CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job--And Keep the Job -- Mark Thompson, Hardcover

Your track record of success isn't enough. Here's what it really takes to be CEO Ready.

You're on the short list for the CEO job, and you have a record of delivering amazing results. You've been told you have the inside track. You're the leader in the clubhouse.

Don't believe it. Remember that no matter what you've heard or what your CV says, you are not alone in the race, and the odds are against your getting the job.

Leadership selection isn't the methodical, objective process we imagine. Decisions aren't made by robotic executives ticking boxes for attributes such as strategic fit, core competencies, or cultural alignment. Instead, the process is deeply personal, emotional, and often unpredictable.

Now, Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin share with you what it really takes to become CEO ready. Thompson has coached thousands of executives and CEO candidates, and Loflin is a boardroom expert and adviser. They've seen firsthand the emotions that sway CEO selections as well as the personal and boardroom dramas that unfold as a company prepares to pass the baton of leadership.

In CEO Ready, Thompson and Loflin reveal what you need to do to maximize your chances of being the one who secures the top spot, including identifying the seven key stakeholders CEO candidates need to understand and work with. Filled with practical advice and compelling and instructive stories from those who've gone through this arduous process, CEO Ready is essential reading for anyone who aspires to the ultimate leadership position.

Author: Mark Thompson,Byron Loflin
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Published: 11/25/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9798892791687

About the Author

Mark Thompson is a globally recognized authority on CEO succession, executive readiness, and high-stakes leadership transitions. He has led more than a hundred board-level engagements to prepare C-suite successors. He is the founding chairman and CEO of the Chief Executive Alliance and the CEO Leadership Plan Review. Previously, he served as chief executive of the CEO Academy, a SHRM company, in partnership with Wharton and McKinsey. He is coauthor of Admired, a New York Times bestseller; Success Built to Last; and Now . . . Build a Great Business.

Byron Loflin is a two-time CEO who currently serves as the Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq and is the former CEO of the Center for Board Excellence, now a part of Nasdaq. With more than two decades of experience advising corporate boards, CEOs, and executive teams, Loflin is globally respected for his pragmatic approach to board leadership, integrity, and strategic alignment. He has interviewed over a thousand CEOs and board members and continues to pioneer tools and frameworks that elevate board effectiveness, helping organizations strengthen their oversight and strategic impact.