Kingmaker: Be the One Your Company Wants to Keep... on Your Terms [Hardcover]

Joanne Cini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2004

A career can't just be the means to an end. It's too important. What's the alternative? Let it become a means to endless possibilities, endless passion, endless discovery. In Kingmaker,one of the world's most successful media executives shows you how. With Joanne Cini's help, readers will make a plan...not just for success, but for bringing passion and personal satisfaction back into the working life, and keeping it there, no matter where their careers take them. Cini teaches positive, value-nourishing ways to move up the corporate ladder; specific techniques for overcoming dysfunctional organizations and negative energy; what battles to fight; and when it's time to leave. Above all, readers learn specific techniques for keeping their freedom, protecting their values, and staying focused on their most important life goals--business and personal.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Joanne has used her extensive business world experiences to put together a very informative primer for those involved in today's workforce. A necessary read.—Dennis Swanson, EVP and COO, Viacom Television Stations Group

Finally, a mentor for each of us. This is a wonderful guided tour of life in corporate America, written in complete, sometimes painful, honesty. Joanne Cini is a career counselor without an agenda or conflict of interest. She gives the reader an up close and personal look at the work world, while insisting on a close and honest look in the mirror. Ultimately, Kingmaker is a very personal journey on the road to self-reliance and personal responsibility.—Lisa G. Churchville, President and General Manager, WJAR-TV Providence, Rhode Island

Kingmaker is a new twist on an old adage: to thine own self be true. Cini's contention, that you must take control of your own life and career in order to define your value potential in the competitive market of big business, is an important lesson for anyone looking to succeed in today's business world.—Ray Heacox, CEO, MediaOcean, a DDS Company

For most of us, empowerment is still a buzz word. Cini, like the mentor you always wanted, guides you to its full meaning in your career-to purposeful, wide-eyed analysis and decisions about what's right for you.—Wendy Tynan, General Manager, Rogen International.

Cini's game is strong: high energy, high personal values, a focus and passion for her work. If your career is worth saving or worth upgrading, then Cini's book is a must read. Written with candor and knowledge, Kingmaker is a blueprint on what to expect and how to achieve in a fast paced environment without losing yourself.—Frank Novak, Special Teams Consultant, Green Bay Packers

The journey Joanne takes us through is based on her own personal odyssey. That said, anyone who has spent a day in the life of Corporate America will relate to her observations. This is an astute chronicle of pitfalls to avoid, road bumps to maneuver, and challenges to aspire to. ENJOY THE RIDE!—Bill Cella, Chairman, MAGNA Global USA.

I intend to buy this book for each of our staff members. It's a clear, concise guide to how employees can achieve excellence, contribute to corporate goals, AND satisfy their personal and professional objectives. In this insightful book, Ms. Cini tells you how to demand more of yourself, your company, and your managers and come out a winner.—Christine Watkins, President and CEO, INVISION Inc.

Honesty is pure oxygen in a world dominated by cynics. Joanne Cini's efforts to instruct others based on her experiences-honest lessons learned in one of the world's pressure cookers, New York City broadcasting-is worth taking note of.—Louis Columbus, Senior Analyst, AMR Research

Your career can't just be the means to an end. It's too important and you spend too much of your life at it. Let it become a means to endless possibilities, passion, and discovery. In Kingmaker, a highly successful former media executive shows you how.

Through Joanne Cini's experience and guidance, you'll make a plan … not just for success, but for bringing passion and personal fulfillment back into your working life, and keeping it there, no matter where your career takes you.

You'll learn positive, value-nourishing ways to move up the corporate ladder, specific techniques for overcoming dysfunctional organizations and "negative energy," which battles are worth a fight, and when it's "game over." Above all, you'll learn specific techniques for keeping your freedom, holding on to your values, and staying focused on your most important whole life goals-business and personal.

