How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization [Hardcover]

Jeffrey J. Fox (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 30, 1998

Vision, persistence, integrity, and respect for everyone in the workplace--these are all qualities of successful leaders. But Jeffrey J. Fox, the founder of a marketing consulting company, also gives these tips: never write a nasty memo, skip all office parties, and overpay your people. These are a few of his key ways to climb the corporate ladder.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Most books about career advancement are either weighty examinations about success in the workplace (e.g., How to Be a Star at Work and Working with Emotional Intelligence) or flippant, humorous takes on surviving the countless inanities of modern work life (e.g., Working Wounded). Jeffrey Fox's book, How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization is neither. Instead, Fox presents 75 commonsense rules about successfully conducting your career.

Rules like "Know Everybody by Their First Name" and "No Goals No Glory" may seem obvious; others, such as "Don't Take Work Home from the Office" or "Don't Have a Drink with the Gang" may not. Each is accompanied by page or two of succinct and thought-provoking explanation. For example, for rule 27, "Don't Hide an Elephant," Fox writes, "Big problems always surface. If they have been hidden, even unintentionally, the negative fallout is always worse. The 'hiders' always get burned, regardless of complicity. The 'discoverers' always are safe, regardless of complicity." Wise and to the point, How to Become CEO will help just about anybody's career, whether you want to become CEO or not. --Harry C. Edwards

From Booklist

Fox heads his own marketing consulting company, and he demonstrates here that he knows how to package an idea. While there is nothing especially original about a list of rules for getting ahead, Fox's guide is filled with 75 tips that are short, sweet, and to the point. Moreover, the ideas themselves are fresh. You have to admire the pluck of someone who counsels spending one day a month in the library and recommends sending handwritten notes. For each suggestion, Fox includes one or two pages of elaboration. Other advice: Always take vacations. Always take the job that offers the most money. Never write a nasty memo. Don't take work home from the office. Never let a good boss make a mistake. And, nary a mention of Machiavelli or Sun-Tzu. Refreshing! David Rouse

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 162 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (September 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786864370
• ISBN-13: 978-0786864379
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Grew up in a small town. Saw Mickey Mantle hit several home runs at Yankee Stadium. State high school baseball champions. Full scholarship to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Featured in the book, How to Succeed in Business Before Graduating From College. Played rugby at Harvard Business School. Married to the same girl since 1968. Bought an old house and moved it three miles next to a brook. Broke leg playing rugby for the Hartford Wanderers. Retired from rugby. Lived in San Francisco and worked in the wine business. Three children and their families. Own some small businesses. Oodles of dogs and birds. Favorite cities outside the US are Paris, Florence, Istanbul, Montreal. Favorite small towns are Bellagio, Siena, Zihuatenejo, Mufugano Island, Bodrhum. Started Fox&Co. in 1982. Wrote eight books.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars How to write a best seller June 12, 2000

By Michael Gering

Format:Hardcover

Jeffrey Fox has written a book that will please some people immensely, but intensely annoy others. "How to become a CEO" is a short easy to read book. Each chapter is a two-page piece of advice, "crisp, blunt, frank, generally ... judgmental" and very, very easy to digest. I read book in less than half an hour.

Some of the seventy-five pieces of advice are cynical, "Always take the job that offers the most money", and "Make allies of your peers subordinates". Some are puritanical "Don't have a drink with the gang" and "Don't smoke". Some are eccentric "Send hand written notes", and "Go to the library one day a month". And some are good emotional intelligence "Never write a nasty memo" and "Live for today, plan for tomorrow, forget yesterday".

You probably won't agree with all of them, nor agree that all of them are profound. Yet some may strike a cord, or remind you of something you really know but no longer practice. They are written in a style which will appeal to some, but not all. What one might call a "popular magazine type style".

