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The CEO Whisperer

Meditations on Leadership, Life, and Change

  • Book
  • © 2021

Overview

Authors:
  1. Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

    1. Europe Campus, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France

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  • Includes personal anecdotes, case examples, and vignettes
  • Short, concise chapters make this book easy reading for the busy executive
  • Written by a genuinely pioneering practitioner, educator and scholar in the field of clinical and psychodynamic-systemic executive coaching/consulting/ and one of the “gurus” in the field of team dynamics, leadership development, and organizational change

Part of the book series: The Palgrave Kets de Vries Library (PKVL)

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Table of contents (28 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
    Download chapter PDF

  2. The Rot at the Top

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 1-4

  3. A Leadership Laboratory

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 5-12

  4. The Clinical Paradigm

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 13-17

  5. An Existential Dive

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 19-25

  6. The Self-Actualizing Equation

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 27-33

  7. The Power of Storytelling

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 35-41

  8. “Rewriting” Stories

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 43-47

  9. Our Inner Theater

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 49-57

  10. Caveat Emptor

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 59-63

  11. The “Freudian” Trajectory

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 65-72

  12. The Rollercoaster Ride of Change

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 73-80

  13. The Whisperer’s Dance

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 81-90

  14. Creating “Aha!” Experiences

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 91-100

  15. Are You a Prisoner of Optical Illusions?

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 101-106

  16. The Loneliness of Command

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 107-114

  17. The Icarus Syndrome

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 115-120

  18. How Greedy Are You?

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 121-128

  19. Don’t Regret Regrets

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 129-132

  20. Managing Disappointment

    • Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
    Pages 133-139
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Keywords

About this book

At this critical junction in the history of humankind, leaders that are proficient in magical thinking aren’t going to solve our problems. Creating alternative realities is not the answer. We need a very different kind of leadership—leaders who can resist the calls of regression and whose outlook is firmly based in reality. We need leaders who analyze and draw conclusions from, or use their own experiences as a development tool, face their strengths and weaknesses, and critique their own experiences in order to build new understandings. In this very personal and entertaining book, Manfred Kets de Vries, one of the “gurus” in the field of leadership studies offers his thoughts on leadership and life, reflections written for executives and the people who deal with them. As a psychoanalyst and leadership professor let loose in the world of renowned global organizations—as a passionate educator and scholar, or just a human being at the receiving end of heart-rending emails—he examines thepitfalls of leadership and the challenges for the professionals who work with senior executives in today’s AI-focused world. He points out why leaders can derail, and what steps they can take to prevent this from happening. Ultimately, this book encourages you to “Know yourself,” but makes no bones about the challenge it represents. Understanding our “inner theatre” will always be an uphill struggle. Kets de Vries points out why deep dives into our inner world are always fraught with many anxieties. Included in the many subjects covered by the author are the loneliness of command, the management of disappointment, the destructive role of greed, the impact of stubbornness, the role of storytelling, the importance of wellness, and the role of corporate culture. In addition, the book addresses the important topic of how to create great teams and best places to work. Furthermore, the book touches on endings– the ending of our career and the growing realization of the inevitable ending of our life. As time grows short, Kets de Vries emphasizes that we have no time to lose in dealing with our anxieties, regrets, and the things we spend much of our life determined not to see. Taking a deep dive into self-knowledge requires courage and support, and he is here to guide you through it. 

Authors and Affiliations

  • Europe Campus, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France

    Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

About the author

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries is the Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD where he has been the pioneer to make leadership studies and executive group coaching part of the school’s DNA. Tens of thousands of executives and coaches worldwide have been introduced to his leadership team intervention methodology. He is the Program Director of INSEAD’s long running top management program, “The Challenge of Leadership: Developing Your Emotional Intelligence.


The Financial Times, Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and the Economist have rated him among the world’s leading management thinkers. As a global consultant in executive leadership development, his clients have included many of the most important global organizations. He is the author of more than 50 books and hundreds of articles, the recipient of numerous awards, including two honorary doctorates. He is also thechairman of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI), a boutique leadership development consulting firm.

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