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CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest
CEO EXCELLENCE, by McKinsey senior partners Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller and Vikram Malhotra is a unique and timely business book which will draw on 25 years of research and interviews with top leaders of some of the world's most respected companies. The resulting book will demonstrate that while the role of CEO is unique within every organisation, it is surprisingly similar across companies even in disparate industries. Furthermore, the best CEOs approach their role with distinct mindsets and practices.
This book is about truly world class leadership, showing how the best CEOs think, adapt and approach challenges (never more relevant than in this extraordinary time). It will show why a brilliant CEO can have such an immense impact, and demonstrate how to model yourself and your performance on the very best - so that your turn to lead comes sooner, and is more successful.
This book is about truly world class leadership, showing how the best CEOs think, adapt and approach challenges (never more relevant than in this extraordinary time). It will show why a brilliant CEO can have such an immense impact, and demonstrate how to model yourself and your performance on the very best - so that your turn to lead comes sooner, and is more successful.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
April 12, 2022
I am still in process of reading it, but in every chapter I get the same thought in my mind - why the original sources of the business models (or very similar ones) that they are talking about are not being mentioned. A few examples, in the first chapter the key elements are very close to Blue Ocean Strategy ideas. S curve model that they describe in the second chapter is linked to Charles Handy's concepts on using Sigmoid curve.
Overall it is a collection of well known business best practices wrapped in CEO stories. If they had broader references and more extensive bibliography it would be a great summary source for further study.
Overall it is a collection of well known business best practices wrapped in CEO stories. If they had broader references and more extensive bibliography it would be a great summary source for further study.
May 22, 2022
Excellent overview of leadership in business. The 'Good to Great' of leadership.
Set the direction
Align the organisation
Mobilise through leaders
Engage the board
Connect with stakeholders
Manage personal effectiveness.
I think without the 6th one, the others aren't truly possible.
Set the direction
Align the organisation
Mobilise through leaders
Engage the board
Connect with stakeholders
Manage personal effectiveness.
I think without the 6th one, the others aren't truly possible.
March 28, 2022
Great book.
November 10, 2022
I have always been interested in what is the actual job that the CEO does, and this book explains is great.
More specifically, it elaborates on 6 areas:
1) Setting the direction
2) Aligning the organization
3) Mobilizing leaders
4) Stakeholder management
5) Board management
6) Personal effectiveness management
Each of these is expanded into 3 different sub-topics and each of these into 4 additional sub-topics. This gives a total of 6*3*4 = 76 chapters on what the best CEOs do and how they do it.
Overall very nice read.
More specifically, it elaborates on 6 areas:
1) Setting the direction
2) Aligning the organization
3) Mobilizing leaders
4) Stakeholder management
5) Board management
6) Personal effectiveness management
Each of these is expanded into 3 different sub-topics and each of these into 4 additional sub-topics. This gives a total of 6*3*4 = 76 chapters on what the best CEOs do and how they do it.
Overall very nice read.
April 27, 2022
I really liked "CEO Excellence" by Carolyn Dewar. It can be thought of as a mini-MBA course, as its value extends beyond the C-suite and contains valuable lessons for everyone in corporate America. Dewar, and her writing partners, sought to create a book which details the difference between okay-CEO's, and those that are truly great.
Dewar strikes a good balance between statistics and stories. Dewar weaves together the data (did CEO's have measurable impact on EBITDA) with the stories (CEO's who take on the role of servant leader, and what that looks like). There are many first-hand accounts from America's corporate leaders on how they have handled crises, how they handled challenging boards of directors, how they handle external stakeholders, and the like. One interesting result of their analysis is that there are many, many ways to be a great CEO. Although there are some broad themes in performance, great CEO's tend to chart their own way, with little that is formulaic. This book is certainly an insightful look into what life is like at the top of the corporate ladder. Very interesting, and I would recommend this to all MBA students.
Dewar strikes a good balance between statistics and stories. Dewar weaves together the data (did CEO's have measurable impact on EBITDA) with the stories (CEO's who take on the role of servant leader, and what that looks like). There are many first-hand accounts from America's corporate leaders on how they have handled crises, how they handled challenging boards of directors, how they handle external stakeholders, and the like. One interesting result of their analysis is that there are many, many ways to be a great CEO. Although there are some broad themes in performance, great CEO's tend to chart their own way, with little that is formulaic. This book is certainly an insightful look into what life is like at the top of the corporate ladder. Very interesting, and I would recommend this to all MBA students.
