The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors That Transform Ordinary People into World-Class Leaders

“You, too, are a CEO. At least, you could be,” declare leadership advisers Botelho and Powell in this encouraging guide to developing the skills of a successful CEO, no matter one’s background. Their book argues that though the word CEO tends to be associated with famous leaders such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, in reality regular people can attain the same abilities and mind-set. Having coached over 300 CEOs, the authors recall being inspired by the “unlikely” ones—unprepossessing, laconic, perhaps without much formal education or experience, like Don Slager, president and CEO at Republic Services. Botelho and Powell had to ask themselves if these people just got lucky or if everyone else is wrong about the characteristics that make a great CEO. Working from a data set of 17,000 leadership assessments to build the “CEO Genome Project,” they identify four qualities as key: confident decision-making, getting others on board with one’s plans, a reputation for reliability, and adaptability. Giving over plenty of space to reflections, questions, and worksheets, the authors guide readers through developing these characteristics and applying them to different organizations. Botelho and Powell have created a thought-provoking look at successful leadership without the typical bluster. Agent: Lorin Rees, Rees Literary Agency. (Mar.)