View From the Top (PDF)

Learn leadership from the best--proven insights from the
power elite in business, government, and beyond

View from the Top brings readers inside the corridors of
power and relates the personal stories and powerful findings from
the Platinum Study, a groundbreaking study of 550 elite American
CEOs, senior government leaders, and nonprofit executives based on
ten years of research. The largest study of its kind, the Platinum
Study delves into the domains of the elite with stories that
illustrate both the use and misuse of power across the landscape of
prominent American institutions such as AT&T, Harvard
University, UnderArmour, JP Morgan Chase, Bain & Company, and
the White House. The book explores not only how leaders wield
power, but it also provides readers with insight into applying the
strategies of the successful in their own lives.

In the United States, only a few thousand individuals make the
decisions that influence the lives of over 300 million people.
Whether in the government, business, higher education, or the arts,
these individuals direct policy and set the terms of national
debates, yet remain virtually unknown. View from the Top
explores the real lives of the elite and the social worlds they
inhabit, revealing lessons about influence at the top, and the
seven principles that shape those in power. The results of the
Platinum Study include unexpected truths such as:

* Being born into wealth is a poor predictor of leadership
success

* One program can set you on the path to leadership

* It doesn't matter what college you attend

* A leader's best work never sees the light of day

* Time-crushed executives are better situated than most to manage
their family lives

* Crisis is the quickest way for a leader to shape an
institution

* Working longer does not mean working better

The book examines the different paths to power and describes the
essence of leadership and the fundamental traits that distinguish a
leader from the pack. For anyone seeking sharpen their leadership
skills and impact the world around them, View from the Top: An
Inside Look at How People in Power See and Shape the World
provides the roadmap to taking charge and inspiring change.