Hidden Truths

Complete your leadership toolkit with this inside look at high-level, executive positions

Hidden Truths: What Leaders Need to Hear But Are Rarely Told delivers profound and rarely discussed insights about C-suite jobs that provide aspiring leaders with practical, new skills that will equip them for the immense challenges of their desired jobs. Through 14 illuminating chapters, accomplished Harvard Business School faculty member and former Senior Partner of McKinsey & Company sets out the essential habits that help leaders create success, time and time again.

You'll learn:

• How to recognize the limits of monetary incentives for employees and colleagues
• To manage your relationships with members of the Board of Directors
• How to value and realize true diversity
• How to manage mergers and acquisitions properly, one of the most difficult parts of business leadership

Perfect for managers, executives, and other business leaders with an eye on the C-suite, Hidden Truths also belongs on the bookshelves of people who already find themselves in a C-level position and wish to learn how to better manage the stresses and challenges of the job.

New CEOs must learn how to:

1 Arrive Prepared—new CEOs must hit the ground running with a game plan and a core team; time is now of the essence, and board patience is limited 1

2 Avoid Half-Truths and Misperceptions—the reality for CEOs is they are rarely told the whole truth by their teams: It arrives with shades of meaning and many misperceptions and political posturing 23

3 Adopt a Constituent Consciousness—new CEOs are easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume, breadth, and intensity of the constituencies they must now personally handle 49

4 Start Change Management by Changing the Management—to lead in new directions and create momentum for change means you best start by changing key executives 59

5 Avoid Becoming Isolated—being a CEOs is a lonely job—most are cut off from prior support teams and colleagues—far too few are available to deliver unvarnished advice 73

6 Manage the Mentorship Conundrum—CEOs need to manage the conflict between their desire to build a team that follows their agenda and the expectation of the board of directors that the CEO will develop a successor who is able to create their own leadership agenda 89

7 Use Role Modeling as a Change Tool—how leaders act, speak, allocate their time, and set priorities are some of the most effective and least used CEO management practices 99

8 Use Psychic Rewards, Not Just Monetary Ones—monetary awards have natural limits, so it’s better to use other meaningful incentives that appeal to people’s sense of self and belonging to sustain change 115

9 Get on Board with Your Board—the CEO-board relationship is one of the most complicated and challenging of all CEOs relationships Most CEOs underinvest in this relationship—often to their detriment 127

10 Do Good While Doing Well—CEOs must now balance the needs of shareholders and stakeholders; this is a tricky balance to maintain and real action is hard 143

11 Embrace the Value and Reality of Diversity—leaders need to deeply embrace the long-term value of diversity, commit to outsized efforts, welcome demanding constituencies, and commit to the personal leadership this goal requires—all while meeting short term commitments 157

12 Know When to Leave—too few leaders are sufficiently self-aware to recognize when they have plateaued and need to depart 165

13 Plan a Post-Leadership Life—CEOs shouldn’t drift thoughtlessly or naïvely into the next phase of their lives but create a purposeful strategy prior to their exit 177

14 Strive for Authenticity—being oneself rather than acting the part is key to being a successful leader 193

15 Seek Truths in the Future—Why the truths that are important today will be even more relevant tomorrow 205

DAVID FUBINI is on the faculty at the Harvard Business School. He is a Senior Lecturer and Henry B. Arthur Fellow in the Organizational Behavior Faculty Unit and teaches MBAs as well as executives. He is the leader of the Leading Professional Services Firm Program and is a core faculty member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Board of Directors Programs for Harvard Business School's Executive Education Efforts. Prior to Harvard Business School, David spent 34 years at McKinsey & Company where he was a Senior Partner and Managing Director of the Boston office and founder of its Merger Management Practice.

Follow celebrated consultant, educator, and leader David Fubini as he discusses what it takes to be a real leader in this invaluable resource. Hidden Truths: What Leaders Need to Hear but are Rarely Told compiles the most essential and practical leadership advice the author has gathered over his 30+ years of consulting to leaders of all types.

You'll learn about the fourteen essential skills that can help leaders deliver success—both for them-selves and for the organizations they serve. You'll also read about how to effectively assist others in leadership positions to better achieve your shared goals, whether you're a board member, an HR professional, consultant, or other professional.

Written in an approachable and actionable style, Hidden Truths prepares you for the crucible of leadership, in which emotions run high and interpersonal relationships are put at risk. The book describes how to navigate the fraught territory of high-pressure leadership positions where you never have enough hours in the day and where you must consistently choose between options without full information.

As modern leaders grapple with the digital revolution, a volatile economy, a demanding array of shareholders and stakeholders, an accelerating rate of change, and an interconnected world, this book stands apart in delivering practical guidance that can be immediately implemented to make your life simpler and more productive.

Perfect for Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Senior Vice Presidents, founders, entrepreneurs, and other executives, Hidden Truths also belongs on the bookshelves of anyone who must work with someone in one of these coveted but stressful roles. Aspiring leaders will also realize a substantial benefit from this book, as they learn the skills they'll need to succeed at the next level.

PRAISE FOR HIDDEN TRUTHS

"A must-read for new and aspiring CEOs who want to minimize pitfalls and maximize their impact. David Fubini leverages his 35+ years of experience working with CEOs to bring us concrete, real life, very practical, and insightful advice."
—HUBERT JOLY, former Chairman and CEO, Best Buy

"David has written an essential guide for the new CEO. Whether you are leading a public corporation or a major arts organization, Hidden Truths takes a productive approach to some of the most fundamental challenges of the role. David's counsel is practical, positive, and deeply relevant for all new leaders."
—MEREDITH "MAX" HODGES, Executive Director, Boston Ballet

"A McKinsey veteran writes yet another high-minded leadership book—pass the espresso with a 5-hour ENERGY chaser, right? Wrong. David Fubini takes readers behind the C-suite scenes at some of the best-known institutions in America, revealing the vulnerabilities of their leaders and their pragmatic, deeply human insights about how to drive change and achieve success. This isn't a book about theory. It's a book about reality, one in which striking access combines with hard-earned wisdom."
—BRIAN MCGRORY, Editor, Boston Globe

"Hidden Truths gives a unique, behind-the-scenes look at what the reality of leadership feels and looks like. Having experienced the challenge of leadership in military, academic, and business contexts I can readily say there are many important lessons learned for leaders of all types in this book."
—ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS, USN, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO

"David Fubini has produced a practical, insightful, and engaging book. He has used his years of consulting access to see 'behind the curtain' and showcase the very real, day-to-day complexities and challenges of being a CEO. He offers powerful and timely suggestions for leaders of all types of organizations."
—DOUG PARKER, Chairman and CEO, American Airlines

"Many arrive in the C-suite with hard earned knowledge, but this is far from sufficient. Successful CEOs, whether in the corporate, educational, or not-for-profit sector, must be able to demonstrate a wisdom borne of knowing what to do, why to do it, and how and when to galvanize others to get the critical work of the organization done on a continuous basis. In his book, David Fubini brilliantly, simply, and compellingly bridges the gap between knowledge gleaned from research and lectures and the wisdom CEOs usually achieve painfully through the trial and error of practice. This well-documented compilation based on his varied experiences at the pinnacle of corporate and academic leadership will flatten the learning curve and enhance the day-to-day efforts of both aspiring and well-experienced CEOs. Truly a must-read!"
—DEBORAH JEWELL-SHERMAN, Ed.D., Gregory R. Anrig Professor of Practice in Leadership, Harvard Graduate School of Education