No one can be totally prepared to become the leader. But judging by turnover numbers in the CEO ranks, many aren't prepared at all. For CEOs and aspiring leaders to succeed, they need to shift their mindset. Rather than focus on the skills needed to become a great leader, they must focus on the most common challenges and causes of failure in the job. This indispensable guide prepares aspiring for the seven challenges they're bound to face once in the job and learn from the voices of leaders themselves how to overcome them.

• Authoritative and credible voices who've worked with hundreds of CEOs.
• Practical and well organized into the biggest challenges CEOs will face.
• Good read with plenty of stories from the front lines.

Audience: High-potential leaders, aspiring leaders, aspiring CEOs, current CEOs, HR executives.

Adam Bryant is managing director of The ExCo Group, a leadership development and mentoring firm, where he's worked with hundreds of CEOs. Prior to this he was a journalist for 30 years, including at the New York Times where he created and authored the massively successful Corner Office column in which he interviewed CEOs about their key leadership lessons. He's the author of Quick and Nimble and The Corner Office, a bestseller. He is also the Senior Advisor to the Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University.

Kevin Sharer is the former CEO of Amgen, the largest biotech company in the world. He spent 20 years in the role, growing the company from $1 billion to nearly $16 billion. He is a former chief engineering officer in the Navy and Lieutenant Commander on fast-attack submarines. He has helped with more than 20 major CEO transitions for various companies. He teaches at Harvard Business School, where he is the cocreator of a successful course on the life and role of the CEO.

You can find Adam Bryant at adambryantbooks.com/, @adambryant, and Linkedin: AdamBryantLeadership.
You can find Kevin Sharer at hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=681583.