What the CEO really wants from you

the long version

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 Polman, 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. This is a book that will be of immense use to any manager, and one that just might bring him the answers it takes years to find - what the CEO really expects from him.