The Education of an Accidental CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office
An inspiring story filled with lessons about business and life.David Novak—one of today's most engaging, unconventional, and successful business leaders—lived in thirty-two trailer parks in twenty-three states by the time he reached the seventh grade. He sold encyclopedias door to door, worked as a hotel night clerk, and took a job as a $7,200-a-year advertising copywriter with the hopes of maybe one day becoming a creative director. Instead, he became head of the world's largest restaurant...
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David Novak—one of today’s most engaging, unconventional, and successful business leaders—lived in thirty-two trailer parks in twenty-three states by the time he reached the seventh grade. He sold encyclopedias door to door, worked as a hotel night clerk, and took a job as a $7,200-a-year advertising copywriter with the hopes of maybe one day becoming a creative director. Instead, he became head of the world’s largest restaurant company at the ripe old age of forty-seven.While David never went to business school, he did learn from the greatest of teachers—experience—and plenty of other very smart people as well: Magic Johnson on the secret to teamwork, Warren Buffett on what he looks for in the companies he buys, John Wooden on ego, and Jack Welch on one thing he’d do over. Now he wants to share with you what he discovered about getting ahead and getting noticed; motivating people and turning businesses around; building winning teams and running a global company of nearly one million people; and always staying true to yourself.The Education of an Accidental CEO is filled with David Novak’s street-smart wisdom:From his formative years...• Walking through your anxieties• Avoiding the poison of stereotypes• Staying “right-sized” • Breaking through the clutterFrom his years as an ad executive and chief marketing officer ...• How not to roll over like Fluffy the dog• Seeing yourself as a brand• When to pull the plug on the Super BowlAs the COO of Pepsi Cola and then as president of KFC and Pizza Hut ...• Why a gold watch can have less value than a floppy rubber chicken• Knowing when “the answers are in the building”• Knowing when to do nothing• What it takes to revitalze a companyAnd as CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. ...• How to “shock the system”• How to avoid the slow-no’s• Managing two up and two downDavid Novak’s ideas for building an entire culture around reward and recognition—getting everyone from division presidents to dishwashers to buy into recognizing the achievements of others—is studied by other companies and discussed here in great detail. Whether you are the CEO of a global conglomerate or a budding entrepreneur, there is something here that will help you get where you want to go.
Introduction: "You Never Know What You're Capable Of" 1The Spin-off: Taking an Unexpected Shot at the Top 7Trailer Park Days: Being the New Kid on the Block 13Little Fish, Big Pond: Breaking Through the Clutter 23Climbing Up and Staying Grounded: Getting Down to Business 31The A-Team: Learning from the Best 52My Own Private Cola Wars: Paying My Dues 67The Operator: Getting Out of My Comfort Zone 83What Kind of President Was I Going to Be?: Being the Real Me 98The Career Maker: Turning the Business Around 118The Big Do-over: Shifting the Playing Field 131Andy and Me: Making One Plus One Equal Three 138How We Would Work Together: Setting Expectations 147Taking People with You: Practicing What You Preach 160The First Year: Coming Together as a Team 176Reward and Recognize, Part 3: Appreciating the Power of People 192Steal from the Best: Accelerating My Learning 200Be Careful What You Wish For: Managing Adversity 218Customer Mania: Going Bonkers 228Getting Things Done: Driving Results 238Leaders Take Questions: Providing the CEO'sPerspective 253Unfinished Business: Learning Never Ends 271Afterword 285Acknowledgments 287Index 293
