Hidden Truths

New CEOs must learn how to:

1 Arrive Prepared—new CEOs must hit the ground running with a game plan and a core team; time is now of the essence, and board patience is limited 1

2 Avoid Half-Truths and Misperceptions—the reality for CEOs is they are rarely told the whole truth by their teams: It arrives with shades of meaning and many misperceptions and political posturing 23

3 Adopt a Constituent Consciousness—new CEOs are easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume, breadth, and intensity of the constituencies they must now personally handle 49

4 Start Change Management by Changing the Management—to lead in new directions and create momentum for change means you best start by changing key executives 59

5 Avoid Becoming Isolated—being a CEOs is a lonely job—most are cut off from prior support teams and colleagues—far too few are available to deliver unvarnished advice 73

6 Manage the Mentorship Conundrum—CEOs need to manage the conflict between their desire to build a team that follows their agenda and the expectation of the board of directors that the CEO will develop a successor who is able to create their own leadership agenda 89

7 Use Role Modeling as a Change Tool—how leaders act, speak, allocate their time, and set priorities are some of the most effective and least used CEO management practices 99

8 Use Psychic Rewards, Not Just Monetary Ones—monetary awards have natural limits, so it’s better to use other meaningful incentives that appeal to people’s sense of self and belonging to sustain change 115

9 Get on Board with Your Board—the CEO-board relationship is one of the most complicated and challenging of all CEOs relationships Most CEOs underinvest in this relationship—often to their detriment 127

10 Do Good While Doing Well—CEOs must now balance the needs of shareholders and stakeholders; this is a tricky balance to maintain and real action is hard 143

11 Embrace the Value and Reality of Diversity—leaders need to deeply embrace the long-term value of diversity, commit to outsized efforts, welcome demanding constituencies, and commit to the personal leadership this goal requires—all while meeting short term commitments 157

12 Know When to Leave—too few leaders are sufficiently self-aware to recognize when they have plateaued and need to depart 165

13 Plan a Post-Leadership Life—CEOs shouldn’t drift thoughtlessly or naïvely into the next phase of their lives but create a purposeful strategy prior to their exit 177

14 Strive for Authenticity—being oneself rather than acting the part is key to being a successful leader 193

15 Seek Truths in the Future—Why the truths that are important today will be even more relevant tomorrow 205