There are many books on leadership. What the CEO Really wants from You is one of the few to address the question that is uppermost in the mind of any manager: What he should be doing to make his or her boss his partner rather than his opponent. We spend most of our lives at work or thinking about it. Starting from a young age, fired by boundless energy and optimism, we launch into our careers sure of our abilities. Yet, things do not always turn out as we expect they would. It is not our abilities alone. The business environment is one of change and ambiguity. It is no easy task for any manager to negotiate the journey to success. As Paul Pullman, CEO of Unilever, points out in his foreword, partnerships with others, but above all with your direct boss and organization, are more important than ever before. Not only that, a good boss has an instinct for the right people, and getting them to do better. A good manager, by eliciting his help, helps himself. Few people are better qualified to guide on this journey than R. Gopalakrishnan. He brings forty-five years of experience to this subject in some of the most challenging jobs. In this immensely practical book informed by the wisdom he has gleaned over the years, he offers the reader the benefit of all he has learnt, summarized in the four As – Accomplishment, Affability, Advocacy and Authenticity.
Forewords
Negotiating an Ambiguous Environment by Paul Polman
Adopting a Distinctive Approach by Ram Charan
Building a Winning Career by Shantanu Naraye
Preface
Chapter 1 : Understand the Path : Arups Story
Chapter 2 : Adapt through the Journey
Chapter 3 : The 4 As : The Attributes of the High Potential Manager
Part I : Accomplishment
Chapter 4 : Deliver Results Reliably
Chapter 5 : Offer Solutions
Chapter 6 : Bring Dynamism to Work
Part II : Affability
Chapter 7 : How to Balance Self-Interest with the Companys Interest
Chapter 8 : Disagree without Becoming Disagreeable
Chapter 9 : Package Intellect with Emotion
Part III : Advocacy
Chapter 10 : Communicate and Carry Co-Workers
Chapter 11 : Interact with and Carry All Stakeholders
Part IV : Authenticity
Chapter 12 : The Dilemmas of Authenticity
Chapter 13 : Remember Who You Are
Chapter 14 : Attention Is a Precious Gift
References
Index
About the Author
