The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office [Hardcover]

David Novak (Author), John Boswell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2007

David Novak—one of today’s most engaging, unconventional, and successful business leaders—lived in thirty-two trailer parks in twenty-three states by the time he reached the seventh grade. He sold encyclopedias door to door, worked as a hotel night clerk, and took a job as a $7,200-a-year advertising copywriter with the hopes of maybe one day becoming a creative director. Instead, he became head of the world’s largest restaurant company at the ripe old age of forty-seven.

While David never went to business school, he did learn from the greatest of teachers—experience—and plenty of other very smart people as well: Magic Johnson on the secret to teamwork, Warren Buffett on what he looks for in the companies he buys, John Wooden on ego, and Jack Welch on one thing he’d do over. Now he wants to share with you what he discovered about getting ahead and getting noticed; motivating people and turning businesses around; building winning teams and running a global company of nearly one million people; and always staying true to yourself.

The Education of an Accidental CEO is filled with David Novak’s street-smart wisdom:

From his formative years...
• Walking through your anxieties
• Avoiding the poison of stereotypes
• Staying “right-sized”
• Breaking through the clutter

From his years as an ad executive and chief marketing officer ...
• How not to roll over like Fluffy the dog
• Seeing yourself as a brand
• When to pull the plug on the Super Bowl

As the COO of Pepsi Cola and then as president of KFC and Pizza Hut ...
• Why a gold watch can have less value than a floppy rubber chicken
• Knowing when “the answers are in the building”
• Knowing when to do nothing
• What it takes to revitalze a company

And as CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. ...
• How to “shock the system”
• How to avoid the slow-no’s
• Managing two up and two down

David Novak’s ideas for building an entire culture around reward and recognition—getting everyone from division presidents to dishwashers to buy into recognizing the achievements of others—is studied by other companies and discussed here in great detail. Whether you are the CEO of a global conglomerate or a budding entrepreneur, there is something here that will help you get where you want to go.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Education of an Accidental CEO is a wonderful journey tracking the aspects of leadership. David Novak is a classic type-A personality who possesses the insatiable desire to improve and make those around him rise to new levels. Everyone is in search of the secret. You'll find it in this book. A motivational must"
--Rick Pitino


"David Novak is a great business leader and a wonderful guy. Our companies have very little in common, yet I have learned a lot from Dave. He is great with people, an innovator and one of the best global thinkers I have met. This book is filled with the 'little things' that authentic leaders do every day to build a great business. The best leaders are the best learners. Dave's 'journey' brings the skill of learning to life."
--Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric


"An entertaining, humorous, honest and inspiring message from an extraordinary person who engenders trust and instills self-confidence. Throughout this book David Novak brightens your mood and improves your outlook."
-Larry Bossidy, retired chairman and CEO of Honeywell International and co-author of Execution and Confronting Reality

"If CEOs were selected like NFL quarterbacks, David Novak would be a first-round draft pick. I would certainly like to have him running a Berkshire company. After you read this book, you will know why."
--Warren Buffett

“Just plain fun to read....More important, though, is the message—no matter whether you are a CEO or just starting out—that each and every day provides the opportunity to learn and get better at what you do, because as David says ‘you never know what you’re capable of.’ His book is smart with heart and you’ll see how far openness and honesty can get you. In short, very far.” 
—Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase 

“David Novak is completely authentic and means every word....What a great lesson for anyone striving for real success.”
—Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and president of the Table Group

“David has always had the natural leadership gift of ‘taking people with him,’ but he has never stopped learning, always valued others no matter what their background, and always stayed true to who he is. His great personal story provides lessons to anyone who has the privilege of leading.”
—Brenda Barnes, chairman and CEO of the Sara Lee Corporation

About the Author

DAVID NOVAK is chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc., home to KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, and A&W All American Food. He has been recognized as one of Institutional Investor’s top CEOs, and for the past five years Yum! has achieved growth of at least 13 percent earnings per share. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Wendy. All of David’s proceeds from the book will be donated to the United Nations World Food Programme in conjunction with Yum!’s global hunger relief efforts. He also serves as a director of the Friends of the World Food Programme.