April 5, 2022
A well researched book with rigor applied in choosing the leading CEO's for review, discussion, and interviews. The authors do a great job of boiling down what I am sure was a mountain of data to an easily readable format that is informative for leaders everywhere not just in the top spot of organizations. Worth the time investment to read and digest.
March 9, 2024
Good practical advice which is applicable to leadership roles
March 15, 2023
Brilliant book. Detailed. Well researched. Fluidly written. Easy to understand and follow. Should be a handbook for Shyo e who wants to improve and be a better executive. Loved it.
May 13, 2023
Erityisesti pidin ensimmäisestä kolmanneksesta. Paljon hyviä selkeitä esimerkkejä valinnanteosta, rohkeudesta, walk the talk -esimerkkejä ja organisoitumisesta, nopeudesta, rutiineista ja muutamia hyviä jippoja, miten katsoa nykytoimintaa ulkopuolelta. Kaikkiaan paljon hyviä, toteuttamiskelpoisia ohjenuoria. Ehkä itselleni vähiten resonoi tiimin tärkeyden ymmärtäminen, sillä sitä viestiä tulee ihan joka suunnalta, ja on kumma, jos ei ole tämä viesti tullut perinpohjaisesti läpi. Ja aniharvoin enää tapaa ammattijohtajia, jotka puhuu omasta erinomaisuudestaan tai ”minä” -kieltä.
BTW, otsikointi oli todella hyvä. Sieltä voi poimia rusinat pullasta.
BTW, otsikointi oli todella hyvä. Sieltä voi poimia rusinat pullasta.
June 25, 2024
The book is good, but a bit longer than it should be. I think shrinking the content and removing cliches would be beneficial. Some things are too obvious to even be mentioned.
June 20, 2024
CEO Takeaways
I liked the narration about the achievements. I recommend the book to all CEO aspirants especially all business leaders. There are many takeaways which could be implemented in every organisation.
I liked the narration about the achievements. I recommend the book to all CEO aspirants especially all business leaders. There are many takeaways which could be implemented in every organisation.
June 18, 2024
I loved the scientific backing of recommendations offered by Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra. They studied top CEOs from a variety of fields and assembled a concrete and timeless set of skills that will help guide CEOs towards success.
June 17, 2024
This book was very interesting to start. It uses real life examples of great CEOs, but got a little and repetitive.
August 16, 2023
Really well done. Extensive research, great storytelling, easy to follow themes. So insightful and inspiring. Highly recommend.
March 13, 2024
Had some decent takeaways for any business leader or person but certainly felt written specifically for large corporation CEOs.
March 27, 2024
A great summary of the key behaviours that separate great CEOs from their peers, with tangible examples of how these have been put into practice.
April 22, 2024
Sort of a DIY MBA course.
August 21, 2022
6 mindsets
1. Set the direction - Be bold
A. Vision practice: reframe the game
(1) Find and amplify intersections
(2) Make it shout more than money
(3) Look back to look forward
(4) Involve a broad group of leaders
B. Strategy practice: make bit moves early and often
(1) Be an exceptional futurist
(2) Keep an eye on the downsides
(3) Act like an owner
(4) Regularly apply “heart paddles”
C. Resource allocation practice: act like an outsider
(1) Start with a zero base
(2) Solve for the whole
(3) Manage by milestones
(4) Kill as much as you create
2. Align the Organization - treat the soft stuff as the hard stuff
A. Culture practice: find the one thing
(1) Reshape the work environment
(2) Make it personal
(3) Make it meaningful
(4) Measure what matters
B. Organization design practice: solve for “stagility”
(1) Stop the pendulum swing
(2) Emphasise accountability
(3) Think helix, not matrix
(4) Make “smart” choices
C.Talent management practice: (don’t) put people first
(1) Clearly define high value roles
(2) Don’t forget the “left tackles”
(3) Find unusual suspects
(4) Actively build the bench
3. Mobilise through leaders - solve for the team’s psychology
A. Team composition practice: create an ecosystem
(1) Staff for aptitude and attitude
(2) Act fast but fair
(3) Stay connected while keeping distance
(4) Build a coalition beyond the team
B. Team work practice: make the team the star
(1) Do work only the team can do
(2) Define “first team” norms
(3) Combine data, dialogue, and speed
(4) Invest in team building
C. Operating rhythm practice: get into a groove
(1) Set the template and tempo
(2) Connect the dots
(3) Conduct the orchestra
(4) Demand disciplined execution
4. Engage the board - Help directors to help the business
A. Board relationship practice: build a foundation of trust
(1) Choose radical transparency
(2) Strengthen the CEO/board chair relationship
(3) Reach out to individual directors
(4) Expose the board to management
B. Board capabilities practice: tap the wisdom of elders
(1) Delineate the roles
(2) Specify the desired profile
(3) Educate the group
(4) Encourage renewal
C. Board meeting practice: focus on the future
