CEO Ready, Mark Thompson
CEO Ready, Mark Thompson
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CEO Ready
What You Need to Know to Earn the Job--and Keep the Job

Author: Mark Thompson, Byron Loflin, Marshall Goldsmith

Narrator: Graham Rowat

Unabridged: 9 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 11/25/2025


Synopsis

Your track record isn't enough. Here's what it really takes to be CEO Ready.

You're on the short list for the CEO job and you have a record of delivering amazing results. You've been told you have the inside track. You're the leader in the clubhouse.

Don't believe it. Remember that no matter what you've heard or what your CV says, you are not alone in the race, and the odds are against you getting the job.

Leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes like strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable. If you think it's purely merit-based, you're not CEO ready.

But don't worry, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin have coached thousands of candidates through the process and have seen it all—they know what it takes to become truly CEO ready and they're sharing it here. They've witnessed the personal drama that unfolds as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership, as well as the emotions that sway final CEO decisions. In CEO Ready, they reveal what it really takes to secure the top job.

About Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson has been the president and CEO of the New York Times Company since 2012. Previously, he was director general of the BBC from 2004 to 2012 and CEO of Channel Four Television Corporation from 2002 to 2004. Born in London, Thompson attended Stonyhurst College and Merton College, Oxford. Thompson has three children with his wife, writer Jane Blumberg.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Darya on August 11, 2025

This book is a pragmatic guide for executives aiming for the top. Drawing on decades of leadership coaching and board advisory experience, the authors strip away myths about CEO selection and reveal the reality: performance alone does not guarantee the role. The process is often subjective, shaped b......more

Goodreads review by Jesper on December 20, 2025

Practical, modern CEO playbook - clear and actionable. Mark Thompson’s CEO Ready is one of the more practical leadership books I’ve read in a while. It’s not hype or theory—it’s a structured guide to how CEOs actually think, decide, communicate, and build teams. The frameworks are straightforward, th......more