The New CEO

Your personal guide to navigating the first days, weeks, and months in the top job, based on powerful interviews with today's most successful CEOs. Becoming a CEO is a high-stakes moment, whether it's your first, second, or third time in the seat. What you say and how you act in your early days as CEO sets the tone for how you'll be perceived for years to come. Yet, until now, few CEOs have shared their stories on what worked, what didn't, and what they wish they'd done differently. In The New CEO, Dr. Ty Wiggins, an experienced leadership advisor specializing in CEO transitions, explains how to land well as a new CEO, accelerate your impact, and unlock the most affirming experience of your career. Drawing on compelling storytelling and groundbreaking research of hundreds of CEOs around the world, the book offers an incisive guide on what to say and do as a new CEO, including how to define your priorities, build your team, fast-track critical changes, work with the board, and set (or reset) the organization's culture. You'll also find: - Why being a CEO is the toughest (and loneliest) job in business-and what to do about it. - How to overcome the "First 100 Days" mindset and pressure for early wins to deliver sustainable, long-term success. - How to avoid getting trapped in the "CEO Bubble," as well as how to navigate (inevitable) challenges, knocks, and missteps. Perfect for newly appointed CEOs-whether it's your first time on the job or your second or third-The New CEO is also an essential resource for anyone seeking insights into the mindset and priorities of CEOs, including board members and directors, in-house counsel, leadership coaches, other executives, and consultants.

TY WIGGINS is a leadership expert who is committed to ensuring new CEOs are set up for success. He is a trusted advisor to world-leading CEOs, helping them successfully transition into their roles to unlock business and personal success faster. Ty is the global lead of the CEO and Executive Transition Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates.

Foreword ix Introduction 1 Part I So, You're a CEO 13 1 Why CEO Transitions Are So Hard 15 2 Prepare to Win 33 Part II Out of the Blocks: Making the Right Start 57 3 Burst the CEO Bubble 59 4 Act Discerningly 75 5 Get the Messaging Right 91 6 Navigating the Crash 113 Part III Up and Running: Early Priorities 131 7 Building Your Top Team 133 8 Leading Your Top Team 153 9 Working with the Board 177 10 Shaping the Culture 203 Part IV Less of a Marathon, More a Series of Sprints 219 11 If I Could Do It All Over Again 221 Endnotes 235 Acknowledgments 243 About the Author 245 Index 247