(1) Start with a private session
(2) Make the agenda forward-looking
(3) Walk in board members shoes
(4) Let the board run itself
5. Connect the stakeholders - start with why
A. Social purpose practice: impact the big picture
(1) Clarify your societal why
(2) Embed purpose into the core
(3) Use strengths to make a difference
(4) Make a stand when warranted
B. Stakeholder interaction practice: get to the essence
(1) Contain time spent “Outside”
(2) Understand their “why”
(3) Harvest new ideas
(4) Maintain a single narrative
C. Moment of Truth practice: stay elevated
(1) Stress-test the company regularly
(2) Create a command Center
(3) Maintain a long-term perspective
(4) Show personal resilience
6. Manage personal effectiveness - do only what you can do
A. Time and energy practice: manage a series of sprints
(1) Keep a “tight but loose” schedule
(2) Care enough to compartmentalise
(3) Infuse energy into your routine
(4) Tailor your support to you
B. Leadership model practice: live your to-be list
(1) Show consistency of character
(2) Adapt to what the company needs
(3) Seek to continuously grow
(4) Always give hope
C. Perspective practice: stay humble
(1) Don’t make it about you
(2) Embrace servant leadership
(3) Create a diverse “kitchen cabinet”
(4) Feel gratitude
1. Set the direction - Be bold
A. Vision practice: reframe the game
(1) Find and amplify intersections
(2) Make it shout more than money
(3) Look back to look forward
(4) Involve a broad group of leaders
B. Strategy practice: make bit moves early and often
(1) Be an exceptional futurist
(2) Keep an eye on the downsides
(3) Act like an owner
(4) Regularly apply “heart paddles”
C. Resource allocation practice: act like an outsider
(1) Start with a zero base
(2) Solve for the whole
(3) Manage by milestones
(4) Kill as much as you create
2. Align the Organization - treat the soft stuff as the hard stuff
A. Culture practice: find the one thing
(1) Reshape the work environment
(2) Make it personal
(3) Make it meaningful
(4) Measure what matters
B. Organization design practice: solve for “stagility”
(1) Stop the pendulum swing
(2) Emphasise accountability
(3) Think helix, not matrix
(4) Make “smart” choices
C.Talent management practice: (don’t) put people first
(1) Clearly define high value roles
(2) Don’t forget the “left tackles”
(3) Find unusual suspects
(4) Actively build the bench
3. Mobilise through leaders - solve for the team’s psychology
A. Team composition practice: create an ecosystem
(1) Staff for aptitude and attitude
(2) Act fast but fair
(3) Stay connected while keeping distance
(4) Build a coalition beyond the team
B. Team work practice: make the team the star
(1) Do work only the team can do
(2) Define “first team” norms
(3) Combine data, dialogue, and speed
(4) Invest in team building
C. Operating rhythm practice: get into a groove
(1) Set the template and tempo
(2) Connect the dots
(3) Conduct the orchestra
(4) Demand disciplined execution
4. Engage the board - Help directors to help the business
A. Board relationship practice: build a foundation of trust
(1) Choose radical transparency
(2) Strengthen the CEO/board chair relationship
(3) Reach out to individual directors
(4) Expose the board to management
B. Board capabilities practice: tap the wisdom of elders
(1) Delineate the roles
(2) Specify the desired profile
(3) Educate the group
(4) Encourage renewal
C. Board meeting practice: focus on the future
(1) Start with a private session
(2) Make the agenda forward-looking
(3) Walk in board members shoes
(4) Let the board run itself
5. Connect the stakeholders - start with why
A. Social purpose practice: impact the big picture
(1) Clarify your societal why
(2) Embed purpose into the core
(3) Use strengths to make a difference
(4) Make a stand when warranted
B. Stakeholder interaction practice: get to the essence
(1) Contain time spent “Outside”
(2) Understand their “why”
(3) Harvest new ideas
(4) Maintain a single narrative
C. Moment of Truth practice: stay elevated
(1) Stress-test the company regularly
(2) Create a command Center
(3) Maintain a long-term perspective
(4) Show personal resilience
6. Manage personal effectiveness - do only what you can do
A. Time and energy practice: manage a series of sprints
(1) Keep a “tight but loose” schedule
(2) Care enough to compartmentalise
(3) Infuse energy into your routine
(4) Tailor your support to you
B. Leadership model practice: live your to-be list
(1) Show consistency of character
(2) Adapt to what the company needs
(3) Seek to continuously grow
(4) Always give hope
C. Perspective practice: stay humble
(1) Don’t make it about you
(2) Embrace servant leadership
(3) Create a diverse “kitchen cabinet”
(4) Feel gratitude
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2022
This book was featured in BREED (Book Review, Entrepreneur Excellence & Dialogue) - a business book community that regularly reviews business books every Wednesday evening - number 96. So there have been 96 books reviewed by the BREED community.
