From the Inside Flap
When you think of how high-powered executives and CEOs end up in the lavish corner office, certain things probably come to mind, such as an Ivy League education, personal connections, or even a silver spoon. While these factors may sometimes play a role in making it to the top, in most cases there is something else that propels these individuals to the upper tier of their careers. That something else is the ability to use their life experiences—and the lessons learned from them—to gain a competitive edge.
Author Eve Tahmincioglu is a regular contributor to the New York Times business section and for the past five years she has been one of the main writers of its popular "The Boss" column. It is here where she discovered how life's lessons have allowed some of today's best leaders to make it to the top of their profession. And now, with From the Sandbox to the Corner Office, Tahmincioglu looks to share these lessons with you.
Based on more than fifty interviews with some of today's top executives and leaders from all walks of life, From the Sandbox to the Corner Office offers key lessons for those looking to achieve success in today's world of business, nonprofits, and government. In each engaging chapter, CEOs who run major organizations, as well as entrepreneurs who have made a name for themselves, vividly recount the professional and personal experiences—as a child and an adult—that taught them lessons about life, work, and leadership. Along the way, these individuals talk about everything from their parents, first jobs, and career moves to seeking out mentors, overcoming adversity, and dealing with bad bosses.
Some of the people you'll hear from include:
- Richard Parsons, CEO of Time Warner
- Pernille Spiers-Lopez, President of IKEA North America
- Brian Gallagher, President of the United Way
- Ralph de la Vega, COO of Cingular Wireless
- Christie Hefner, CEO of Playboy Enterprises
Filled with real-world stories and practical advice, From the Sandbox to the Corner Office offers valuable insights that anyone can use—whether you aspire to run a global organization, start your own company, or help your children get off on the right foot.
From the Back Cover
Praise for FROM THE SANDBOX TO THE CORNER OFFICE
"From the Sandbox to the Corner Office offers remarkable insights about the ways our childhood and early life shapes who we become at work. This illuminating book not only helps us understand the recurring patterns in our leadership but also shows us, as parents, how our behavior at home prepares our children to contribute their very best in the workplace."
—Kate Ludeman, Executive Coach and coauthor of Alpha Male Syndrome: Curb the Belligerence, Channel the Brilliance
"Sandbox is a terrific book about overcoming something we almost dare not name today: adversity. Today's adults know little of it, parents are certainly terrified by it, children are not allowed to experience it. But the leaders in Tahmincioglu's book often got where they were only because they were allowed to triumph through it. Sandbox is a much needed wake-up call for our culture!"
—Betsy Hart, author of It Takes a Parent: How the Culture of Pushover Parenting Is Hurting Our Kids—and What to Do About It
"There is no clear path to becoming a great business leader. You need to find your own way based on your own individuality. And you need to learn from the lessons of those who have succeeded. Ms. Tahmincioglu's interviews with the country's most impressive leaders give an unparalleled collection of such lessons."
—George N. Hatsopoulos, founder and former CEO, Thermo Electron Corporation
"What I really like about this book is that we get to see real leaders up close and as whole people and so understand better the many and varied sources of influence on their progress. We come to understand better that learning leadership doesn't happen only through career experiences; it's the result of a wide range of life experiences from which smart and sensitive people garner wisdom they then put to good effect."
—Stew Friedman
Practice Professor of Management, Director, Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, The Wharton School University of Pennsylvania
