CEO Ready
What You Need to Know to Earn the Job--and Keep the Job
Published on 25. November 2025
Book
Hardback
272 pages
979-8-89279-168-7 (ISBN)
Description
Your track record of success 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 your getting the job.
Leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes such as strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable.
Now, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin share with you what it really takes to become CEO ready. Thompson has coached thousands of executives and CEO candidates, and Loflin is a boardroom expert and adviser. They've seen firsthand the emotions that sway CEO selections as well as the personal and boardroom dramas that unfold as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership.
In CEO Ready, Thompson and Loflin reveal what you need to do to maximize your chances of being the one who secures the top spot, including identifying the seven key stakeholders CEO candidates need to understand and work with. Filled with practical advice and compelling and instructive stories from those who've gone through this arduous process, CEO Ready is essential reading for anyone who aspires to the ultimate leadership position.
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 your getting the job.
Leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes such as strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable.
Now, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin share with you what it really takes to become CEO ready. Thompson has coached thousands of executives and CEO candidates, and Loflin is a boardroom expert and adviser. They've seen firsthand the emotions that sway CEO selections as well as the personal and boardroom dramas that unfold as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership.
In CEO Ready, Thompson and Loflin reveal what you need to do to maximize your chances of being the one who secures the top spot, including identifying the seven key stakeholders CEO candidates need to understand and work with. Filled with practical advice and compelling and instructive stories from those who've gone through this arduous process, CEO Ready is essential reading for anyone who aspires to the ultimate leadership position.
Reviews / Votes
Advance Praise for CEO Ready:"CEO Ready shines a light on what it takes to lead with purpose-something I've seen firsthand in our CEO Jean Oelwang's bold leadership at Virgin Unite and in my friend Mark Thompson's enduring commitment to her journey. For two decades he's championed Jean and our team, and CEO Ready embodies the mindset that prepares leaders like her to make a lasting impact." - Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group
"CEO Ready is an excellent resource for individuals aiming to make an impact within their organizations. Byron Loflin and Mark Thompson present an engaging narrative, complemented by real-world examples, to help readers develop key competencies necessary for effective leadership." - Nelson Griggs, President, Nasdaq
"When my friend Mark Thompson joined Schwab forty years ago during our IPO, we discovered a shared belief in the American dream-investing in the development of visionary leaders who build enduring companies, strong teams, and great service. CEO Ready reflects that spirit with clear, timely direction for those seeking greater responsibility." - Charles Schwab, founder, Charles Schwab Corporation
"CEO Ready unites two powerful forces-Byron Loflin, architect of boardroom excellence, and Mark Thompson, confidant to world-class CEOs-in make-or-break moments. Their hard-won wisdom delivers a rare, practical guide for aspiring and sitting CEOs-and for boards committed to choosing, developing, and supporting the right chief executive." - Marie Lalleman, Chair and Non-Executive Director, leading global tech firms
"Becoming a CEO is a leap that requires not just new skills but the humility to grow in unexpected ways. CEO Ready helps you reflect on what it means to lead with both head and heart in what may be the most defining role of your career." - Hubert Joly, former CEO, Best Buy; Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School; and bestselling author, The Heart of Business
"CEO Ready provides a method to the madness of making the transition to chief executive. Mark Thompson's guidance lifted me during my toughest moments as a first-time CEO. He challenged and inspired me to grow-and helped me lead Team USA's historic performance at the Summer Olympics. I'm humbled and grateful to him for being there when I needed it most." - Sarah Hirshland, CEO, US Olympic & Paralympic Committee
"What do CEOs need in today's dynamic tech environment, where workers feel more vulnerable than ever? A CEO must be the 'Chief Inspiration Leader,' galvanizing their employees' best energies and facing forward with positive power. Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin project the right balance. CEO Ready will change businesses for good." - Lord Michael Hastings, CBE, House of Lords, United Kingdom
"CEO Ready distills decades of hard-earned leadership insight. Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin equip rising CEOs not only to survive the boardroom but to thrive within it. This book is both a guide and a gift to the next generation of high-impact leaders." - Paul Mengert, CEO, Association Management Group (AMG); Community Associations Institute's Educator of the Year
"Mark and Byron are sought-after advisers to the world's most influential leaders and as trusted partners and friends. In CEO Ready, Mark and Byron help leaders rise to their highest potential-under pressure, in the spotlight, and when it counts most." - Pau Gasol, NBA Hall of Fame and Olympic Gold Medalist
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
502 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-89279-168-7 (9798892791687)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2025
Harvard Business Review Press
€33.99
Available for download
Persons
Mark Thompson is a globally recognized authority on CEO succession, executive readiness, and high-stakes leadership transitions. He has led more than a hundred board-level engagements to prepare C-suite successors. He is the founding chairman and CEO of the Chief Executive Alliance and the CEO Leadership Plan Review. Previously, he served as chief executive of the CEO Academy, a SHRM company, in partnership with Wharton and McKinsey. He is coauthor of Admired, a New York Times bestseller; Success Built to Last; and Now . . . Build a Great Business.
Byron Loflin is a two-time CEO who currently serves as the Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq and is the former CEO of the Center for Board Excellence, now a part of Nasdaq. With more than two decades of experience advising corporate boards, CEOs, and executive teams, Loflin is globally respected for his pragmatic approach to board leadership, integrity, and strategic alignment. He has interviewed over a thousand CEOs and board members and continues to pioneer tools and frameworks that elevate board effectiveness, helping organizations strengthen their oversight and strategic impact.
Byron Loflin is a two-time CEO who currently serves as the Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq and is the former CEO of the Center for Board Excellence, now a part of Nasdaq. With more than two decades of experience advising corporate boards, CEOs, and executive teams, Loflin is globally respected for his pragmatic approach to board leadership, integrity, and strategic alignment. He has interviewed over a thousand CEOs and board members and continues to pioneer tools and frameworks that elevate board effectiveness, helping organizations strengthen their oversight and strategic impact.