HBR Live Webinar: The CEO Test

Are you ready to lead? Will you pass the test?

Despite all the efforts through the years to understand what it takes to be an effective leader, the art of leadership remains enormously difficult and elusive. Most CEOs don't last five years in the job. The demands to deliver at a consistently high level can be unforgiving.

In their new book, The CEO Test, Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer present guidance for navigating leadership's toughest challenges. They are uniquely qualified to offer this advice: Bryant has conducted in-depth interviews with more than 600 CEOs, starting with the 'Corner Office' series he created at The New York Times and now as an executive mentor; Sharer spent more than two decades as president and then CEO of Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company.

On 29 April, Kevin and Adam will join us to share the seven pivotal reasons they have identified for leadership success:

Test #1: Can you develop a simple plan for your strategy? Simplifying and communicating complexity is a leader’s superpower.
Test #2: Can you make the culture real—and matter? It’s about practising what you preach.
Test #3: Can you build teams that are true teams? Trust and collaboration is key to driving strategy.
Test #4: Can you lead transformation? The status quo is enormously powerful, and the enemy of change.
Test #5: Can you really listen? Danger signals can be faint, and bad news travels slowly.
Test #6: Can you handle a crisis? Avoid the predictable mistakes that trip up so many leaders.
Test #7: Can you master the inner game of leadership? The conflicting demands and challenges must be managed.

Kevin and Adam will bring these themes to life with stories and lessons from their own experience, as well as insights from the world's most respected CEOs.

Register to confirm your place. You will receive the online link to the event in your confirmation email.

The event is free to HBR subscribers and followers. Click here to learn more about HBR and how to subscribe.

You can also purchase a copy of The CEO Test at the discounted price of £18.00 by choosing the webinar + book ticket option.

With

Adam Bryant is managing director of Merryck & Co., a leadership development and senior executive mentoring firm. Prior to this role, he was a journalist for 30 years, including at The New York Times, where he created and authored the widely read "Corner Office" column. He is the author of two previous books and is the senior adviser to the Rueben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University.

Kevin Sharer is the former president, CEO, and chairman of Amgen, the world’s largest biotech company, where he led its expansion over two decades. After stepping down in 2012, he taught strategy and management at Harvard Business School for seven years and co-created a popular course on the life and role of the CEO and how to lead senior executive teams. In his roles as an executive, director, and mentor, he has been involved with more than twenty successful CEO transitions, and he continues to advise CEOS of global corporations.