The CEO Next Door

How to succeed at the highest level of an organization? Using an in-depth analysis of the profiles of 2,600 leaders accompanied by the recruitment firm ghSMART, the authors propose to answer this question.

The book is structured around three major topics, following a chronological sequence. First, the authors list the four key competences that characterize the highest performing leaders: rapidity in decision-making, influence capability, reliability and adaptability. Developing these competences would thus be the first step to build an executive career. They then focus on the “career catapults”, i.e. the practices that enable to drive the professional path to maximize the chances to occupy the highest levels of the organization chart. What intermediate career choices should be privileged? Whom to lean on? How to become visible in the eyes of decision makers? Building on their experiences in coaching and recruitment, the authors observe the extent to which many managers focus too much on reaching their objectives, and underestimate the importance of these questions, thus putting a break on their own career progress. The final chapters aim at preparing future leaders to face the new challenges and difficulties this role will entail: anticipating these disruptions will notably enable the newly promoted executives to better manage the first months in their new position, essential to sustainable success.