5位因正当理由辞职的CEO

    掌控一家大公司可不容易，要能长时间加班加点、承受高压、还有业绩目标随时如芒在背，没有几个人生来具备这些素质。在竭尽全力让公司赢利的同时，还要不断面对董事们的种种要求、不满的客户和生气的员工。

    显然，老板并不总是那么好当的。

    今年以来，我们已看到各公司内斗和层出不穷的出格行为，让好些首席执行官要么辞职走人，要么被扫地出门。有媒体报道称，在一场因公司创始人应获得多大控制权而引发的争斗之后，全球最大的眼镜商罗萨奥蒂卡集团（Luxottica Group）上周将上任还不到两个月的第二任首席执行官请出了公司。

    美国服饰公司（American Apparel）创始人多夫•查尼一向目中无人，行为多有不端。6月份，查尼再爆丑闻，该公司终于和他彻底决裂。在传出一起家暴丑闻后，在线广告平台RadiumOne公司也裁掉了它的首席执行官。体育场食品供应商Centerplate公司的首席执行官也下台了，原因是一段曝光的视频显示，他在电梯里猛踢一只小狗。最后，在听说自己即将在翌日被裁的消息后，太平洋投资管理公司（Pimco）创始人、“债券之王”比尔•格罗斯干脆跳到了自家的对手Janus公司。

    不过，首席执行官离职也并不都是小报爆料的题材。很多掌门人都是优雅去职的，并没有把身后的公司当成一栋被遗忘的单身公寓。比如彭尼百货公司(J.C. Penney)近期就任命马文•埃里森为候补首席执行官，等迈克•乌尔曼2015年8月退休后就可上任。就连甲骨文公司（Oracle）创始人拉里•埃里森也决定退居二线，正式将首席执行官的职责让渡给萨夫拉•卡茨和马克•赫德。

    当前，在首席执行官的薪酬涨个没完的情况下，能在工作和生活间找到平衡似乎更显诱人。此时来看看那些离职后既没留下烂摊子，也没有丑闻或甚至是法律纠纷的领导者就格外让人神清气爽了。

    以下就是五位深谙领导之道的首席执行官，哪怕这意味着公司没有他们照样可以蒸蒸日上。

    Not many people are built for the long hours, high stress, target-on-your-back reality that comes with running a large company. You’re constantly subject to the demands of the board of directors, upset customers, and annoyed employees, all while attempting to steer a company to profitability.

    Of course, it doesn’t always go swimmingly.

    This year, we’ve seen a rash of infighting and outrageous behavior that has led to a number of CEOs to quit or be shown the door. Luxottica Group, the largest eyewear maker in the world, shuffled out their second CEO in less than two months last week, following a struggle over how much control should be given to the founder of the company, according to reports.

    American Apparel APP 0.00% finally cut ties with its brash founder DovCharney in June in the wake of one among many claims of misconduct. Online advertising platform RadiumOne fired its CEO following a domestic abuse scandal. Stadium food vendor Centerplate’s CEO stepped down after video showed him kicking a dog in an elevator. Finally, “Bond King” Bill Gross left Pimco, the company he founded, to join competitor Janus in the midst of reports that he was to be fired the next day.

    Then again, CEO departures aren’t all tabloid-fodder. Many leaders step down gracefully, without treating the organization like a forgotten bachelor pad. Look at J.C. Penney JCP -0.65% , which recently named Marvin Ellison as CEO-in-waiting until Mike Ullman retires in August 2015. Or even Oracle ORCL 1.46% , whose founder Larry Ellison decided to step aside and officially yield chief executive duties to SafraCatz and Mark Hurd.

    In a time when work-life balance seems ever-more enticing while CEO pay knows no bounds, it’s refreshing to find examples of leaders stepping down without poor results, scandal, or even legal issues following in their wake.

    Here are five CEOs who knew how to lead, even if it meant realizing that the company would be a better place without them.