The CEO Next Door

January 22, 2018
“You, too, are a CEO. At least, you could be,” declare leadership advisers Botelho and Powell in this encouraging guide to developing the skills of a successful CEO, no matter one’s background. Their book argues that though the word CEO tends to be associated with famous leaders such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, in reality regular people can attain the same abilities and mind-set. Having coached over 300 CEOs, the authors recall being inspired by the “unlikely” ones—unprepossessing, laconic, perhaps without much formal education or experience, like Don Slager, president and CEO at Republic Services. Botelho and Powell had to ask themselves if these people just got lucky or if everyone else is wrong about the characteristics that make a great CEO. Working from a data set of 17,000 leadership assessments to build the “CEO Genome Project,” they identify four qualities as key: confident decision-making, getting others on board with one’s plans, a reputation for reliability, and adaptability. Giving over plenty of space to reflections, questions, and worksheets, the authors guide readers through developing these characteristics and applying them to different organizations. Botelho and Powell have created a thought-provoking look at successful leadership without the typical bluster. Agent: Lorin Rees, Rees Literary Agency.

March 15, 2018

Divided into three sections: CEO behavior, landing a CEO job, and navigating challenges facing CEOs, this book by leadership advisors Botelho and Kim R. Powell, with journalist Tahl Raz, lays out a path for up-and-coming administrators. Based on a survey of 17,000 C-level leaders, each chapter analyzes the various factors evident in individuals who excel. The authors provide tools that can help one avoid common mistakes while focusing on what leads to success. Using the survey data, they make compelling arguments and offer sage advice, coupled with real-world examples of CEOs living out the principle in question. This makes for smooth and practical reading. Along the way, the authors dispel common myths, such as the belief that those in top-level management positions are limited to mostly Ivy League graduates (only seven percent of the survey population was). A brief personal assessment and review of major ideas covered conclude each chapter. VERDICT This work helps to remove the fog surrounding the path to becoming a CEO. For business-minded professionals seeking to advance to the next level, this would be worth a look.--Mark Hanson, Maranatha Baptist Univ. Lib., Watertown, WI

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2018
Is CEO a career aspiration for you or any colleague? Based on 17,000 leader interviews and substantive work as well-known strategy consultants, Botelho and Kim R. Powell map the right roads to take. What's the secret password to success? Actually, just four behaviorsdecisiveness, engaging for impact, relentless reliability, and bold adaptation. And after those are parsed, the authors build the what you need to do before and after landing that dream c-suite job. Some examples, all practical and commonsensible: make the complex simple, build your tribe, create a psychological thunder dome. Overall, it's an enlightening and engaging read, especially since many household business names are spotlighted (Spanx and Bath & Body Works, among others). On the other hand, some of the more helpful summaries obscure the messagesimply because they don't repeat or reinforce the main narrative. But the prose itself, thanks to coauthor Tahl Raz, is easy to peruse and, with lots of callouts, quick to grasp.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)