Charismatic corporate leaders seem to regularly become global cultural icons. They capture the zeitgeist with edifying TED Talks, best-selling autobiographies and social media presences that rival those of rock stars.
For many executives, cultural celebrity is good branding and an inoculant to merciless P&Ls or disapproving boards of directors. A shrewd CEO can use Twitter to counter rumors on Wall Street or dodge a public relations nightmare.
