Tales from the Top: 10 Crucial Questions from the World's #1 Executive Coach

By Graham Alexander

Book Overview

Don't dismiss the question too quickly. After all, the possibility for change lies not in the wisdom of a consultant, but in your own capacity for self-reflection... vulnerability... honesty. Questions such as these will prompt the honest and personal conversations you've needed to have with yourself for a while. Your peers will be aware only of the dramatic results that follow. Are you ready to take the next step in your journey of leadership? Graham Alexander offers the insight of decades of coaching with the world's top businesspeople. He has seen it all, and his tales from the top reveal that the leadership issues with which you struggle are universal. You may see a little of yourself in these tales as Alexander shares the concerns and uncertainties of the world's top leaders. Each chapter is followed by an executive summary of forthright "Million-Dollar Questions," strategic "Action Item" suggestions, and grounding "Executive Notes." For added measure, the "Wake-Up Calls" will challenge you with the hard truths that others may be unwilling to speak. Tales from the Top is aggressive in its demands for your honesty. And its dividends are significant as it fosters a self-awareness that is too often lost in the daily demands for high performance. Book jacket.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078521335X
• ISBN13: 9780785213352
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Nelson Business
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

One of the best

One of the best hands-on leadership books I have read. Excellent tips and practices. Great stories. Very practical with items that can be implemented immediately. Very thought provoking.

Crucial Questions from a Top Executive Coach by Alexander

The author is a proponent of the following organizational customs/philosophies: - get fear out into the open where it can be confronted and dealt with constructively - say what you think - face facts dispassionately rather than running away from them - confront negativity head-on - be passionate about your business - seek new missions to reinvigorate staff - select the undone things on your "to do" list - itemize reasons for failure or reasons why there are no results - discuss the unmentionables dispassionately - do not waste precious talent The work is invaluable because it confronts reasons why people and/or organizations face intractable bottlenecks. Dispassionate honesty flushes out why an organization does not work so that constructive strategies can be put forth to improve the throughput of decision-making .

Made a huge difference in the way I run my company

No one teaches you to be a CEO, but this book offers a rare peek behind the scenes in other corner offices. The book gives real-world examples of issues faced by some of the world's top executives, and walks you through how Alexander coached them to solutions that substantially increased their effectiveness. He brings a refreshingly human approach to leadership issues. I hear his fee is $1,000 an hour, so this book seems like a pretty affordable way to get his help!

Tales From The Top

Tales From The Top is a must read for every leader! This book not only helps you to achieve your best in business but as well teaches you how to achieve your personal best in life. I appreciate how Graham asks the appropriate questions to not only help you excel in business, but also how to thrive in your personal life. Many books on the market today help you to excel in one or the other, not in both. I appreciate the balance Graham challenges every leader to achieve.

Tales From the Top is a must read for business leaders

"Graham's experienced, original, honest approach in helping business unit leaders improve themselves, which in turn improves the companies they run, is powerful and full of real work and world wisdom. Tales From the Top is a must read for managers and business leaders"