Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

I was impressed by the clarity with which the writer uses her life and professional experience and share it with us readers.
I learned a lot about myself and the decisions we all need to make to obtain the life we want. She is crystal clear on reminding us what we need to succeed in the professional arena, and to bravely look at our lives and make the necessary adjustments to obtain what we want in life.

The book is excellent. It really helped to conceptualize some of the things I would like in my next step, such as growth opportunities and people I can learn from. Somehow, it also helped me embrace some of my strengths and gave me some additional courage.

In today's business environment, it's nearly impossible to have a guaranteed job or position at a company. Joanne Cini's book Kingmaker - Be The One Your Company Wants To Keep... On Your Terms (Prentice Hall) can help you navigate those waters and put you in a much better overall position.

Chapter List:

Part 1 - People, Profit, Politics, and Process: Who's A Kingmaker?; The Seismic Shift; A Word About Profit; Politics At Large; Politics In The Day To Day; Losing Like A Winner; Ego, Fear, and Competition; The Responsibility Of Leadership; The Champion; Embrace Diversity; Summary of Part 1

Part 2 - Excel, Execute, and Enjoy!: Value Yourself If You Intend To Be Valuable; How Can You Affect The Company's Margin?; Become Your Manager's Go-To Person; Getting A Handle On Obsession And Defensive Action; When Is It OK To Break Rank?; Interview Discovery; How To Pick (And Get Along With) Your Boss; Management By Type; Preparing For Your Annual Review: Managing Your Value Perception; Keeping Clear On What You Think You Want; Summary Of Part 2

Part 3 - Planning For Passion And Prosperity: Branding Yourself: The Art Of Free Agency; Achieving Fulfillment Through Great Work; Letting Go And Having A Life; The Freedom Plan; When Leaving Is The Only Answer; Summary Of Part 3; Your Personal Value Kingdom

The concept of being a kingmaker means having a stake in the rise of your boss to "king" status. Your future is linked and interwoven to theirs, and you need to know how to manage your career to take advantage of that fact. Cini relates wisdom and lessons learned in her 24 years in the television industry to help the reader through those landmines.

In the first part of the book, there seems to be a lot of relating of bad incidents and how she came to leave her job. I'll admit to being less than thrilled with the content, and started to wonder if this was going to be just a book of whining about how unfair corporate America can be. But Part 2 is where the book came together for me. She gets very practical about steps and attitudes that need to be present for an individual to excel in their jobs. And if you can make yourself one of these people, then you'll be considered one of those people who companies won't let go of, and you'll do it without selling out. The questions at the end of each chapter help you to think through things on a practical level.

Overall, a useful book on making sure you are the person that will survive the rough times in any corporate environment. There's something in there for everyone at every level.

This is a great study on the inner career workings of one of America's biggest industries: TV Advertising. A seasoned Executive, Cini does a great job painting a portrait of the front-line corporate career battles we've all experienced, and detailing the tremendous lessons to be learned. No matter what your level of experience in corporate America, there's a pearl or two of wisdom from Cini that can benefit you.

If you are new to the ebb and flow of the daily grind, then take Cini's advice as the new best friend who will help you get to the top. The years of experience relfected here, plus the user-friendly format, should take much of they mystery out of knowing what to do to get ahead, without resorting to unethical behaviors.

If you are a mid-career, semi-seasoned pro, then the descriptive scenarios of real-life engagements coupled with the lessons learned, and the insightful takeaways, should help guarantee your continued rise to the top.

Finally, your career is one aspect, but there's another job we all have: life. Cini closes with some valuable introspective advice on where to look to ensure what you do and how you do it, lines up with what you truly want to be about.

Kingmaker by Joanne Cini is a must read for anyone who wants to survive and thrive in today's no frills, high productivity business environment. It has already become required reading in our company.

The title of the book was a little misleading. This is not a typical principle-oriented or psychology book in business management. The first few chapters were written in a story telling style of the author's biography. The view point started to pick up after chapter 11 so don't give up before that.