As a Reviewer, I have mastered this book because I really read it in full and studied the accompanying Appendix plus my profession as a Strategy & Change Management Consultant. This means that I have a positive bias besides that I also started from the very beginning the activity of dissecting this business book.
As a fan of McKinsey's work, especially the graphic presentation method that has been my role model for decades, I can give positive recommendations to this book. Even though I say there are shortcomings, I still think this book is worthy of being recommended for executives and entrepreneurs, especially in my country, Indonesia.
It turned out that last Wednesday night's session went beyond just discussing feathers but also discussed broad and deep leadership style, as well as the business context.
First, in terms of the book itself, I still give high recommendations to young professionals and entrepreneurs to read it because this book is not only thick (373 pages) but can also be a reference to guide their careers and the effectiveness of entrepreneurs. Each mindset mentioned in this book is accompanied by practical guidelines for implementation along with important points regarding the steps that need to be taken. I believe, as a professional, that you will succeed in your career if you follow in your footsteps. You don't need to be a C level to apply each of the 6 mindsets, just take one or several that you think are most important right now and practice. This is more important than just understanding all the mindsets but none of them being implemented. Make progress on what you have been practicing. I'm sure the results will be positive.
Second, I am really disappointed in the 6 Mindsets, which are not new and we have often understood each of them from previous management thinkers from the time of Peter Drucker, Igor Ansoff, Ted Levitt, Richard Rumelt or others. Very disappointed because there is nothing really new like before when “Good to Great” went viral, almost every nose talked about it because of the conceptual framework it carried. CEO Excellence is unlikely to go viral because there is nothing unique. The good news is, it turns out that the mindset needed for a CEO from decade to decade has not changed, it's just that the business context is different with the acceleration of technology and innovation. That means, okay....let's just go through what McKinsey says in this book because we're used to knowing it.
Third, I am also disappointed that this book does not emphasise seeing business end-to-end by emphasising the ecosystem. All chapters in it are internally oriented even though today's business and in the future will be oriented to collaboration between businesses. Read this, https://hbr.org/2019/09/in-the-ecosys...
Gatot Widayanto
An active member of BREED
As a Reviewer, I have mastered this book because I really read it in full and studied the accompanying Appendix plus my profession as a Strategy & Change Management Consultant. This means that I have a positive bias besides that I also started from the very beginning the activity of dissecting this business book.
As a fan of McKinsey's work, especially the graphic presentation method that has been my role model for decades, I can give positive recommendations to this book. Even though I say there are shortcomings, I still think this book is worthy of being recommended for executives and entrepreneurs, especially in my country, Indonesia.
It turned out that last Wednesday night's session went beyond just discussing feathers but also discussed broad and deep leadership style, as well as the business context.
First, in terms of the book itself, I still give high recommendations to young professionals and entrepreneurs to read it because this book is not only thick (373 pages) but can also be a reference to guide their careers and the effectiveness of entrepreneurs. Each mindset mentioned in this book is accompanied by practical guidelines for implementation along with important points regarding the steps that need to be taken. I believe, as a professional, that you will succeed in your career if you follow in your footsteps. You don't need to be a C level to apply each of the 6 mindsets, just take one or several that you think are most important right now and practice. This is more important than just understanding all the mindsets but none of them being implemented. Make progress on what you have been practicing. I'm sure the results will be positive.
