Crack the C-Suite Code: How Successful Leaders Make It to the Top

by Cassandra Frangos

In Crack the C-Suite Code, Frangos reveals the hidden dynamics for reaching C-suite. She offers expert guidance based on her experience as a consultant at Spencer Stuart and former head of global executive talent at Cisco, a company with 70,000 employees. Her deep research on the topic includes candid interviews with CEOs, hundreds of aspiring C-suite candidates, and the leading experts in the field.

Frangos identifies four core paths you can follow to reach the C-suite: The Tenured Executive, The Free Agent, The Leapfrog Leader, and The Founder. To actively improve your chances for success, she presents:

● Insider knowledge from current CEOs and well known executives

● Guiding questions that clarify the risks and rewards associated with each path

● Accelerators and derailers that either enhance or detract from your chances to succeed

● Advice on how to leverage your experience, leadership brand, and mindset to help you land on the C-suite short list

● Insight on how the evolving role of the CEO affects your strategy to reach the top

A career playbook for anyone who aspires to the top spot, Crack the C-Suite Code features advice from successful C-level leaders, including Accompany's Amy Chang, Goldman Sachs' Edith Cooper, Nest's Yoki Matsuoka, Cisco's Chuck Robbins, and Corning's Wendell Weeks. These and other top leaders from a broad range of companies, including Microsoft, Google, and General Electric, tell the stories of their success and help aspiring executives crack the C-suite code.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2018

Reviews

[Gustavo Lichtenberger]

Interesting perspective, not a recipe

Good read. This book may be helpful with a couple of pointers. The author does a good job highlighting a series of possible ways to achieve the C-level. She also describes a series of interesting steps candidates should consider for career progression. Finally, she touches on interview questions and overall readiness.

[Dave]

With this book being under 100 pages, I was able to take in bits of this throughout my day at home and work. My biggest takeaway was the many different paths to get to the C-Suite level. I’ve read a few articles by Cassandra Frangos published by the Harvard Business Review and found those a bit more captivating than this book. Glad I read this one, but won’t be revisiting in the future.

[Leah]

I enjoy her articles in other venues but this book didn't resonate with me. It may be because I never felt compelled to get to the C-suite just for the sake of getting there. I really had no intention of doing so. But find myself here specifically based on an opportunity and what I can bring to the team. So maybe it's just more about different paths.

[Michael Wright]

A high-level summary of motivations and tactics that illustrated the most travelled routes to CEO. I finished the book and felt informed but less compelled to chase a C-Suite position. It helped me evaluate my own aspirations honestly. But was that the intended purpose of the book?

[David Klatch]

Good book - not earth-shattering.

I would recommend this book, it’s a good read. Can’t give 5 stars because it’s not everything, still a good read.

[Heather]

Quick read. Good info to action against on the journey to career growth!

[Alyssa]

Career CEOs aren’t appealing to me, so a book that almost applauds the entitlement and push for a title for the sake of a title was a hard read for me to get into. Seemed well-researched at least.

[Dee’s Cozy Corner Brown]

Great gems