What the best CEOs know

Lessons from 7 Outstanding Leaders

 A Book Review 12/12.  Enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4.biz

Book’s author, Jeffrey Krames, isolates & examines the specific skills & styles that contributed to each CEO’s documented achievements. In short, he explains what made them great. Jeff devotes a full chapter to each CEO and offers his rigorous analysis of each leader and the defining strategy within the context of their respective organizations. This is indeed “added value” for the reader. The reader learns not only the What, but also the How & Why of their principles.

 In addition to interviews and his own expert analyses, the author also includes contributions from leading business theorists, including Peter Drucker (Management) and Philip Kotler (Marketing), to provide different perspectives on each given business issue.

Here’s another interesting feature. Interactive case studies & exercises are added to actively engage the reader’s mind. For example, a brief scenario “puts the reader in the seat of each CEO.” A series of business situations are also offered which enable his readers “to test their business acumen against that of each of the 7 CEOs.” Assessing Your CEO Quotient self-tests will help the reader apply these traits and strategies to his/her own career.

Here are the respective defining strategies of each CEO:

Michael Dell created a customer-driven force by placing the customer in charge of what they wanted – to satisfy their needs.

Jack Welch created an authentic learning organization aligning “rewards with results” to make GE an organization that harnesses the ideas and intellect of every employee.

Lou Gerstner taught IBM to focus on solutions by starting with a customer’s business problem, working back to the right combination of technologies & expertise.

Andy Grove fostered an “awareness” in his troops to sense threats and turn them into Intel’s competitive advantage.

Bill Gates trusted the “instincts” of his employees, successfully trans-forming Microsoft into a leading Web driver and innovator.

Herb Kelleher created an exceptional performance-driven culture at Southwest Airlines- which continues to grow as it maintains a small-company attitude.

Sam Walton continually learned from his competitors while remaining faithful to his vision of Walmart.

All 7 of these exceptional leaders have much in common: an evangelical leadership zeal; an understanding of the critical role of culture; a passion to create next-generation products, processes, or solutions; a determination to implement the best ideas, regardless of their origin; and a commitment to increase & thereby advance, the leadership body of knowledge.

Comments: Do you know any CEOs that have good principles? Could you share them?