Second, I am really disappointed in the 6 Mindsets, which are not new and we have often understood each of them from previous management thinkers from the time of Peter Drucker, Igor Ansoff, Ted Levitt, Richard Rumelt or others. Very disappointed because there is nothing really new like before when “Good to Great” went viral, almost every nose talked about it because of the conceptual framework it carried. CEO Excellence is unlikely to go viral because there is nothing unique. The good news is, it turns out that the mindset needed for a CEO from decade to decade has not changed, it's just that the business context is different with the acceleration of technology and innovation. That means, okay....let's just go through what McKinsey says in this book because we're used to knowing it.
Third, I am also disappointed that this book does not emphasise seeing business end-to-end by emphasising the ecosystem. All chapters in it are internally oriented even though today's business and in the future will be oriented to collaboration between businesses. Read this, https://hbr.org/2019/09/in-the-ecosys...
Gatot Widayanto
An active member of BREED
February 10, 2024
"CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest" by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra delves into the insights gained from in-depth interviews with 67 top-performing CEOs.
The book identifies six key responsibilities crucial for 21st-century CEOs:
• Setting the direction for their company
• Aligning the organization
• Mobilizing through employees
• Engaging the board
• Connecting with stakeholders
• Managing personal effectiveness
The CEOs emphasize the importance of being an exceptional futurist, thinking like an outsider, defining the "First Team" norms, handling crises effectively, building a supportive kitchen cabinet, and maintaining humility throughout their leadership journey. The book highlights the significance of making bold moves, defining a clear organizational purpose, spending time with key leaders, and having a disciplined approach to decision-making.
The book is a comprehensive guide for aspiring and current CEOs; it offers actionable advice on strategic thinking, talent management, and crisis response. And maintaining a balanced leadership approach.
Five Highlights:
Exceptional Futurist Mindset:
Successful CEOs stress the importance of having a clear perspective on future trends, including technological shifts, changing customer preferences, and emerging threats. This foresight allows them to make strategic bets before these trends become mainstream, emphasizing the need to act boldly and take calculated risks.
Defining the "One Thing":
CEOs are advised to identify their organization's "one thing" by commissioning cross-functional teams to conduct deep diagnostics. Satya Nadella's approach at Microsoft involves gathering input from various stakeholders and forming a "culture cabinet" to distill key themes that define the company's purpose.
Prioritizing Talent Development:
The best CEOs spend significant time coaching and developing talent in critical roles. They engage in one-on-one sessions, town hall meetings, and regular reviews to identify and nurture high-potential individuals within the organization. This focus on talent development is considered crucial for sustained success.
Effective Crisis Management:
When facing a crisis, top-performing CEOs immediately activate a cross-functional "command center" team empowered to address primary and secondary threats. This team operates with agility, high funding, and decision-making authority to tackle challenges efficiently, preventing organizational dysfunction during critical situations.
Maintaining Humility:
Despite their productivity and success, great CEOs proactively maintain a humble perspective. They recognize the transient nature of their tenure and focus on being servant leaders. Humility is not seen as a checkbox but as an ongoing commitment to surrendering to the organization's greater good.
The book identifies six key responsibilities crucial for 21st-century CEOs:
• Setting the direction for their company
• Aligning the organization
• Mobilizing through employees
• Engaging the board
• Connecting with stakeholders
• Managing personal effectiveness
The CEOs emphasize the importance of being an exceptional futurist, thinking like an outsider, defining the "First Team" norms, handling crises effectively, building a supportive kitchen cabinet, and maintaining humility throughout their leadership journey. The book highlights the significance of making bold moves, defining a clear organizational purpose, spending time with key leaders, and having a disciplined approach to decision-making.
The book is a comprehensive guide for aspiring and current CEOs; it offers actionable advice on strategic thinking, talent management, and crisis response. And maintaining a balanced leadership approach.
Five Highlights:
Exceptional Futurist Mindset:
Successful CEOs stress the importance of having a clear perspective on future trends, including technological shifts, changing customer preferences, and emerging threats. This foresight allows them to make strategic bets before these trends become mainstream, emphasizing the need to act boldly and take calculated risks.
Defining the "One Thing":
CEOs are advised to identify their organization's "one thing" by commissioning cross-functional teams to conduct deep diagnostics. Satya Nadella's approach at Microsoft involves gathering input from various stakeholders and forming a "culture cabinet" to distill key themes that define the company's purpose.
