Mom's encouragement spurred Larry Bossidy.

From Better Under Pressure by Justin Menkes. Copyright [C]2011 by Esaress Holding Ltd. Published by Harvard Business Review Press (www.hbr.org/books).

As A PSYCHOLOGIST who works with the world's top CEOs, I have spent the last eight years specifically studying the differences between CEOs who fail and those who have shown remarkable staying power. I've worked with companies as they vet candidates for their top positions, helping them understand the key attributes needed for a person in that position to succeed. The findings in this book are based specifically on in-depth psychological interviews conducted with dozens of CEOs from the world's largest companies, both retired legends and those considered current masters of their domain, as well as analyses of performance evaluations for more than 200 candidates being considered for chief executive roles.

Larry Bossidy, retired chairman and CEO of Honeywell, spoke about the single thing that influenced him most profoundly during his career. "I was always really afraid that I wouldn't succeed," he told me. "I can remember on my mother's deathbed, she said, 'Larry, fulfill your potential.' She did a lot of great things for me over my life, but I've never forgotten what she said. And that's what I was most worried about. Was I going to...