Take a walk on the dark side of leadership with executive coaches David Dotlich and Peter Cairo. Why CEOs Failsucceeds in tracking the downfall of careers and companies by defining eleven "derailers"--the deeply ingrained personality traits that shape leadership behavior. Among them: melodrama, aloofness, volatility, perfectionism, eccentricity and eagerness to please.

The authors alternate high profile cases (the arrogance of Enron CEO Jeff Skilling, the melodrama of Vivendi Universals’ Jean-Marie Messier, Rick Thoman’s aloofness at Xerox) with compelling case examples from their coaching practice. Each chapter is a gem, illuminating one derailer in concrete and nuanced terms with red warning flags and strategies for damage control. One exceptional chapter explores "mischievousness" in rule breaking leaders including Bill Clinton and Mattel’s Barbie Maven, Jill Barad.

Derailing behaviors can’t be eliminated, the authors warn, because they are the shadow of our strengths. Consider, for example, how charisma can cross the line to melodrama or how decisiveness becomes arrogance. CEOs and leaders-in-waiting must map the stress that triggers derailers and engage in unflinching self-reflection by asking, "What would my worst critics say about my behavior?" Because they counsel leaders to ask these tough and essential questions, Dotlich and Cairo suggest that we approach our leadership failures as research. It’s a brilliant idea. --Barbara Mackoff


From Publishers Weekly
Businesses are often defined by the personalities at the top. Enron's Jeff Skilling and Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski rose through the ranks with their single-minded determination and abrasive styles, but also saw their careers-and companies-fail spectacularly because of those same traits. Management consultants Dotlich and Cairo diagnose the behaviors that can sink even the most talented businesspeople. Whether it's arrogance, aloofness, volatility or any of the other personality flaws they've singled out, the authors encourage CEOs to throttle back on Type A brashness and focus more on team-building that will create a loyal and honest staff. It's an original melange of business smarts and accessible psychology, and the authors' able storytelling brings their diagnoses to life. Unfortunately, after pointing out everything CEOs are doing wrong, they don't spend much time on what they should do instead; a quick wrap-up chapter on successful managing techniques is all that's offered. But as a dissection of the leadership flaws that saw so many executives crash and burn over the last couple of years, this is a book without peer. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"...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)


Review
"...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)


Book Description
If any of the following behaviors sound like you or someone you work with, beware! In Why CEOs Fail, David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo describe the most common characteristics of derailed top executives and how you can avoid them: Arrogance— you think that you're right, and everyone else is wrong. Melodrama— you need to be the center of attention. Volatility— you're subject to mood swings. Excessive Caution— you're afraid to make decisions. Habitual Distrust— you focus on the negatives. Aloofness — you're disengaged and disconnected. Mischievousness— you believe that rules are made to be broken. Eccentricity— you try to be different just for the sake of it. Passive Resistance— what you say is not what you really believe. Perfectionism— you get the little things right and the big things wrong. Eagerness to Please— you try to win the popularity contest.


From the Inside Flap
It is risky to be CEO of a corporation today. The average tenure of CEOs in major companies is growing increasingly short. The news media is filled with stories of "fallen idols." CEOs have gone from the lists of "most admired" to those of "least trusted." What happens when such clearly talented leaders also make poor decisions, alienate key people, miss opportunities, and ignore obvious trends and developments? What lessons can everyday leaders who aspire to be effective and move up an organization learn from the failures of those at the top? Written by David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo, two of the country's top executive coaches, educators, and authors, Why CEOs Fail shows that even the best leaders can sabotage their own success by succumbing to certain flawed behaviors that are often closely tied to the factors that make for success. More important, the authors reveal how leaders at every level can become aware of their own negative behaviors and take steps to control them. Drawing on research and real stories based on their experience in educating and coaching thousands of leaders around the world, Dotlich and Cairo describe eleven derailers that can impact judgment and lead to business and career problems, even failure. The authors show how leaders who aspire to be successful can learn to identify the "shadow side" of their personality and take steps to control their impulses and increase their effectiveness and impact. Using a variety of tools and techniques based on their experience in coaching CEOs and senior executives, the authors provide specific steps to help individuals identify their own derailers and simple, practical methods that leaders can use to manage themselves effectively.


From the Back Cover
If any of the following behaviors sound like you or someone you work with, beware! In Why CEOs Fail, David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo describe the most common characteristics of derailed top executives and how you can avoid them: Arrogance— you think that you're right, and everyone else is wrong. Melodrama— you need to be the center of attention. Volatility— you're subject to mood swings. Excessive Caution — you're afraid to make decisions. Habitual Distrust— you focus on the negatives. Aloofness— you're disengaged and disconnected. Mischievousness— you believe that rules are made to be broken. Eccentricity— you try to be different just for the sake of it. Passive Resistance— what you say is not what you really believe. Perfectionism you get the little things right and the big things wrong. Eagerness to Please— you try to win the popularity contest.


