The Life Cycle of a CEO

Our understanding of why some CEOs drive phenomenal innovation and growth and others quickly falter is clouded by myths and caricatures: the bewildered rookie; the corporate savior, parachuting in to restore former glory; the treacherous villain out to destroy the planet or exploit people.

Claudius Hildebrand and Robert Stark break through these myths and provide insight into how those who thrive push themselves to evolve and master skills for meeting the challenges their companies face, and how they navigate the inevitable personal and organizational crises of corporate life as performance waxes and wanes.

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Praise for The Life Cycle of a CEO

The most successful CEOs can absorb data and process it to adapt quickly in an always-changing, competitive landscape. In The Life Cycle of a CEO, Claudius A. Hildebrand and Robert J. Stark offer both new and established leaders insights into how some of the most formidable CEOs of this generation have built and grown businesses, faced challenges, and managed crises — all of which are critical to master during a CEO’s tenure.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Chairman, CEO & co-founder, Blackstone

The Life Cycle of a CEO offers both inspirational flag-planting and road-building lessons toward excellence in all phases of a CEO’s journey. Hildebrand and Stark bring unparalleled analysis to a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data, weaving stories and examples into a compelling narrative that has provided me with key insights I wish I had when I stepped into the role. A critical addition to the CEO leadership literature.

Shantanu Narayen

Chair & CEO, Adobe

A groundbreaking exploration of corporate leadership that challenges conventional wisdom with rigorous analysis and compelling narratives. Hildebrand and Stark dismantle myths surrounding the ‘omnipotent’ CEO, instead offering a human-centered perspective on the challenges executives truly face, as well as the pivotal moments that can create career-changing growth. An essential read for anyone interested in understanding the realities of leadership at the highest levels.

Hubert Joly

former CEO, Best Buy; senior lecturer, Harvard Business School; and author of The Heart of Business

I have few regrets, but I wish I would have had a copy of The Life Cycle of a CEO before I onboarded as CEO in 2020. Now, starting my fifth year, I’m so glad I have a copy of this deeply researched book full of actionable and helpful tips. A must-read for incoming and current CEOs.

Carol Tomé

CEO, UPS

Effective leadership requires adaptability, vision, and regular reflection—lessons I’ve learned in my own career leading large organizations. The Life Cycle of a CEO leverages thorough research and rich storytelling to bring to life the different stages of a CEO’s journey, making clear that the throughline for success is growth and transformation.

Chris Nassetta

President and CEO, Hilton Worldwide

We talk about the first hundred days, but what happens next? In their essential book, Hildebrand and Stark masterfully combine the art of storytelling and science of data to illuminate the challenges and triumphs of a CEO’s journey from novice to elder. A must-read for current and aspiring leaders alike.

Herminia Ibarra

Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior, London Business School

A valuable blueprint for leaders

Unprecedented research, including an analysis of the individual performance of every 21st century CEO of the S&P 500 combined with 100 in-depth interviews.
Practical roadmap for CEOs, boards and aspiring leaders translating complex research findings into actionable guidance.
Focus on development, emphasizing continuous learning, adaptation and personal growth as critical components of successful leadership.

As boards face unprecedented pressure to get succession right, a new leadership framework has emerged around when to say when. The matrix is laid out in The Life Cycle of a CEO: The Myths and Truths of How Leaders Succeed.”

CEOs can hurt their companies if they stay too long. When’s the right time to say goodbye?

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Claudius A. Hildebrand, Ph.D and Robert Stark advise CEOs, CEO aspirants and boards. Drawing on decades of experience and deep research into executive potential and performance, they help CEOs to outperform, CEO aspirants to accelerate their development and boards to achieve value-creating CEO transitions. Their insights appear frequently in business publications, including Harvard Business Review.

Robert Stark

Claudius Hildebrand

Quotes from The Life Cycle of a CEO

I include my team in every decision. Sometimes, they wonder ‘why did you invite me in for this?’ But I know I need their input. I will go around the room and have everybody weigh in with their point of view. Allowing people to do that is amazing. Sometimes it’s the people who are perhaps the least vocal who have the most insight.

Shantanau Narayen, Adobe

It turned out that the personnel changes I made early on gave me more credibility in the organization because people knew I'd take action.

Pat Kampling, Alliant Energy

When you talk about confidence in your leadership, it does not happen in the first year. It happens over multiple interactions … It takes years to build confidence and only a moment to break.

Mahesh Madhavan, Bacardi

Enable every employee at the company to write themselves into that story and connect what drives them with their work and with the purpose of the company.

Hubert Joly, Best Buy

What makes a great CEO is the softer skills. They empower and inspire people. That’s essential, because no CEO is going to be able to drive the growth of a company without that.

Prakash Melwani, Blackstone

What I tell every CEO is, you don't want to be out on a limb by yourself. You want to make sure that you and the board are in alignment, particularly in these early days.

Cheryl Grise, Board member

A strong leader takes pride in being both a student and a teacher; you’ve got to find the sweet spot between them.

Larry Menlo, CVS

I told the board and my management team day one that I never want to ever hear that the board was surprised by anything. So, we have completely open communication with the board and, as a consequence, I’ve wound up with 12 advisers, not policemen, on the board.

Piyush Gupta, DBS Bank

Being a CEO for longer is tougher because you have to find ways to keep improving.

Nigel Travis, Dunkin

While in public you have to convey confidence in the moves you’ve made. It is imperative to be constantly questioning your own decisions.

Dave Cote, Honeywell

You have to hear the critics, because they're going to be a lot of critics. I don't think you can get distracted by them, but you need to listen carefully and make sure that you're addressing what the underlying nub of the criticism is.

Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt

I had a person who was a very good successor … I would have stayed another couple years, but I really didn’t want to run the risk of losing him.

Lew Hay, NextEra Energy

A public company CEO, if he or she wants to, can try to aggregate power in a way that no PE company CEO in a responsible private equity firm ever could.

Doug Steenland, Northwest Airlines

You have to feel it in your heart. Everywhere I traveled in the world, I didn’t just go to the Pepsi offices, I went to people’s homes, I watched what they ate and drank. I tried to understand the issues they faced.

Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo

Any new opportunity that came my way, I would take it.

Carol Tome, UPS

I was in prove myself mode. I knew that I was young, I was 46. I had never been a CEO. In my own mind I felt like I had to demonstrate to our people, and the world, that I should be the leader.

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