Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives - Hardcover

Eric C. Hansen, managing partner at Navalent, has thirty years of business management, executive leadership and consulting experience having worked for The May Company, Intel Corporation, AT&T Capital Corporation, Hallmark Cards, Inc., and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. He holds an undergraduate degree in Business, and a master's degree in Organizational Behavior from Brigham Young University.

“Rising to Power unmasks the trials and triumphs of climbing the executive ranks. Based on a decade-long study and their extensive consulting experience, Ron Carucci and Eric Hansen show why some leaders flounder and others flourish.”
-- Adam Grant, Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and bestselling author of Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success and Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

After interviewing 2,600 high-performing senior executives, veteran  executive consultants Ron A. Carucci and Eric C. Hansen offer an excellent manifesto for new leaders. [...] They learned what traits, behaviors and  actions make good leaders great – regardless of their organization or  industry. The result is an up-to-date, indispensable guide to becoming a senior leader and succeeding at the top. [...] Carucci and Hansen pull no punches in this smart set of instructions for new bosses. getAbstract recommends their findings as essential reading for executives moving up.
- Rated 9/10 by getAbstract

Executives stumble in new jobs at least half the time. How do you avoid the failure trap? That’s the question Carucci and Hansen answer.
 -- FORTUNE

Boasting a prestigious list of clients including Fortune 50 companies as well as authorship of some seven books, former organization development professor (Fordham Univ.) and seasoned consultant Carucci joins with experienced executive and fellow consultant Hansen in producing a guide for rising executives. Their stated purpose is to diminish the ''growing disconnect between readiness and expectation among new executives'' and to identify for organizations ''mechanisms required to multiply and unleash executive capacity.'' Skills and traits for successful transition that have been distilled into categories termed Breadth, Choice, Context, and Connection were derived from text analysis of survey responses from over 100 executives, with increasing company stock price as the criterion for executive success. Well-worn advice about demolishing silos, cultivating 360-­degree information networks, building mutual trust, setting priorities, strategic decision making, openness to innovation, problem solving, and developing extensive knowledge about one's company and industry is mingled with admonishments to use one's power for good and to create an organization that fosters joy and loves fully engaged employees back. The takeaway is that since ascent to power can't be separated from personal sacrifice, occasional setbacks, and relinquishment of many characteristics and behaviors heretofore associated with success, a upcoming executive should hold fast to the vision of lasting success that can be achieved under his or her leadership. ---Library Journal Review

“In Rising to Power, Carucci and Hansen offer aspiring executives great advice as they face the challenges of transitioning into executive roles. They help executives shift from being overwhelmed and potentially paralyzed to mastering the executive altitude of organizations. The book offers great cases and thoughtful insights that will help any executive facing transition be more successful and make a lasting impact.”
-- Dave Ulrich, Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Partner in The RBL Group and bestselling author of The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations that Win

“Having watched many leaders rise to executive levels of organizations and struggle to meet the unforeseen demands those roles bring, I believe Rising to Power is a timely and impacting roadmap by which leaders can successfully ascend to executive ranks, and make powerful contributions once there. For leaders aspiring to top level roles in their organizations, I strongly suggest reading this first, and raising your odds of success.”
-- Dave West, President & CEO, Big Heart Pet Brands (formerly Del Monte Foods)

"In a sea of leadership sameness, Carucci and Hansen have emerged with a disruptive view of what modern-day executives should look and act like. Anyone who humbly occupies an executive leadership seat and desires to build a legacy of sustainable results must apply the lessons of this book. Do yourself, your shareholders, and your associates a favor—make the change today."
-- Ken Krivanec, CEO, Quadrant Homes

“Real. Powerful. Inspiring. Tough. Rising to Power provides a perspective on leadership that is easily relatable while being equally as challenging. If every management book could be this straightforward the leaders running the companies of today and tomorrow would be positioned for greatness!”
-- Tom Stillwell, CEO, Midnight Oil

“Don’t even think about taking a promotion to any type of ‘Vice President’ job or any role that starts with ‘Chief’ unless you have read this book first. There isn’t anyone who has moved into an executive role that hasn’t faced challenges brilliantly articulated and addressed in this book—the struggle to balance risk taking and decision making with confidence, patience, and trust without becoming completely paralyzed by the newfound power and magnitude of the issues at hand. If you want your leadership to effect remarkable good in the organization and lives of those you lead, start reading.”
-- Megan Bilson, Vice President, Global Head of Learning, American Express

“Anyone who has made the transition to an executive leadership position will immediately recognize themselves, along with the pitfalls of assuming a high-level role, within the pages of this book. It is a powerful and poignant wake-up call to leadership everywhere about how to adapt to and best use the inherent power of your role. Rising to Power is an excellent resource for current leaders, aspiring leaders, and HR professionals supporting succession management and leadership development within their organizations. Carucci and Hansen provide a compelling mirror and a practical, holistic approach to the productive use of power for top talent rising to the most critical positions of an organization.”
-- Mark Hamberlin, Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition, Danaher Corporation