If this is the sort of book you like, then you will like this sort of book. Otherwise, for the sake of your blood pressure, I suggest that you read something else.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Should Be Retitled: How To Win Raises and Promotions May 7, 2000

By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I had a hard time rating this book. I gave it a 5 for its dedication to Leigh Knowles, deceased chairman of Beaulieu Vineyards, a truly terrific guy and CEO. I gave it a 1 for having a misleading title. The book has little to do with becoming CEO. I gave it a 4 for generally useful advice about workplace do's and don'ts. I gave it an 7 for marketing. I rounded that to a 4. Decide for yourself what rating to give this book.

I write an article for Chief Executive Magazine each year about the best practices of the most successful CEOs. As part of this work, I have met and interviewed hundreds of the most envied corporate leaders. The subject of how each became CEO and what the lessons are usually comes up. Based on their experiences, you would write a substantially different list than Mr. Fox has provided. Key elements would include learning to do important tasks that the company needs done that no one else is doing; having a great relationship with shareholders and the board of directors; having massive integrity that is frequently demonstrated to others; making and keeping your promises; and establishing an environment in which other people perform very effectively. There's a lot more. If you are interested in more, read my article in the May 1999 issue on The Helpful Habits of the CEO... -- click on the leadership file folder to find the article).

The second problem with this book is that Mr. Fox acknowledges that most CEOs in companies get their jobs by either starting or buying the company. He then goes on to provide no direct advice on how to do either one.

The third problem with the book is that it provides general advice rather than specific advice about you and your own organization.... Many of the rules he describes will vary from company to company. In front of many of his pieces of advice should be a first step: Ask the successful people in your company what the right thing to do is. In front of many of his comments about working with others should be a first step of asking the people involved what they would like you to do. The book assumes a communications stalled approach that can lead to backfires in many cases. For example, many people would prefer that you give them immediate verbal feedback along with a pat on the back when they do a good job. They would not be as pleased with a hand-written note, as this book recommends.

The final problem with this book is that it really covers the same subject as How To Be A Star At Work. That is a terrific book, and well worth reading.

If you do decide to read this book, pay the most attention to the advice to set written goals, score yourself on them, and pay attention to the goals. Research has shown that only one percent of people do this, and they usually outperform the 99 percent who do not.

Good luck in your learning of how to become a CEO! Read more ›

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How to live your corporate life... October 8, 2002

By M. Schubert

Format:Hardcover

Ignore the "How to Become CEO" portion of the title. Focus just on the byline: "The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization". That is truly what this book is about. Fox has organized this book into 75 nuggets of no-nonsense advice for living your corporate life. Each chapter is an average of 3 pages, and is devoted to backing up one nugget of advice.

I don't believe anything he says is earth shattering, nor do I believe it possible to implement all of his ideas. However, the way each idea was backed up with simple reasoning and examples made it easy to understand the motivation behind it. It also made it easy to determine whether it was applicable to my situation and in many cases, gave examples of how to handle particular situations.

I can speak from my own experience that just implementing two pieces of his advice has positively changed the way that I approach my work environment and the way coworkers and management perceive me. This was well worth the money I spent on this book. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone who is serious in advancing into the ranks of upper management will find a minimum of 3-5 nuggets that help shape their attitudes and habits to attain that goal within this book!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for you, bad for the company November 4, 2000

By David S.K. Leong

Format:Hardcover

This book is just a hash-up of "what-not-to-do"s. You may increase your chances of promotion but spare a thought for the company!

Ethics and managerial behaviour which is based on strong values will produce a better CEO than one who merely reads this book or thinks that this book holds the key. Whatever happened to real managerial expertise, proper corporate governance, strategic planning/implementation and new business models? In my opinion, this book describes and values political behaviour which actually causes the problems that companies face. I am afraid this book is out-of-date in a world that is changing so fast.

An example: the author advises you to say yes to your supervisor's every request, even if he asks you to water the plants! Shows what type of thinking the author is using.

Read it only if you want to know what goes on in the heads of the people who destroy a company. Read the book if you want to get ahead but don't let anyone see you reading it.