CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job and Keep the Job

Your track record of success isn't enough. Here's what it really takes to be CEO Ready. You're on the short list for the CEO job, and you have a record of delivering amazing results. You've been told you have the inside track. You're the leader in the clubhouse. Don't believe it. Remember that no matter what you've heard or what your CV says, you are not alone in the race, and the odds are against your getting the job. Leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes such as strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable. Now, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin share with you what it really takes to become CEO ready. Thompson has coached thousands of executives and CEO candidates, and Loflin is a boardroom expert and adviser. They've seen firsthand the emotions that sway CEO selections as well as the personal and boardroom dramas that unfold as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership. In CEO Ready, Thompson and Loflin reveal what you need to do to maximize your chances of being the one who secures the top spot, including identifying the seven key stakeholders CEO candidates need to understand and work with. Filled with practical advice and compelling and instructive stories from those who've gone through this arduous process, CEO Ready is essential reading for anyone who aspires to the ultimate leadership position.

Your track record isn''t enough. Here''s what it really takes to be CEO Ready.

You''re on the short list for the CEO job and you have a record of delivering amazing results. You''ve been told you have the inside track. You''re the leader in the clubhouse.

Don''t believe it. Remember that no matter what you''ve heard or what your CV says, you are not alone in the race, and the odds are against you getting the job.

Leadership selection isn''t the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren''t made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes like strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable. If you think it''s purely merit-based, you''re not CEO ready.

But don''t worry, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin have coached thousands of candidates through the process and have seen it all—they know what it takes to become truly CEO ready and they''re sharing it here. They''ve witnessed the personal drama that unfolds as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership, as well as the emotions that sway final CEO decisions. In CEO Ready, they reveal what it really takes to secure the top job.

Thompson and Loflin share best practices for candidates during the selection process, including identifying the seven key stakeholders whom CEO candidates need to understand and work with. Filled with practical advice and compelling and instructive stories from former candidates, CEO Ready is essential reading for anyone who wants the top job.

You deserve the top job, but merit alone won''t get you there. Find out what you really need to be CEO ready.

• | Author: Byron Loflin, Mark Thompson
• | Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• | Publication Date: Nov 25, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9798892791687
• | ISBN-10: 889279168Y