Prioritizing Talent Development:
The best CEOs spend significant time coaching and developing talent in critical roles. They engage in one-on-one sessions, town hall meetings, and regular reviews to identify and nurture high-potential individuals within the organization. This focus on talent development is considered crucial for sustained success.
Effective Crisis Management:
When facing a crisis, top-performing CEOs immediately activate a cross-functional "command center" team empowered to address primary and secondary threats. This team operates with agility, high funding, and decision-making authority to tackle challenges efficiently, preventing organizational dysfunction during critical situations.
Maintaining Humility:
Despite their productivity and success, great CEOs proactively maintain a humble perspective. They recognize the transient nature of their tenure and focus on being servant leaders. Humility is not seen as a checkbox but as an ongoing commitment to surrendering to the organization's greater good.
June 8, 2022
6 Mindsets of the Best CEOs
Mindset #1 — DIRECTION-SETTING — Be bold. Great CEOs embrace uncertainty, and realize fortune favors the bold. They actively try and shape their organization's future by applying boldness to their vision, strategy, and resource allocation.
Mindset #2 — ALIGNMENT — Treat the soft stuff as hard. The best CEOs treat the soft stuff — people and culture — as the hard stuff. They know the soft stuff is hard to get right, and take radically different approaches when dealing with people.
Mindset #3 — MOBILIZE — Solve for the team's psychology. Great CEOs form and lead an effective management team. They focus less on what the team does together and more on how the team works together. They obsess over the psychology of their team.
Mindset #4 — ENGAGE — Help directors help the business. The best CEOs are proactive in helping build a board with the right skills, and then using the board to help run the business. They make it easy for directors to add value to the business.
Mindset #5 — CONNECTION — Start with "Why?". Great CEOs connect with all their stakeholders. They do this by asking "Why are we relevant to our stakeholders?" Excellent CEOs dig deep to understand the motivations. hopes and fears of stakeholders.
Mindset #6 — EFFECTIVENESS — Do what only you can. The best CEOs excel at prioritizing, and doing only what they can do. They prioritize the most critical issues, focus on what they need to do, and delegate any remaining tasks.
Mindset #1 — DIRECTION-SETTING — Be bold. Great CEOs embrace uncertainty, and realize fortune favors the bold. They actively try and shape their organization's future by applying boldness to their vision, strategy, and resource allocation.
Mindset #2 — ALIGNMENT — Treat the soft stuff as hard. The best CEOs treat the soft stuff — people and culture — as the hard stuff. They know the soft stuff is hard to get right, and take radically different approaches when dealing with people.
Mindset #3 — MOBILIZE — Solve for the team's psychology. Great CEOs form and lead an effective management team. They focus less on what the team does together and more on how the team works together. They obsess over the psychology of their team.
Mindset #4 — ENGAGE — Help directors help the business. The best CEOs are proactive in helping build a board with the right skills, and then using the board to help run the business. They make it easy for directors to add value to the business.
Mindset #5 — CONNECTION — Start with "Why?". Great CEOs connect with all their stakeholders. They do this by asking "Why are we relevant to our stakeholders?" Excellent CEOs dig deep to understand the motivations. hopes and fears of stakeholders.
Mindset #6 — EFFECTIVENESS — Do what only you can. The best CEOs excel at prioritizing, and doing only what they can do. They prioritize the most critical issues, focus on what they need to do, and delegate any remaining tasks.
November 13, 2023
CEO Excellence was an ambitious undertaking to distill the highly-dynamic role of the CEO into six principles. The authors did a great job synthesizing an immense amount of research and perspectives into a light and condensed narrative. The content reflected an organization typical of a cohort of consultants, yielding a format easy to follow and digest. The variety of perspectives brought to the book from an extensive series of interviews corroborated the analysis and reinforced the strategies that make the good into the great. While most of the information isn’t applicable to anyone besides CEOs, the book is worth reading for the tidbits of leadership lessons that can be extrapolated to much wider array of roles and responsibilities.
The book was held back by a bit of an ego surrounding its presentation. The authors push the material as one-of-a-kind and never-been-done-before, when in reality, most of the information isn’t at all groundbreaking. The leadership accounts also tend to feel overdone and superfluous. The entire premise of the analysis rests on an amalgam of these interviews, yet the quotes are mostly fleeting and parochial. After reading through a repetitive structure of these firsthand accounts, readers get the feeling that the CEOs are prevaricating and offering generic insight into their strategies for leadership. A better structure might have honed into much fewer CEOs in greater depth in order to dig deeper into the demands of the role.
