Why CEOs Fail

THE AUTHORSDavid L. Dotlich, former Executive Vice President of Honeywell International and Groupe Bull, is a partner of CDR International (www.cdr-intl.com) and coauthor of Action Learning (Jossey-Bass, l998), Action Coaching (Jossey-Bass, l999), and the breakthrough best-selling book Unnatural Leadership: Going Against Intuition and Experience to Develop Ten New Leadership Instincts (Jossey-Bass, 2002). He is a business adviser, educator, and coach to top executives in many global corporations. Peter C. Cairo is a partner of CDR International and member of the faculty of Columbia University Business School Executive Education. He has worked with many companies in the areas of leadership development, executive coaching, and organizational effectiveness. He is coauthor with David Dotlich of Action Coaching and Unnatural Leadership, both from Jossey-Bass.

"...it follows a simple, clean formula that seems to make intuitive sense and is backed up with real-life case studies...an interesting and enlightening read..." (Leadership & Organization Development Journal, August 24, 2003) "...particularly refreshing...the balance is right..."  (Director, March 2006)

• Foreword by Ram Charan xiForeword by Robert Hogan xiiiIntroduction xviiChapter One Arrogance: You’re Right and Everybody Else Is Wrong 1Chapter Two Melodrama: You Always Grab the Center of Attention 13Chapter Three Volatility: Your Mood Shifts Are Sudden and Unpredictable 27Chapter Four Excessive Caution: The Next Decision You Make May Be Your First 39Chapter Five Habitual Distrust: You Focus on the Negatives 51Chapter Six Aloofness: You Disengage and Disconnect 63Chapter Seven Mischievousness: You Know That Rules Are Only Suggestions 77Chapter Eight Eccentricity: It’s Fun to Be Different Just for the Sake of It 91Chapter Nine Passive Resistance: Your Silence Is Misinterpreted as Agreement 103Chapter Ten Perfectionism: You Get the Little Things Right While the Big Things Go Wrong 115Chapter Eleven Eagerness to Please: You Want to Win Any Popularity Contest 127Chapter Twelve Why CEOs Succeed 139Bibliography 151Acknowledgments 157About the Authors and CDR International 161Index 165