A CEO For All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra, and Kurt Strovink

BATB score: 8/10 👏

Best as: you don’t just get an offer to be CEO, you set “CEO” as your life’s goal and work backwards 24 years of career planning and progression to get there

Best for: CEO career climbers only - “Many CEOs secretly agree that the best job in the world is actually the one right below the CEO.”

Best to: a true playbook on how to get to be CEO, how to be CEO, and how to leave as CEO - lead with the question of “why?” to drive focus, and “why not?” to encourage boldness

BATB lingering thought: why we work

- Oneself: development, rewards, freedom

- Fellow Employees: belonging, caring, fairness

- Company: industry leadership, best practices, winning

- Customer: providing a superior service or product

- Societal Impact: making the world a better place

Best quotes: “As with many high-achievers in other fields, those in business who achieve the most tend to be those who are the best at getting better.”

“You will become a prisoner of other people’s judgement in your desire of proving self-worth. You will climb blinded and feel an immense failure if not summiting. Or if successful - go home, celebrate your triumph and fame, and, when the lights eventually are turned toward someone else, end up empty.”

“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.”

“We can think we’re bigger than life, but we’re not. One day we’re not going to be around and it’s important to be grounded in what you want it to say on your gravestone - the legacy you’ll leave beyond what you did for your company.”