real team, real risk, or real revenue?
Leadership by Learning vs. Leadership by Living
Dr. Devi Shetty, at IIMBue, said something beautifully simple “Yoga is a great healer, but you have to practice it.”
Leadership is a bit like that. You can learn the poses. But unless you fall, stretch, and hold your ground in discomfort, it’s just choreography.
True leadership is forged in:
Managing chaos with a calm face.
Making decisions with incomplete information.
Being the bad guy in a meeting for the right reasons.
Owning failures when everyone’s looking to blame the vendor.
You can’t simulate that in a weekend workshop.
Experience: Still the Best Teacher (and Often the Toughest)
Let me give you a personal example. I remember in my mid-career, I was leading to handle a core banking centralization project with a 48-hour blackout window. No backup plan, no second chance. We pulled all-nighters, dealt with bugs live, and survived on adrenalin and filter coffee. That project taught me more about tech, risk, people, and decision-making than any classroom ever could.
No fancy title. No certificate. Just scars and stories.
And that’s the bit Gen Z sometimes misses — the learning is in the doing, not just the documenting.
The Risk of Over-Certification, Under-Readiness
When every second person is a certified “Future CXO,” it dilutes the meaning of the title. It sets up unrealistic expectations for both the candidate and the hiring manager. More dangerously, it might push people into roles they’re not ready for and it sets them up to fail and the organisation to suffer.
Leadership isn’t about ticking a checkbox. It’s about carrying a weight of people, revenue, crisis, reputations. If that weight feels too light in a simulation, it probably is.
So What’s the Better Approach?
Simple. Learn, yes. But live the learning.
Take the course, but also take ownership.
Build your credibility through results, not just resumés.
And most importantly don’t mistake the certificate for the crown.
To the IIMs, ISBs, and others: keep the programs coming they do add value.
To the Gen Z professionals enrolling: make sure you’re applying the knowledge, not just acquiring it.
To the hiring managers: look beyond the certificate. Ask, what have they done when the going got tough?
Don't forget to get seasoned
The C-suite isn’t a destination, it’s a responsibility. A role where every decision impacts real lives of customers, teams, shareholders. No course can fully prepare you for that. Only experience can.
So yes, get certified. But don’t forget to get seasoned. Because someday soon, a crisis will walk through your office door and it won’t care which institute printed your certificate
What do you think?
Have you taken a CXO program recently? Are you hiring someone who just completed one? Has it helped? Or did reality hit differently?
Let’s talk. I promise not to ask for your certificate
CFO: Ninjacart, Co-Founder: C-Life
3wBrilliantly articulated Ashwin. A friend of mine shared a joke recently 'experience feels expensive until you find out inexperience costs you more'. In my own domain the best learning on importance of cash management has been during cash strapped situations, no class room can prepare you for that. Also experience teaches you one great value over time 'sometimes the best action is 'no action' - very valuable but you will not be able to appreciate this through a case study. However one thing I have learnt is not to underestimate the power of a faster learning curve; especially with the new generation. They tend to surround themselves with mentors and peer groups who have been in situations to get the right perspective before making decisions. While no substitute to actual hands on experience, i believe it's a step ahead of class room learning. Still fact remains it's is difficult to precisely simulate real world experience in class rooms and support group conversations.
CIO | CTO | Data, AI & Enterprise Transformation | Digital Strategy, Cloud Adoption & Automation across Media, Hospitality, BFSI & Realty | Product | Technology | ex-Accenture, SCB, The Hindu, Mahindra | Fractional
3wAshwin Khorana I too had the same view.... too many ads popping up. In fact, one ad I saw had a price tag for becoming a Dr.! 😄
Enterprise Architecture | Digital Transformation | Cloud Infrastructure | IT Governance
3wBrilliantly observed, Ashwin Khorana. Loved this not only for the tone of this write-up, but as much for the relevance in today's times. When crisis hits, it doesn’t check for credentials. It tests character. No weekend workshop, online module, or certification course can replace leadership shaped in the fire. Frameworks are useful, but without missed deadlines, midnight escalations, and tough calls when key team members walk out, they remain just that: frameworks. As someone who’s spent years architecting platforms, building world-class delivery teams, mentoring minds, and pulling all-nighters to get over the line, I can vouch for this truth: without the stretch, and in your own words, "it’s just choreography". Leadership isn’t a pose. It’s a posture held through discomfort. It’s not about the badge, it’s about the bruises. So yes, learn. But live the learning. Take the course, but also take the hits. And when the moment comes, let your scars speak louder than your certificates.