The book was held back by a bit of an ego surrounding its presentation. The authors push the material as one-of-a-kind and never-been-done-before, when in reality, most of the information isn’t at all groundbreaking. The leadership accounts also tend to feel overdone and superfluous. The entire premise of the analysis rests on an amalgam of these interviews, yet the quotes are mostly fleeting and parochial. After reading through a repetitive structure of these firsthand accounts, readers get the feeling that the CEOs are prevaricating and offering generic insight into their strategies for leadership. A better structure might have honed into much fewer CEOs in greater depth in order to dig deeper into the demands of the role.
January 20, 2024
Despite dripping with overconfidence that I imagine only executive consultants could impart to a book, there was quite a bit of interesting and useful information here. The book is extremely formulaic in its writing and layout, which on one hand made it quite easy to follow and pick out the useful bits of information, but on the other made it a grind to get through at times. In service of this structure, it felt like the authors were reaching a bit to provided quantitative evidence for their various claims, which did not exactly land with the credulity they expected. I did like the primary reference materials, particularly the direct quotes from various CEOs. They really packed in quite a bit of anecdotal evidence for their claims, which resonated quite a bit more. One thing that would have made these points even more credible would have been if they interviewed / profiled other high-level non-CEO executives to fact check these CEOs' own self-reflections. Overall, while the content of this book is geared towards professional corporate CEOs (and not founder-CEOs at that) of public companies, there's a lot of good food for thought for entrepreneurs at various sized companies. The book managed to avoid the classic CEO-as-heroes tropes and profiled a seemingly diverse group. The structure makes it easy to go back and reference certain strategies, so it will likely be a book I'll be going to back to for some advice.
September 30, 2023
4.5* This is basically the Good-to-Great version for CEOs. Loved the depth of content and clear structure. Basically, there are 6 key responsibilities for outstanding CEOs, each with a matching mindset and a set of practices (for 3 core areas per mindset).
The missing 0.5 stars has to do with the lack of "wow" with the actual insights. Although this mirrors Good to Great, somehow the insights in G2G (or even "Great by Choice" or "How the Mighty Fall" for that matter) felt more impactful and memorable. It has been less than 1 month since I finished this book, but already I find the points fading from my mind (vs Good to Great stuck with me for years and years, and influenced my business thinking in profound ways).
Broadly, the 6 key responsibilities and mindsets are (paraphrased):
1. Set the direction => Be bold
2. Align people => Prioritize the “soft stuff”
3. Mobilize teams => Tap into human psychology
4. Engage the board => Help the board to create value
5. Connect with stakeholders => Focus on long-term purpose
6. Enhance personal efficacy => Prioritize CEO-exclusive tasks
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
The missing 0.5 stars has to do with the lack of "wow" with the actual insights. Although this mirrors Good to Great, somehow the insights in G2G (or even "Great by Choice" or "How the Mighty Fall" for that matter) felt more impactful and memorable. It has been less than 1 month since I finished this book, but already I find the points fading from my mind (vs Good to Great stuck with me for years and years, and influenced my business thinking in profound ways).
Broadly, the 6 key responsibilities and mindsets are (paraphrased):
1. Set the direction => Be bold
2. Align people => Prioritize the “soft stuff”
3. Mobilize teams => Tap into human psychology
4. Engage the board => Help the board to create value
5. Connect with stakeholders => Focus on long-term purpose
6. Enhance personal efficacy => Prioritize CEO-exclusive tasks
Book summary at: https://readingraphics.com/book-summa...
