Book it: Best bets for board reading: from a roundup of new books, insights on board dysfunction, D&0 insurance, an 'outsider' leader, board chemistry, being a CEO ... and 'statistical implausibility' in the executive ranks.

• Author: Kristie, James

Being a CEO (is not about the other stuff'

From 60-Minute CEO by Dick Cross. Copyright [c]2014 by the author. Published by Bibliomotion Inc. (www.bibliomotion.com).

The biggest gasps I provoke, along with the coldest looks, come when I offer my opinion that the Job at the Top is less than a full-time occupation. Dramatically less. Most CEOs spend considerable time doing things they knew how to do before they got their current jobs: financial management, sales, production, R&D, and the like. A significant portion of the rest of their time is taken up informing outsiders--including investors, lenders, trade press, suppliers, and the government--about the state of the company, a task that often spurs debilitating stress because of a need to paint a picture that's better than reality. The remainder of a CEO's time is typically devoted to administrative responsibilities, such as approving documents, updating the team, approving others' decisions, and serving as the official spokesperson for the organization.

None of these responsibilities has much at all to do with your Job at the Top, in running the company. They don't have much at all to do with what you are getting paid to do, which is to drive the future trajectory of the business. You must drive the business to new heights. You must foresee and navigate pitfalls. And you must ensure that the successes you achieve continue over a long period of time. Achieving those outcomes is your highest calling in the Job at the Top. It's not about the other stuff, which, in all but the smallest organizations, could and should be assigned to someone else.

Dick Cross has worked with underperforming companies for more than 25 years, serving as chairman, CEO or president at eight of those companies, and he has mentored more than 100 CEOs at many others (www.dickcross.com).

Board dysfunction, creates huge risk

From It's Not the How or the What but the Who by Claudio Fermindez-Araoz. Copyright [c]2014 by the author. Published by Harvard Business Review Press (www.hbr.org).

Each person working in your organization plays a role in its success. But you can't succeed without the right people at the very top, and that includes not just the C-suite but also every member of the board. I was recently asked to consult a very delicate assignment for a major global corporation. The CEO left unexpectedly, and the board doesn't see any obvious internal successors. My colleagues and I have rapidly put together a list of external...