JOHN BOSWELL is a literary agent, a book packager, and the author or coauthor of seventeen books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School. He lives in New York City.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1 edition (October 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307393690
• ISBN-13: 978-0307393692
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll find ideas that can be used in any industry, February 14, 2008

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office (Hardcover)

I hadn't known too much about David Novak, chairman and CEO
of Yum! Brands, the home to KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long
John Silver's, and A& W All American Food . . . that's no longer
the case, though, since I've devoured THE EDUCATION OF AN
ACCIDENTAL CEO, the inspirational
book he wrote with John Boswell.

Almost every page had an idea that could be implemented not just
in the food industry, but in my teaching and/or in just about any
other walk of life . . . as Novak notes:

* When I read business books or motivational books I find that if there
is one thing I can take away with me, and more important, if it is
something that stays with me, then it is well worth the price of
admission. Obviously, that "one thing" differs from person to person,
but if there is anything I have said within these pages that helps you
define your dreams and then go after them, then it is well worth the
effort it has taken to write this book and see it through publication.
Whatever field you have chosen, whatever your aspirations may be,
and however you choose to make them come true, I hope one day
you achieve more than you can even imagine.

My problem, and it's a nice one to have I must admit, is that I took
away many ideas . . . I regret that I can't share them all with you,
but to cite just two:

* I fancied myself a writer, but under Tom I would rewrite test-market
analyses six or seven times until I learned how to put forth a
recommendation, explain the rationale for that recommendation,
and summarize it all in a single page. I try to force myself to use
this same discipline today. Limiting myself to a single page not only
helps concentrate my mind, it almost guarantees clarity.

* The second thing I learned is that all the answers are in the building.
Every company is filled with experts. If you want to learn the company's
history, have a meeting with a twenty-five-year veteran. If you want to know
what customers are thinking, talk to the people who answer the 800-number
calls. If you want to know why the trucks aren't getting out on time, a route
salesman who's trucks who's been at the job for a while is likely to know the
answer.

THE EDUCATION OF AN ACCIDENTAL CEO had me laughing at
spots, too . . . for example, when Novak showed how a floppy rubber
chicken often had more value than a gold watch . . . it might not
sound possible, but if you read this book, you'll see that it
well could be the case where you work too.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A+ memoir and leadership guidebook, October 18, 2007

By 

Jessica Teel (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office (Audio CD)

The Education of an Accidental CEO breaks the mold of dry, boring, business audiobooks. This audiobook is not only informative but entertaining, because we get know the author as both a person and successful CEO. Novak has the makings of a childhood-as-train wreck memoir writer, but his tale has a twist. Novak learned how to be successful in the business world through his life lessons, and he shares his knowledge with listeners. Novak is the CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and other famous restaurants. His book demonstrates how people from ordinary and modest beginnings can accomplish great success in the business world. Novak makes this achievement seem attainable to everyone. If you are looking for business advice and are a fan of books like Running with Scissors, then The Education of an Accidental CEO is the business book for you. The audiobook is narrated by Howard Ross, whose voice captures Novak's sense of the ordinary amidst the extraordinary. Listeners won't be disappointed. -Jessica Teel

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight Talk from a Straight Shooter, November 4, 2007

By 

Chuck Berke "Charles W Berke" (Fairfield, Ct United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office (Hardcover)

David Novak has written a wonderfully readable account of his remarkable career. The leadership concepts that Mr. Novak espouses are not neccessarily ideas that have never before been put forth, however the fact that he actually leads in a manner that is consistent with these ideas is what makes this book such a pleasure to read.
Mr. Novak is not only a great story teller but also a great teacher. Both of these abilities are clearly in evidence throughtout the book. To me the most impressive aspect of Mr Novak's story is his honesty and openness about some of the mistakes he had made. His understanding that mistakes are an important element of every successful executives growth trajectory, is an extremely important point to make. One that is often lost in the pursuit of protecting a CEO's fragile corporate image. I congratulate Mr. Novak on creating a culture that other companies would do well to emulate and for writing a book that shows them how to do so.