Why Smart Executives Fail - by Sydney Finkelstein (Paperback)

About the Book

Finkelstein has carried out the largest research program ever devoted to business breakdowns. In "Why Smart Executives Fail" he uncovers the regular causes with startling clarity and unassailable documentation.

Book Synopsis

Bob Pittman and AOL Time Warner. Jean Marie Messier and Vivendi. Jill Barad and Mattel. Dennis Kozlowski and Tyco. It's an all too common scenario. A great company breaks from the pack; the analysts are in love; the smiling CEO appears on the cover of Fortune.

Two years later, the company is in flames, the pension plan is bleeding, the stock is worthless. What goes wrong in these cases? Usually it seems that top management made some incredibly stupid mistakes. But the people responsible are almost always remarkably intelligent and usually have terrific track records. Just as puzzling as the fact that brilliant managers can make bad mistakes is the way they so often magnify the damage. Once a company has made a serious mis-step, it often seems as though it can't do anything right. How does this happen? Instead of rectifying their mistakes, why do business leaders regularly make them worse?

To answer these questions, Sydney Finkelstein has carried out the largest research project ever devoted to corporate mistakes and failures. In WHY SMART EXECUTIVES FAIL, he and his research team uncover-with startling clarity and unassailable documentation-the causes regularly responsible for major business breakdowns. He relates the stories of great business disasters and demonstrates that there are specific, identifiable ways in which many businesses regularly make themselves vulnerable to failure. The result is a truly indispensable, practical, must-read book that explains the mechanics of business failure, how to avoid them, and what to do if they happen.

Review Quotes

A marvelaa jargon-free business book based on serious research that offers genuine insights with clarity and sometimes even wit... it should be required reading not just for executives but for investors as well. ("The Wall Street Journal") Richly detailed storytelling and analysis. ("Fortune") A landmark book, certain to become a classic. (Warren Bennis) If you think you know whatas bringing down the leaders of the corporate world, think again. (Alan Hassenfeld, Chairman and CEO, Hasbro Inc.)

A marvela jargon-free business book based on serious research that offers genuine insights with clarity and sometimes even wit... it should be required reading not just for executives but for investors as well. ("The Wall Street Journal") Richly detailed storytelling and analysis. ("Fortune") A landmark book, certain to become a classic. (Warren Bennis) If you think you know whats bringing down the leaders of the corporate world, think again. (Alan Hassenfeld, Chairman and CEO, Hasbro Inc.)

A marvel?a jargon-free business book based on serious research that offers genuine insights with clarity and sometimes even wit... it should be required reading not just for executives but for investors as well. ("The Wall Street Journal") Richly detailed storytelling and analysis. ("Fortune") A landmark book, certain to become a classic. (Warren Bennis) If you think you know what's bringing down the leaders of the corporate world, think again. (Alan Hassenfeld, Chairman and CEO, Hasbro Inc.)

"If you think you know what's bringing down the leaders of the corporate world, think again."

"If you think you know what's bringing down the leaders of the corporate world, think again. Written with tact and humor, and offering tremendous insight (often straight from the horse's mouth), Why Smart Executives Fail can be your road map for avoiding the rocky paths these leaders followed."--Alan Hassenfeld Chairman

About the Author

A professor of strategy and leadership at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, Sydney Finkelstein is a leading figure in worldwide executive education. His writing has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Organizational Dynamics, and other leading journals.