CEO Logic: How to Think and Act Like a Chief Executive (ISBN 1564143465)

The REAL DEAL!! A Guide for becoming a "Level 5" manager:
As the back cover of this book says, go ahead, read those other books by high-profile celebrity CEOs to get motivated. Then read this book to see HOW it is done. I say, skip the celebrity CEO du jour books, and go straight to this 5-star book for "Level 5" people. This is a clear, consise, and exceptionally well proofread and published book (not one error in this book - as opposed to Moore's Crossing the Chasm - a terrible proofreading job). C. Ray Johnson cuts to the chase as to just what and how an effective CEO does and conducts him/herself, and in so doing convinces the reader quickly that anyone has the capacity to do pursue the principles of CEO logic if they really have the will and desire. Johnson's incredibly clear early chapters lay out the effective CEO melds business understanding with personal principles. From there he goes through each aspect of key business functions and uses his CEO Logic approach for the right direction in each. His chapter on turnaround management is great. Another very important note, this book and Jim Collins' Good to Great compliment each other. Collins makes the key point early on that companies that go from good to great are rarely run by celebrity big-ego CEOs brought in from the outside, but are instead run by generally quiet, unassuming people who are nevertheless deeply rooted in their convictions and desire to be great and have a winning team working with them. This is what Collins refers to as a "Level 5" leader. You can think of Johnson's book as a primer on how a Level 5 leader conducts business and takes on leadership. Buy both books! You'll be glad you did. And, while you are at it, leave the self-aggrandizing celcb CEO books on the shelf ;-)

CEO Logic: How to Think and Act like a Chief Executive by C. Ray Johnson.:
The reason I read this book is that I wanted to learn to be an effective chief executive officer (CEO) and how CEOs think and make decisions, as I aspire to be one in the next two to three years. CEO Logic provides a wide perspective about the challenges of being at the top of an organisation. C. Ray Johnson provides the knowledge of how to rise to the top of an organisation; how to think like a successful CEO, how to run an organisation successfully and how to turn a faltering organisation around from a loss making company, to a profitable entity, among other interesting topics. CEO Logic explains what drives the actions of successful CEOs. It explains how to think clearly and perceive the fundamental management issues that influence business decisions and the habits of mind needed to achieve success in business. The book gives an exposition of the foundations of business success, development of a business philosophy that works, and the strategic application of that philosophy in an organisation. CEO Logic teaches the operating disciplines required to establish and grow a business. What I particularly liked in the book was the information on how a CEO can effect a turnaround. Ray Johnson provides, in chapter 10 of CEO Logic, ten steps of turning an organisation around. Based on the ten steps, those responsible for changing the fortunes of a company have an excellent blue print they can rely upon.

Understand What is Important to the CEO and Your Career:
A lot of times when a person starts out at an entry level job, he sees only his direct working environment but sometimes doesn't understand why certain departments or people have priorities over others. CEO Logic is a great reference for those who want to understand what goes on or should go on in the CEO's mind. I highly recommend it to a new or young CEO to understand what their priorities should be and how to handle them accordingly. Some of the questions answered: Why is it so imiportant to have and operate a company by a set of principles? Why is it so important to have an open dialogue with workers and staff in a non-threatening environment? Why is cash flow so important? These and many other questions are posed to provoke the reader to think and most of the answers are used in real life examples of CEOs who have either made the mistake and corrected it or those who belong to the business obituaries page. The book is broken down into 4 parts with 19 Chapters: Part 1: The Foundation Ch1: Thinking Like a CEO Ch2: Planning Strategy and Making Decisions Part 2: Manageing Organizations and Execution Discipline Ch3: Business Operations Plannning: Define the Risks Worth Taking Ch4: People Management: Never Try to Teach a Pig to Think Ch5: Career Management: Control Your Own Desitny Ch6: Sales: Keep it Simple and Understand it Completely Ch7: Numbers: Don't be Fooled by the "Accounting" Part3: Cash, Crisis and Opportunity Ch8: Banking: Master Their Rules Ch9: Cash Management: Keep the Lifeblood Flowing Ch10: Tough Times and Turnarounds: Match the Cure to the Illness Ch11: Acquisitions: Don't Bujy it if You Can't Improve it Part4: Character, Ethics, Communication and Wisdom Ch12: Leadership: Nothing Mystical, Nothing Magical Ch13: Secrets: Wit and Wisdom from the Trenches Ch14: Final Thoughts: Simple Truths from Great Compelexities

CEO Logic:
This is a great primer for a new CEO...someone in a small company moving into the role because of being a top producer or maybe by buying in but has never had any serious management experience. It is an easy read, and because of that, doesn't have a lot of depth. However, if the new CEO has what it takes to grow into the job, this book should spark an interest to acquire more knowledge.

Good Gems:
This book has some good gems in terms of dealing with the challenges of being a CEO. It comes from a place of knowledge unlike several more academic business books. I liked this book and recently finished another book that I think is also an excellent CEO primer and tool-kit for CEOs called, "Kiss Theory Good Bye" by Bob Prosen. It was published last year and offers some very actionable takeaways in each chapter as well.