Insights for the Journey

Book excerpt: What is an insight? It's more than just a fact. It's an understanding of how things really are.This remarkably brief book delivers tons of truth about existing, surviving, moving up, achieving leadership, delivering results, reaping rewards...and ultimately finding self-perspective and satisfaction in the world of Senior Management.Only rarely in any decade does a book capture, and bring new insights to, an infinitely broad subject in just a few words.This one does, because it's derived from a wealth of first-hand observation.For over 30 years, John Lucht has been recruiting senior executives from CEO on down...first for six years at Heidrick and Struggles, America's second-largest search firm, and for the past 24 years in his own independent practice which, for the past ten years, has also included outplacement and executive coaching at the highest levels of management. For ten earlier years he, too, was an executive on the fast track...acutely aware of the cultural and performance issues that determine progress, rewards and-ultimately-personal satisfaction among executives."It's been my privilege-and a fascinating pleasure-to interview over 4,000 high-level executives," he says. "I've also come to know many of these men and women on a far more informal and personal basis. Increasingly in recent years, I've helped some of them with their interpersonal, organizational, and even their operating concerns.""What you and I are sharing together in this book comes mainly from knowing, evaluating, and assisting so many senior executives. Seeing what the most successful have done well-and others less well-is the basis for the insights I'm passing along to you," says Lucht. "We're both indebted to lots of other fine people for what you'll find here."Lucht's explanation, while accurate, is unduly modest. He's not only an astute observer, he's also an expert communicator. His RITES OF PASSAGE AT $100,000 TO $1 MILLION+ (now with in-depth Internet coverage) is the #1 bestselling text on executive job-changing ... as it has been ever since it first appeared over a decade ago.