cover image Wisdom for a Young CEO

Wisdom for a Young CEO

Douglas Barry, Doug Barry. Running Press Book Publishers, $14.95 (128pp) ISBN 978-0-7624-1831-2

At the tender age of 12, author Barry decided that what he wanted most in life was to become the CEO of a major corporation. Unsure of where to begin (join the all the school clubs? raise his G.P.A.?), he wrote letters seeking advice from the CEOs of more than 150 major corporations. Most of them sent him personal letters back in response. Now, at the ripe age of 17, he shares their wisdom in this compelling collection of letters and quotes from chief executives at companies like Johnson & Johnson, Viacom, Dow, Kraft and Southwest Airlines. The advice is carefully arranged into chapters on passion, respect, vision, humanity, curiosity, integrity and pragmatism, each prefaced with an engaging introduction. The letters themselves do contain a fair number of cliches, but there are also quite a few passages of wisdom. A.G. Lafley, chairman and CEO of Proctor & Gamble, writes that great leaders""have deeply held values that guide their choices."" Reuben Mark, chairman and CEO of Colgate Palmolive, explains that leaders should communicate simply.""Express your ideas in terms everyone can grasp. No one can follow a road map they can't read."" In the end, readers--whether they are just embarking on a career or are veterans of the working world--can find ideas to inform and inspire them here.