About the Author
David 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 in 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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

It is risky to be CEO of a corporation today. The average tenure of CEOs in major companies is growing increasingly short. The news media is filled with stories of "fallen idols." CEOs have gone from the lists of "most admired" to those of "least trusted." What happens when such clearly talented leaders also make poor decisions, alienate key people, miss opportunities, and ignore obvious trends and developments? What lessons can everyday leaders who aspire to be effective and move up within an organization learn from the failures of those at the top? Written by David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo, two of the country's top executive coaches, educators, and authors, Why CEOs Fail shows that even the best leaders can sabotage their own success by succumbing to certain flawed behaviors that are often closely tied to the factors that make for success. More important, the authors reveal how leaders at every level can become aware of their own negative behaviors and take steps to control them. Drawing on research and real stories based on their experience in educating and coaching thousands of leaders around the world, Dotlich and Cairo describe eleven derailers that can impact judgment and lead to business and career problems, even failure. The authors show how leaders who aspire to be successful can learn to identify the "shadow side" of their personality and take steps to control their impulses and increase their effectiveness and impact. Using a variety of tools and techniques based on their experience in coaching CEOs and senior executives, the authors provide specific steps to help individuals identify their own derailers and simple, practical methods that leaders can use to manage themselves effectively.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Businesses are often defined by the personalities at the top. Enron's Jeff Skilling and Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski rose through the ranks with their single-minded determination and abrasive styles, but also saw their careers-and companies-fail spectacularly because of those same traits. Management consultants Dotlich and Cairo diagnose the behaviors that can sink even the most talented businesspeople. Whether it's arrogance, aloofness, volatility or any of the other personality flaws they've singled out, the authors encourage CEOs to throttle back on Type A brashness and focus more on team-building that will create a loyal and honest staff. It's an original melange of business smarts and accessible psychology, and the authors' able storytelling brings their diagnoses to life. Unfortunately, after pointing out everything CEOs are doing wrong, they don't spend much time on what they should do instead; a quick wrap-up chapter on successful managing techniques is all that's offered. But as a dissection of the leadership flaws that saw so many executives crash and burn over the last couple of years, this is a book without peer. (May 6) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

How To Manage Mistakes
In Why Smart Executives Fail, Sydney Finkelstein, a professor of management at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, explains why leadership fails and how company leaders can get back on track. Using examples from GM, Mattel, Motorola, Rite Aid, Webvan and other companies, as well as the results of his research team's six-year project on the issue of leadership failure, Finkelstein explains that the causes of failed management are surprisingly few - and they are not ineptitude or greed. He writes that even the brightest executives fail because: They choose not to cope with innovation and change. They misread the competition. They brilliantly fulfill the wrong vision. They cling to an inaccurate view of reality. They ignore vital information. They identify too closely with the company.

Why Smart Executives Fail looks inside great companies that have stood on the brink of collapse due to management errors, and provides the firsthand accounts of those who were present when bad decisions were made. Throughout Finkelstein's book, managers and executives involved in corporate fiascos provide valuable insights about what they would do differently now if they could. By tapping into the people and businesses that learned from the dire mistakes they made, Finkelstein exposes the roots of their failures so others can make their own businesses less vulnerable to similar failings and problems.

Behaviors That Can Derail Success
Executive coaching experts Peter Cairo and David Dotlich offer a more sociological framework for their ideas on the failures of business leaders in Why CEOs Fail. Instead of looking at the business side of the equation, they focus on the leaders themselves and the personality traits that led them to failure. Specifically, they identify 11 of the most common characteristics displayed by derailed top executives, and offer advice about how others can avoid them. Here are three examples: Arrogance: Although leaders need to exhibit confidence, overconfidence can be a burden. Smart leaders are able to see when they are being too stubborn, single-minded and self-righteous. Melodrama: Exaggerated emotions or actions can be a derailer in a business setting because it detracts from other people's performances and impairs a CEO's ability to truly see what is going on. To defuse melodrama, the authors suggest that leaders get someone to videotape them in action, identify the circumstances that cause them to cross the line into melodrama, and make time to reflect and listen. Volatility: CEOs who exhibit rapid mood swings are unpredictable and can drain energy away from people as they attempt to adjust their moods.

Others derailers include excessive caution, habitual distrust, aloofness, mischievousness and eccentricity.