Book Review : The Five Temptations Of A CEO

People familiar with Patrick Lencioni’s  “5 Dysfunctions of a Team” will be delighted to realise that he has turned the formula upside down to reveal more insights into the concept of efficient leadership for CEOs. This book starts with “Result” as the first temptation of a CEO and ends with “Trust” as the last one!

Status over Results

Too often, CEOs justify their own performance even when the organization is failing.  The CEO is ultimately responsible for the results of the company and hence, the “bottom line” must be his final measure. He must ultimately judge his personal-professional success by the overall success of his organisation.

Popularity over Accountability

It is wonderful for CEOs to care about their direct reports as people, so long they can separate of those relationships from their sense of self-esteem and personal happiness.

Certainty over Clarity

Many CEOs take a great deal of pride in their analytical and intellectual acumen. They spend too much time debating the finer points of decision making. These debates eat up valuable time that can be spent discussing larger issues (which often receive just a few forced minutes at the end of the staff meeting). Also, they create a climate of excessive analysis and over intellectualisation of tactical issues.

CEO can’t afford to be overly precise!

Harmony over Productive Conflict

Every meeting is bound to have conflict. Some executives just sweep that under the table and let employees deeper in the organisation sort it out! No wonder employees complain about meetings taking up time needed for “real work” – good sign that those meetings are neither as difficult nor productive, as they should be.

Invulnerability over Trust

No one loves to admit being wrong, but some people outright hate it. Lot of CEOs are unwilling to put real weakness on the table. Overcoming this temptation requires a degree of fear and pain that many CEOs are unwilling to tolerate.

Conclusion

True to his style, he weaves in these 5 temptations through an easy, relatable fable. A good book for leaders as a timely check on their behaviors against these common and luring temptations can help their organisations achieve sustainable success!