Page 24 - Executive Warfare

Introduction

While I have read hundreds of so-called management, success, and lead-
ership books—some philosophical, some pious, and some just self-
aggrandizing—I have not read one that gives any really practical advice
for beating those odds and continuing to rise.
Well, I happen to have a lot to say on this subject. In my career, I’ve had
the chance to observe the struggles of smart, talented people trying to break
into senior management in dozens of different corporate cultures, as well
as at universities, nonprofits, and in government. I began my career in the
1970s in advertising and public relations, and my clients included many of
the big forces of the day, such as Gillette, Mobil Oil, and Owens Corning.
My employers have also included Citibank and the one-time computer giant
Control Data, as well as John Hancock Financial Services, where I became
CEO in 2000. In addition, I have served on the boards of many nonprofits.
Along the way, I’ve seen a lot of people who failed to catch the wind,
some who crashed painfully, and others who skillfully gathered the
momentum to rise—enough of each to codify a few thoughts about the
nature of flight when it comes to
careers. While my last book offered
IT’S NO LONGER
advice about getting on the road to suc-
ENOUGH TO BE
cess, I wrote Executive Warfare for those
SMART, HARD-
already successful men and women who
WORKING, ABLE TO
are nonetheless intent on moving
SHOW RESULTS;
upward—the ones with the courage,
YOUR RIVALS ARE
stomach, and desire to break out of the
ALL SMART, HARD-
middle of the pack and get to the top.
WORKING, ABLE TO
The problem is, it’s relatively easy to
SHOW RESULTS.
be successful in the middle. You just
have to do the things that were
drummed into all of us as children: be smart, hard-working, able to show
results. Once you reach a certain point, however, it’s no longer enough to
be smart, hard-working, able to show results; your rivals are all smart,
hard-working, able to show results. These qualities are like the ante in a

4