The CEO Whisperer: Meditations on Leadership, Life, and Change

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 the pitfalls 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.

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 the chairman of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI), a boutique leadership development consulting firm.