Press Room

New York Times bestselling author of How to Think Like a CEO

hailed by condé nast portfolio as

"one of the top five executive coaches to have on speed dial."

The bestselling author and renowned executive coach puts aspiring

leaders on the fast track to the top, with proven advice for anyone who

is ready to make a leap-and make a difference

"You do not need to be the company's record-producing individual performer to be talked about in a

glowing manner. You do not have to be an alumnus of a blue chip company, a graduate from a top B-school,

or have the highest IQ. You can come from any walk in life. You can be tall, short, attractive, not so attractive.

Even if your current job is being the person who gets the coffee for the person who makes the coffee,

you can take on the ownership of your career the minute you start reading this book."

-from the introduction

"I learned through tough experience the lessons of leadership.

Sharing those lessons with others, and learning how much the same it is for all leaders, is invaluable."

kate dargan, california state fire chief

"CEO Material is a practical, engaging, and people-savvy instruction manual on how to dial up your leadership effectiveness and enhance your career.

Debra profiles what it takes by getting inside the head of current CEOs and highlighting a broad range of to do's for those on their way to the top."-

jim goldman, ceo & president, godiva chocolatier

"Chief executive officer" is not just a role restricted to corporate America. In academia, the public sector, the nonprofit world, and elsewhere, the need for top-tier leadership is greater than you think, especially in today's climate of economic uncertainty. What does it take to be part of the new spirit of integrity, following in the footsteps of Amazon's Jeff Bezos or Google's Eric Schmidt, who have built inspiring profiles and continue to command great respect? Renowned executive coach Debra Benton reveals the surprising answers in CEO MATERIAL: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization (McGraw-Hill; Hardcover; ISBN: 978-007-160545-8; $24.95; May 8, 2009).

Building on the powerful lessons she has culled during her thirty-year career, Benton reminds readers that they are their own career managers-and gives them the tools to take the helm of their own lives, not relying on their boss, their boss's boss, the HR department, or headhunters to steer them in the best direction.

CEO MATERIAL draws on candid, real-world observations from more than one hundred top leaders in a variety of fields, who agree that having a perfect record on paper is hardly the key to moving ahead. Taking readers behind the scenes, Benton reveals what board members and directors really talk about when evaluating new talent.

Readers can at last tap their true potential, receiving frank, honest advice on:

• Discovering the advantages of being a leader. Intimidated by the responsibility? Benton breaks through the nay-saying that keeps workers muddled in middle management, with inspiring insight on the rewards-beyond the sizeable financial ones-of becoming someone who can transform lives.

• Overcoming self-doubt. Readers who struggle with the belief that they don't know enough or aren't charismatic enough to step into the shoes of a supervisor will be inspired by the wealth of wisdom shared in CEO MATERIAL. All CEOs experience a learning curve, and the transition to executive-level power calls for a variety of deeply human, universal traits.

• Mastering the leadership foursome of craftsmanship, confidence, constant communication, and collaboration. Relying on your technical brilliance is the worst mistake an aspiring leader can make. The "foursome," however, represents the fundamental components of exceptional leadership in all fields, from firefighting to financial advising.

• What it takes to get noticed. Ever wonder what top managers are saying about you behind closed doors? It's possible that they aren't saying anything about you ... but Benton's advice will make you one of the company's most talked-about individuals, for all the right reasons.

• The key ingredients admired by top executives, with vivid chapters on developing an impeccable reputation for integrity and honesty; getting people to follow you even though they don't have to; being decisive; managing downturns well; and other important attributes.

Benton firmly believes that it's never too early to start fostering advancement in rank. "What are you waiting for?" she asks, reminding readers that "where you are today is a product of your past decisions. Where you will be in the future is a product of today's decisions." Putting her inspiring words to work, CEO MATERIAL reads like a series of personal conversations with those who have thrived at the top, giving future CEOs from all walks of life a chance to learn from the best of the best.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Featured widely in the media, Debra Benton is a speaker and executive coach in high demand. A "Who's Who" of success stories, her client roster ranges from Campbell's Soup and Dell Computer to Time Warner and McDonald's. She has written for such publications as the Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal, and her bestselling books, which include Executive Charisma and How to Act Like a CEO, have been translated into fourteen languages. She lives in Colorado.

CEO MATERIAL

How to Be a Leader in Any Organization

By Debra Benton

ISBN: 978-007-160545-8

Hardcover, $24.95