• Moving up without selling out. Positive, dignified strategies for fast-tracking your career
• What really matters: keeping your eyes on the prize. Staying focused on the goals that really matter to you in your career
• Choose your next boss. Finding talented, enlightened, generous leaders … and what to do until you do
• "A New Plan B": protecting your security … and your choices. Creating a "freedom plan" that protects and empowers you and realizing that giving your all doesn't mean giving everything

Plan your career for passion, prosperity, fulfillment, and freedom

• Become your industry's WOW hire
• Navigate toward the top without compromising your values
• Excel, execute … and enjoy (almost) every minute
• Build your own personal value kingdom
• Learn the four keys to success: excellence, truth, anticipation, and planning

Thrive. On your terms and within the house rules. Give them what they want, and still be you.

Kingmaker is a call to action. Find the flexibility and courage to stake out the most rewarding career possible … even in the face of tough times, bad bosses, and maddening company politics. It's about working within the rules-and gaining the freedom to change them. It's about a working life in which generosity trumps greed, stretch is a given, willingness is necessary, and idealism can be wrapped in reality for great results.

Kingmaker is devoted to the honor of a great working life. It's a blueprint for transforming your career, no matter where you are: piercing questions to ask, specific actions to take, realistic changes to make … starting today.

About the Author

Joanne Cini has spent 24 years in the television industry at the TV Stations Divisions of all four major networks. She held management and executive roles for 18 of those 24 years.

Beginning as an account executive and first female sales manager at an ABC-owned TV station, she rose to Vice President, Local Sales at Rupert Murdoch's New York FOX station. She became General Sales Manager at WCBS-TV and SVP, Sales and Marketing for Jack Welch's GE/NBC. She was on the launch team for A Current Affair, and Good Day New York and positioned prime-time programs including Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, Chicago Hope, The West Wing, and The Golden Globes to the New York market. She was a high potential employee, attended GE's Crotonville School and earned a Six Sigma Greenbelt.

She has been instrumental in three startups, including an owned station Internet group, the sales and marketing of a new network, and a national representation firm.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall (January 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131840304
• ISBN-13: 978-0131840300
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,936,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mentor! Mentor!, January 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Kingmaker: Be the One Your Company Wants to Keep... on Your Terms (Hardcover)

I bought this book after seeing the author interviewed on CBS television. As a 40+ executive who recently launched Part II of my career life (new industry & new city), I wanted a business book that would put me back on the fast track. I can honestly say after reading Kingmaker, I finally found the mentor I've been looking for! (I think the next Apprentice should star Joanne Cini instead of Donald Trump.) Growth strategies, fresh ideas, planning guides, probing questions to ask yourself, it was like getting the big boss to spend the weekend with you and teach you everything she knows. I feel like I finally went back to school for my MBA, and it only cost me $20!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to prosper in the corporate world, February 4, 2004

By 

Larry Miller (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kingmaker: Be the One Your Company Wants to Keep... on Your Terms (Hardcover)

It is nice to finally read a book that is helpful in dealing with the corporate career world while maintaining both optomism and integrity. Ms. Cini manages to combine both a realistic view with a 'can do' approach. And she caps her career mapping with suggestions about the end game...when to get out.

This book is suprisingly well written for a business book and filled to the brim with helpful pointers. You cannot read this and avoid rethinking your career.

It not only gave me new insights into the corporate career game, but will help me be a better boss.

Of course, if I could write as well as this author, I would know my own end game. I would write a book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book works!, March 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Kingmaker: Be the One Your Company Wants to Keep... on Your Terms (Hardcover)

I had no idea that I could have more of a say...the ultimate say...in the rewards and compensation I got from my company until I read Joanne Cini's Kingmaker. As I was reading the book, I was weighing an option for a promotion at work. While I was being tendered a very good offer, I also wanted time to pursue some more creative projects. But, to do so, I'd have to pass up a LOT of money. Or so I thought!

Once I read Kingmaker, and specifically Chapter 14: "Getting a Handle on Obsession and Defensive Action," I was able to see how much WORRY was guiding my decision making process. So...I quickly finished the book, put together MY ideal offer and sold it to my employer the next day! THIS BOOK WORKS.

I wish I had it earlier in my acreer. If I could find another book, equally helpful, for $22.95, I'd buy a box and fill my shelves! Thank you, Ms. Cini, your advice brought me instant results.