University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Think Like A CEO
Book

Think Like A CEO

Stop reacting, get out of your own head and take control of your role

Byron Morrison
Byron Morrison, 2021
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Consultant Byron Morrison offers CEOs useful information about dealing with pressure and guidance in thinking logically, not emotionally. He teaches by showing leaders what not to do, telling business war stories about CEOs who gave in to emotional, shortsighted, solitary thinking with disastrous results. Morrison advocates the basics: long-term thinking, proactive leadership, strong communications, adaptability, perseverance and thoughtful analysis. His advice is perceptive; however, you may wish he'd promoted his consultancy a bit less and allowed his substantial knowledge to speak for itself.

Summary

Far too many CEOs are in over their heads.

Weak CEOs are always in trouble. They don’t think clearly or lead properly. They communicate poorly. They fail to maintain satisfactory relationships with their stakeholders or investors. Their daily tasks overwhelm them. 

Day-to-day, an out-to-lunch executive’s inability to cope becomes a bottleneck in the workings of his or her organization. Overwhelmed CEOs often prove to be the primary reasons their companies stall.

When CEOs can’t take productive action, both they and their firms develop problems. Poorly prepared executives who fail to be proactive force themselves into a permanent reactive mode, always responding, usually ineffectually, to business problems and negative situations.

As a result, problems snowball. These CEOs end up spending most of their time trying – often unsuccessfully – to put out the constant fires their inactivity sparks.  

Overwhelmed CEOs heed only today’s concerns.

The main goal of most overwhelmed CEOs is to keep their heads above water. They worry about immediate matters pressing down upon...

About the Author

Byron Morrison is a speaker and high-performance coach. 

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