October 8, 2022
This book reads like McKinsey’s sales pitch to CEOs of large organizations. The firm flexes its incomparably broad access to the world’s leading companies and their top execs, and interweaves the success stories and CEO quotes when making each argument. While skillful synthesis, the constant change of reference industries / businesses felt jarring, if not sketchy. IMO, most of the content isn’t too helpful to small business owners, except for the last chapter on personal effectiveness. But, I did learn a surprising quote from my favorite philosopher:
“To fix prices, adjust values, invent equivalents, to exchange things–all of this has to such an extent preoccupied the first and earliest thoughts of humankind, that it may be said to constitute thinking itself.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
“To fix prices, adjust values, invent equivalents, to exchange things–all of this has to such an extent preoccupied the first and earliest thoughts of humankind, that it may be said to constitute thinking itself.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
April 10, 2022
2.5 stars for this. While I am not, and really never plan on being a CEO, the book did offer plenty of leadership and management tips in general. There are large parts of the book that focus specifically on the CEO role as it relates to the board of directors and shareholders, but I just skipped over those chapters as I did not think I would get anything out of those chapters. Like I said, don't be scared away from the book if you are not or never intending to be a CEO, the people management tips, and time management tips are pretty good and the commentary from some of the top CEOs in the country really made the book seem useful. However, if I were a CEO, I wouldn't get much out of the book and if I wasn't a CEO, which I'm not, many parts were simply not practical for my purposes.
January 5, 2023
Tenía unos cuantos años que no leía material de negocios y esta fue una lectura muy bien recibida. Exquisitamente estructurado, este libro abarca las perspectivas comunes en aquellos grandes directores generales de cara a 6 temas importantes (Visión, Formación de Consejo, diferenciar los temas “duros y suaves”), hay libros completos para cada uno de estos temas, el valor agregado acá está en la fortaleza del resumen y en la coherencia que se obtiene al tocar todo esto con un único hilo conector: la consolidación de parte de los consultores de McKinsey.
Es una lectura que apunta a la más alta posición de grandes empresas globales; sin embargo, no deja de considerar, e invitar, al ejecutivo de otras instituciones de menor dimensión.
Los puntos aquí presentados, como todo en administración, no son verdades absolutas, incluso, en algunos casos, pueden ser la receta para un gran desastre. Pero, sin dudas, esta guía, en momentos de indecisión, presenta alternativas valiosas y visiones ya bastante sopesadas.
Esta es mi segunda lectura proveniente de McKinsey, y la verdad que en ambas he sido edificado.
4 / 5
Es una lectura que apunta a la más alta posición de grandes empresas globales; sin embargo, no deja de considerar, e invitar, al ejecutivo de otras instituciones de menor dimensión.
Los puntos aquí presentados, como todo en administración, no son verdades absolutas, incluso, en algunos casos, pueden ser la receta para un gran desastre. Pero, sin dudas, esta guía, en momentos de indecisión, presenta alternativas valiosas y visiones ya bastante sopesadas.
Esta es mi segunda lectura proveniente de McKinsey, y la verdad que en ambas he sido edificado.
4 / 5
January 4, 2023
This book provides best practices for succeeding as a CEO, and used interviews with top CEOs as the source material. Topics include setting a vision, organizational design, team composition and teamwork, relationship with the board, stakeholder engagement, and personal effectiveness. One of the most interesting takeaways for me was that there simply is no one way to do the job right. Every CEO had to adapt to the situation their company faced in order to be the leader the company needed (and this factors into who is chosen for the job and how long they stay!). Overall really fascinating insight into a job that sounds like it can be lonely but incredibly rewarding.
February 21, 2023
1. The identification of various sections for the topic itself was useful.
2. Not a typical preaching book, however it becomes a little boring as we go on depth into sections.
3. Liked the Org design, resource planning, execution based challenges from CEO point of view and found managing investors as little boring.
Overall, I found this book useful to know what as CEOs others face challenges and how generally they handled it. Get more in one book - for me is good.
As the topic goes depth, lacks the same momentum and dilutes and becomes just like a typical english novel trying to fill the page.
2. Not a typical preaching book, however it becomes a little boring as we go on depth into sections.
3. Liked the Org design, resource planning, execution based challenges from CEO point of view and found managing investors as little boring.
Overall, I found this book useful to know what as CEOs others face challenges and how generally they handled it. Get more in one book - for me is good.
As the topic goes depth, lacks the same momentum and dilutes and becomes just like a typical english novel trying to fill the page.
October 16, 2023
I really liked the style of this book as each chapter identified 4 items which then drove the narrative; very consistent and sensible. In my work career I never worked for a huge company in which a CEO of this ilk was relevant, but I have always been interested in the position of CEO, most often thinking that they tend to be grossly overpaid. After reading this I have definitely softened on the pay issue as they have a massive responsibility and deserve to be compensated (within profitability means). I was also most intrigued with their unanimous chorus of the need for family time versus the 24/7 work week. Kudos to that
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