The Mind of the CEO

The Mind of the CEO
by Jeffrey E. Garten

If you ran across this “jewel” in your favorite bookstore and read the few words that appear on the cover, you’d want to sit down and immediately investigate further. It reads: “Suppose you had the chance to travel around the globe and meet today’s most powerful business leaders, one on one. Suppose they talked frankly and openly to you about their business strategies, what it takes to be a leader, their vision of the future, and what keeps them up at night. Jeffrey E. Garten took that trip. Here’s what he heard—and what he didn’t hear.” How could you walk away from an invitation like that? 

Reading this book is like being at the World Economic Forum—not at the formal presentations but in the hotel bar afterward, where the microphones are turned off and world-famous business leaders say what they really think. Better still, their confidant, Jeffrey Garten, interprets what they say, telling you how their views relate to each other and the world economy, and noting the many important things left unsaid. Learn from the experience of 40 of today’s greatest leaders as they share insights to their careers and their organizations. This impressive list includes Leonard Riggio (Barnes & Noble), Stephen Case (AOL), Michael Dell (Dell Computer), Andrew Grove (Intel), Jack Welch (GE), William Clay Ford (Ford Motor), Fred Smith (FedEx), Roger Enrico (PepsiCo), Christopher Galvin (Motorola), John Brown (Amoco), and many others. 

This author is obviously well credentialed to offer this revealing glimpse into the future of business. Jeffrey Garten is the Dean of the Yale School of Management and a monthly columnist for Business Week.  He was previously Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade in the Clinton administration, and before that a managing director for two Wall Street Banks.

(This book review was originally published in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 6.)