46 From C-Suite to CEO How to Get Promoted & Survive the Leap
Mark C. Thompson
Mark Thompson is a NYTimes bestselling author and the world’s #1 CEO Coach ranked by the American Management Association and Global Leading Coaches/Thinkers50. Forbes described him as having the “Midas Touch,” with clients including World Bank CEO Jim Yong Kim, Pinterest cofounder Evan Sharp, and Virgin founder Richard Branson.
The race to the C-Suite has become one of the most rewarding and risky undertakings you can consider in your career. While compensation is at record highs, the average tenure of C-level executives is the shortest in history. After 70 board and C-Suite executive coaching engagements, I have seen a pattern emerge about how to prepare yourself for the challenge.
A Case History for Success and Failure of C-Suite Executives*
When one of the world’s largest banks named Dr. Geneva Bezos among several internal candidates for the future CEO role, a dramatic race to the corner office ensued among her peers on the leadership team. If that was not competitive enough, the board asked recruiters to offer outside contenders as a comparison set. It is not unusual for boards of both public and private organizations to launch a high-stakes internal and external championship for the top job. For Bezos, she knew that there were many issues that would impact who would be selected as CEO, including many that appeared out of her control. While her overall credentials and technical qualifications ...
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