A list of likely candidates seems to appear within hours of a big CEO job opening, always produced with all the care of Capt. Louis Renault's list of usual suspects in Casablanca.
When Target's CEO position opened last week with the resignation of Gregg Steinhafel, the first flash of potential replacements included a former vice chairman of Target, the CEO of the Gap and the CEO of an enterprise called Tractor Supply Co.
A couple were retailing executives who made the list just by having grown up in Canada. Perhaps some analysts thought they would know how to get other Canadians to flock to Target's new north-of-the-border stores.
Target's board should ignore this list. If the search goes well, the next CEO of the Minneapolis-based company likely won't be anyone on it.
That's because the list is dominated by accomplished merchants, and Target doesn't need another one of those. It needs a gifted leader.
Retail experience isn't disqualifying, certainly, so long as the qualities of leadership are there.
As for those qualities of leadership, it isn't a short list. What's important to remember is that the very best leaders have many of them, none overshadowing the others. That's the framework of leadership that came from the 19th century Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz.
It may seem odd to consult the nearly 200-year-old thoughts of a German soldier on CEO selection. One reason Clausewitz's classic "On War" remains well-read today is his insistence that to be a top leader, a single outstanding talent or trait isn't nearly enough. It could even be dangerous. Leadership requires having a full complement of skills and traits, all working together.