Page 24 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

Introduction • 5

You’re working those 3 hours a day anyway; that effort might as well be
the most fruitful deliberate action toward the goal you want.

This is what to do at 22 to be a top dog by 42.

CEO Material is the set-the-record-straight framework garnered
from a group of top dogs (or you can call them thought leaders) talking
about what it takes today. (By reading this, I want you to be yourself, but
their advice helps you to shape yourself.) You’ll recognize some of what
you know to do already, and you can check off, “Yes, I do that.” You’ll also
see what you need to work on, noting, “I’ve got to do more of that.”

Treat it like a game. Find out the rules, and figure out how to play
to win.

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The first law: Understand the rules, but play your own game. The
second law: Understand the rules, but play your own game. The third
law: Understand the rules, but play your own game.

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You make it yours, but there is a foundation.
Every organization needs a leader. Motorcycle gangs have (official
and unofficial) designated leaders, as do Red Cross workers. Children on
school playgrounds follow the leader, just like dogs do in a pack. Regardless
of your calling, someone is going to lead the charge; no group can do
without. Again, it might as well be you.
In business, they’re formally called chief (fill in the blank with oper-
ating, technical, legal, personnel, administrative, technology, information,
continuity, risk, nuclear, marketing, manufacturing, financial, purchasing,
quality, country, security, learning, or strategic) officer—which can lead
to the CEO.
Being that person (with the formal title or not) is a lot bigger rush
than base jumping. It’s rad. It’s cool. And it’s awesome.

Everyone wants to be a chief, but most feel it’s unrealistic, so they
turn it around and act like they don’t want it anyway. But they
wouldn’t turn it down if offered.