What It Takes

Reviews / Votes

"This is the best book about corporate leadership thatI've ever read. Charley Ellis really knows what he's talkingabout."--John Whitehead, former Co-Chairman,Goldman Sachs & Co., former Deputy Secretary of State "Clear, crisp, and actionable insights on leadership,which can only come from a well experienced scholar andpractitioner like Charley Ellis in his usual wise simple andriveting story-telling style. And yes, simple doesn't meaneasy."--Abdullatif A. Al-Othman, Governor, SaudiArabia General Investment Authority "What It Takes is Ellis' finest work onorganizational excellence. He has distilled the essentialprinciples of organizational excellence, illustrating them withpotent examples and memorable anecdotes. His intimate knowledge ofthe organizations, deepened by 300 interviewers with insiders,imparts powerful insights and lessons for those aspiring to buildand sustain great and enduring organizations."--NgKok Song, Chief Investment Officer, Government of SingaporeInvestment Corporation "Charley Ellis has taken an incisive look under the hoodof some of the world's greatest professional organizations and hasput his perceptive finger on not only what has made them succeedbut has also led them to endure."--D. RonaldDaniel, former Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company "Once, again, Charley Ellis has delved into the mysteriesof leadership with clarity and insight."--JimRothenberg, Chairman, Capital Research and ManagementCompany "Charley Ellis looks hard at how great firmssucceed in fields as different as law, consulting and medicine . .. and finds what it takes that they have incommon."--Jeff Bewkes, CEO, Time Warner "Charley Ellis takes us through a series of master classeson corporate leadership. This is an outstanding contributionto help us understand that which divides winners fromlosers."--Lord Myners, former UK TreasuryMinister "A very interesting study of the similarities anddifferences in the leadership of five very different professionalfirms. Should be required reading for other firms in thoseprofessions."--Samuel C. Butler, former PresidingPartner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore "What It Takes is a clear-eyed view into thecomplexities of building and sustaining great organizations.Charley Ellis' artful storytelling imparts insights thatwould benefit anyone aspiring to thoughtful, effective leadershipthroughout markets and histories."--Lei Zhang,Founder and CEO, Hillhouse Capital Management Group "I cannot imagine anyone better qualified than Charley Ellisto analyze, identify and describe those characteristics whichseparate outstandingly successful professional firms from themerely very good ones. This fascinating book should berecommended reading for anyone wishing to become a leader in any ofthe professions described and indeed for anyone with an ambition tosucceed in business."--Peter Stormonth Darling,former Chairman, Mercury Asset Management "Of course everyone knows of the five great institutionswhich are the subject of Charley Ellis' latest book. But what is itthat made them outstanding? Charley in this searching andunsentimental if admiring analysis provides answers: A good ideatransformed into a novel business model, passion, commitment, goodjudgment particularly in the early years and great people. AnotherCharley Ellis book to treasure."--Sir WinfriedBischoff, Chairman, Lloyds Banking Group