The CEO Test

Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders

By: Kevin Sharer, Adam Bryant

Narrated by: Jim Frangione

Are you ready to lead? Will you pass the test?

Despite all the effort through the years to understand what it takes to be an effective leader, the challenges of leadership remain enormously difficult and elusive; even today, most CEOs don't last five years in the job. The demands to deliver at a consistently high level can be unforgiving.

The loneliness. The weight of responsibility. The relentless second-guessing and criticism. The pressure to build all-star teams. The 24/7 schedule that requires superhuman stamina. The tough decisions that often leave no one happy. The expectation to always have the right answer when it can be hard just to know the right question.

These challenges are brought into their highest and sharpest relief in the corner office, but they are hardly unique to chief executives. All leaders face their own version of these tests, and the authors drawing on the distilled wisdom, stories and lessons from hundreds of chief executives to show how every aspiring leader can master these challenges and lead like a CEO. These foundational leadership skills will make all aspiring executives more effective in their role today, and to lift the trajectory of their career.

The CEO Test is the authoritative, no-nonsense insider's guide to navigating leadership's toughest challenges, brought to you by authors uniquely qualified to tell the stories. Adam Bryant has conducted in-depth interviews with more than 600 CEOs. Kevin Sharer spent more than two decades as president and then CEO of Amgen, where he led its expansion from one billion dollars in annual revenues to nearly $16 billion. He has served on many boards and is a sought-after mentor for CEOs of global companies.

Leadership is getting harder as the speed of disruption across all industries accelerates. The CEO Test will better prepare you to succeed whether you're a CEO or just setting out to become one.

©2021 Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer (P)2021 Recorded Books Inc.

Compact and comprehensive!

The author included content that is highly relevant and applicable to many settings and roles. The information was easy to digest and very thought provoking.

CEO Ready

this book creates a mindset that prepares you mentally for the level of leadership that is required to lead leaders. I enjoyed the insightful perspectives and views that allows you to have a transformational approach to being a great leader

Aspiring Executives must read

Tying the lessons into real life scenarios was perfect! I found this book very useful.

As an aspiring CEO of my own life and a company’s

This book weighs nicely between anecdotally based and qualitatively backed claims. The tests, which are seven in-depth questions about abilities to act within particular situations, does a good job articulating the tough calls CEOs make. Overall, the book does a good job at demystifying what CEOs do as far as their role as thought and strategy leaders that read and tell the weather so to speak at companies. I appreciate this information presented especially within the context of the C-19 pandemic. This is a good start for anyone like myself aspiring to be great in the board room and in life.

Amazing Leadership Book

This book will teach you how to be a better leader. It explains so many issues that all leaders struggle with as leaders at all levels not just CEO’s. It gives insight at what major leaders that have been successful with deal with or have dealt with in their career.

words to think about

there are many words of wisdom within the content of this information. some that will serve as a reminder, some that are new thoughts and actions to be implemented within my team, and I'm sure that many others that will serve as a guide as I move forward within my management career and into the CEO position! I am very grateful for each and every one of them! I am sure that this book will be a resource for me along the way!