The Secrets of CEOs - Steve Tappin and Andrew Cave

Took some time to finish reading this book, and I must say that this is one of the better leadership books that I've read in some time. There's a wealth of information within, much of which I've hardly digested in my first reading (despite spending so much time on it)! The special quality about this book is that it brought together findings obtained through interviews with more than 150 CEOs. This is (I'm pretty sure!) the closest that I can get to speaking with these CEOs at this point in my life.

Some of the key lessons I learnt:

1. Businesses are going global, and are in dire need of leaders who can cross the national boundaries and lead under any geographic or cultural settings. Developing this global outlook, coupled with a piercing understanding of how geopolitical and economic systems operate worldwide, will be key in leadership development. Of course, understanding China and India will be critical.
2. The next (it might already be here) battleground where businesses fight for success and survival will be on the field of talent, especially given the increasing demand for talent who can speak the many languages of globalisation. The CEO will have to be personally involved in talent "procurement" and the talent agenda. He should be familiar with the talented executives at least 3 levels below him - which may come up to more than 500 individuals. CEOs would need to develop strong HR capabilities within the business (which currently has been more of a hindrance, than help, to talent recruitment) while forming a strategic partnership with external talent search agency.
3. Various leadership styles were very nicely captured in the book. My personality quite possibly straddles across quite a number of these leadership styles. I have a feeling that my eventual style of leadership (if I'm ever lucky enough to express it!) will have a strong element of vision and probably charisma combined. However, after a couple of years working in the civil service, it is also true that I'm developing quite a bit of "paranoia, perfectionism and perserverance" in my style. (These three qualities give a little bit of a hint to the next book that I'm currently reading.) Perfectionism is quite unlike me though - this is sad, but I'm quite ok with doing things 80%!
4. The sectiion on preparing to lead must be one of the most useful parts of the book. One key message in this section is that I have to gain as broad an experience as possible in the fastest amount of time, if I were to succeed within my lifetime. I should also take up multi-disciplinary jobs that are challenging and make me learn, again, in the fastest amount of time. These jobs should span geographic boundaries. I should aim to fail once or twice majorly too. If not, it only shows that I have not been given tasks that are hard enough, or I never dared to try. AND. I should get a mentor. Where to find one though!
5. Finally, the book says quite a bit about the sacrifices that CEOs make. Many of it make me not even want to try this line of work! Haha. Losing your friends, divorce, not seeing yr kids grow up .... I mean, what's the point of leading and losing all that is impt to you! The way I'm seeing it is that it is possible (as some CEOs have done) to have work-life balance. With the cynical thought that some of these CEOs may have shifted the goal-posts aside, I do think that this is a reasonable assumption. In any case, many ppl who aren't CEOs nowadays are already slogging their lives away and making sacrifices at a fraction of the pay. Might as well aim high right?
    
   After all the rambling (not written in the most concise manner, I admit), I'd conclude to say that this is a book that I'll continue to refer to again and again for inspiration :)