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The Corner Office: Indispensable And Unexpected Lessons From CEOs On How To Lead And Succeed (2011)

by Adam Bryant(Favorite Author)

3.72 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0805093060 (ISBN13: 9780805093063)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Times Books

review 1: This book is great for what it's supposed to be. (The blurb is one you can trust, which is refreshing. The title is accurate too!) The content is generated from interviews with CEOs, whether directly quoted or summarized. The author didn't intrude at all. There was nothing gimmicky or hyperbolic or condescending.The book begins with interesting discussions of five characteristics that seem to be common to workers who excel. The chapter on simple mindsets would benefit many. Those discussions are followed by commentary on major topics, like time management, people management, and office life. I especially liked the chapter on interviewing.Both parts of the book had a mix of CEO comments, advice, examples, and stories. I enjoyed reading the anecdotes. There was at least one ... morethat was incredibly moving. The analogies were good too. I am now armed with several new helpful catchphrases.There's a lot of practical advice here, advice that can be used by just about anyone, not only folks trying to reach C-level.Thinking back, it's surprising how much was packed into this book. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was the humanity and humility. I couldn't stop wondering where I could find a company with leaders like these. They're just such a different type of leader than what I have experienced. (I know this is a small and biased sample, but still.)Some readers will approach this book not knowing much about business. Some readers may be better exposed to some of the concepts here. While it may not be groundbreaking for some, it can't hurt to be reminded, and sometimes different phrasing makes you see something new. This is a fast read, so even if you come away with one or two nuggets, it's worth the time. And even without nuggets, the micro-autobiographies are interesting.
review 2: I thought the most interesting part of this book was the first, in which deputy New York Times editor Adam Bryant interviewed top CEOs about the qualities they needed to succeed. There were five: passionate curiosity, battle-hardened confidence, fearlessness, team smarts, and a simple mindset.This part of the book was followed by a section on managing and one on leading, also based on talks with CEOs. There was some good advice on running meetings. Another interesting section was on what it is like to be a CEO. All agree that the experience is rather lonely and difficult to describe. In general, CEOs have to be quick studies. to identify and focus on a few key issues, and to learn from experience.Most CEOs agree that one should not micromanage, or at least only micromanage selectively. They agree that a CEO should be interested and friendly, but not too invested in individual employees.All in all, this book is a quick read and well worth the time. There is no teacher like experience, and this book is full of the voices of experienced CEOs, interviewed by a good listener who likens himself to a dinner-party host who stimulates lively conversation. less

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