Somebody help me, please. I need either therapy or a definitional explanation, or both.
Why do I get roused every time I see a small business with the man or woman at the top titled “chairman”? Isn’t the term used for publically held companies where there is stock, a full sized board of directors and divisions, etc. rather than small, privately held LLCs and sole proprietor entities?
And the same goes for the title of ‘chief executive officer’. Doesn’t this imply a person is Chief among a cadre of sector VPs, regional officers and other managers who can commit an organization?
This may be peevish on my part, but I don’t care for titles that inflate one’s size or importance. And I’m thinking there are many titles out there that attempt to do so.
Can anyone help me with this?
Become a fan on 
Link with 
View photos on 
Comments
111022 1924 UTC
Hi,
Since this blog does not timestamp posts, it is hard to know how long your question has been there, but ...
If people inflate titles, they are doing themselves a disservice.
As a small business owner, I call myself a "Partner" since that is the literal truth.
In business, and particularly consulting, absolute honesty is fundamental to the client relationship.
It also implies that I have a serious interest in the success of the engagement. My next job, and those of my partners, relies, not only on the success of what I deliver, but also on the way this engagement impacts my personal reputation and that of our company.
Calling your self President and CEO, or whatever, starts with a lie.
Why start a race 20 feet behind the rest of the competitors?
David -- great point! Thank you for validating my thinking.
Dan C.