Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top

Citation

Mann, S. (2003), "Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 24 No. 8, pp. 473-473. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730310505948

When I saw the title of this book, I must admit that my heart sank. Self‐help style books aimed at transforming the reader from a mediocre middle manager into a successful leader/manager/CEO are ten‐a‐penny and it can be difficult to work up much enthusiasm for them. However, despite my initial prejudice, I do like this book. I think this is because it follows a simple, clean formula that seems to make intuitive sense and is backed up with real‐life case studies as well as those rather tiresome (in my opinion) first‐name only ones (such as “David”, MD of a small manufacturing company).

The book is built on the basic premise that there are 11 personality traits that can impair performance at the top of an organisation. (The fact that 11 is hardly a nice round number is somehow part of the appeal of this formula; I am left with the feeling that these are genuine ideas rather than the product of some desperate attempt to come up with something original to sell books). These traits are:

1. 1.

    1 arrogance;

2. 2.

    2 melodrama;

3. 3.

    3 volatility;

4. 4.

    4 excessive caution;

5. 5.

    5 habitual distrust;

6. 6.

    6 aloofness;

7. 7.

    7 mischievousness;

8. 8.

    8 eccentricity;

9. 9.

    9 passive resistance;

10. 10.

    10 perfectionism; and

11. 11.

    11 eagerness to please.

The book is consequently divided into 11 easy‐to‐read chapters devoted to each of these behaviours or traits. Each chapter includes a simple and short exercise to enable the reader to identify whether each particular behaviour is likely to be a problem or a “derailer” or not. Also included are sections on “signs and symptoms” of that behaviour (e.g. signs and symptoms of arrogance are listed as a diminished capacity to learn, an offputting refusal to be accountable, resistance to change and an inability to recognise one’s limitations) as well as two or three case study examples of CEOs whose excessive use of the behaviour has caused (often) catastrophic problems for their company (and their career). Fortunately, each chapter also details ways to manage the problem behaviour trait.

Despite the commonalities of each chapter, the presentation is not so formulaic that each chapter is identical. Indeed, I feel that one of the positive elements of the book is the ability of the authors to stray from too tightly prescribed a formula and introduce interesting elements within each chapter as relevant. Having said that, the book is undoubtedly an easy read – ideal for a train journey at the end of a long day. It is not aimed at scholars of management literature and is based on no classic theories nor presents any academic theory of its won. Indeed, my only complaint with the book is the “lightness” of it; I would have preferred a little more depth with rather more delving into the case studies within each chapter (which is typically only ten pages). I feel that the book only gives a taster of its message, leaving the reader hungry for more analysis. But for an aspiring CEO, for any manager of the future or for any leader who is wondering why they keep failing, Why CEOs Fail would be an interesting and enlightening read.