{"id":146305,"date":"2025-10-08T09:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T13:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=146305"},"modified":"2025-10-07T11:41:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T15:41:28","slug":"ceo-excellence-mckinsey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/ceo-excellence-mckinsey\/","title":{"rendered":"CEO Excellence by McKinsey &amp; Co.: 6 Mindsets of the Best CEOs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Being a CEO means juggling countless responsibilities. It&#8217;s a role that demands both boldness and careful planning, vision and execution, leadership and humility. In <em>CEO Excellence<\/em>, McKinsey &amp; Company partners Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra distill insights from 67 top-performing chief executives into practical wisdom you can apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re already in the C-suite or aspiring to get there, keep reading to discover strategies that will help you lead more effectively while protecting your own well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-overview-of-ceo-excellence-mckinsey-amp-company\">Overview of <em>CEO Excellence<\/em> (McKinsey &amp; Company)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How do the world\u2019s best Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) run their businesses? What do they all have in common? These are the questions that Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra sought to answer when they interviewed 67 highly successful CEOs and compiled their findings into McKinsey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simonandschuster.com\/books\/CEO-Excellence\/Carolyn-Dewar\/9781982179670\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders From the Rest<\/em><\/a> (2022). By doing so, they\u2019ve created a unique guide to help you emulate the mindsets and practices of some of the best business leaders on the planet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors are all senior partners at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McKinsey &amp; Company<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s most prestigious management consulting firms. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/carolyn-dewar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dewar<\/a> is the founder and co-leader of McKinsey\u2019s CEO Practice, where she works with executives and board members to boost their effectiveness. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/keller-scott\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keller<\/a> leads the firm&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-organizational-health\/\">organizational health<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-leaders\/\">leadership development<\/a> practices, and helps companies succeed through better leadership and culture. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/vik-malhotra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Malhotra<\/a> is McKinsey\u2019s Chairman of the Americas and has extensive experience advising chief executives on strategy, growth, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/organizational-transformation\/\">organizational transformation<\/a>. Collectively, the authors have decades of executive consulting experience and have worked with people from many different industries all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors say the best CEOs are those who can effectively balance six mindsets: company direction, organizational unity, leadership guidance, board synergy, stakeholder relations, and self-care. This overview of <em>CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders From the Rest<\/em> condenses those six mindsets into three key areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>First, we\u2019ll discuss the mindset of running a company\u2019s operations and some strategies for doing so effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We\u2019ll then explore the various ways you\u2019ll need to deal with people: your leadership team, your board of directors, and finally the rest of your company\u2019s stakeholders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We\u2019ll conclude by explaining how you can maintain your own health and well-being while still keeping up with your numerous responsibilities as a CEO.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Area #1: Company Direction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra begin by exploring what most people likely picture when they think of a CEO\u2019s job: making big decisions about the company\u2019s strategy and future. This first section will discuss the two seemingly contradictory elements you must balance as you decide the company\u2019s direction: <em>boldness <\/em>and <em>risk management<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Make Big, Bold Moves<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra say the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/8-best-ceos-of-all-time-outsiders\/\">most successful CEOs<\/a> approach corporate leadership with a bold and fearless attitude. <strong>Rather than trying to minimize mistakes and failures, you should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/embrace-uncertainty\/\">embrace uncertainty<\/a> by chasing high-risk, high-reward opportunities. <\/strong>Some examples include buying or merging with other companies, investing heavily in company growth (as opposed to shielding the assets you already have), and regularly experimenting with new methods and tools to boost productivity or reduce overhead costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The McKinsey partners argue this bold mindset is necessary because a tiny fraction of companies make the vast majority of the world\u2019s profits, and the odds that your company will be one of them are extremely low. Think of it like the lottery: The only way to win is to play, and the more tickets you buy\u2014which is to say, the more risks you take\u2014the more likely you are to win big.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors add that <strong>this bold, forward-thinking mindset extends to managing your company\u2019s budget.<\/strong> In fact, they urge you to approach the budgeting process as if you\u2019re an outside observer\u2014that mindset will give you the emotional distance needed to make big but rational decisions about the company\u2019s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start each new budget completely from scratch, rather than making incremental changes to previous budgets. By doing so, you\u2019ll free yourself (and your business) from any internal politics, historical precedents, and emotional attachments that influenced previous years\u2019 decisions. Instead, you\u2019ll only have to justify your budget decisions based on how they contribute to your overall objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manage Risks<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra recommend you make big and fearless moves as a CEO, successfully executing such bold strategies requires you to <strong>plan ahead and take precautions to protect your company.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best CEOs don\u2019t just make big moves; they have the foresight about future market conditions and customer needs to make the <em>right <\/em>moves. Therefore, the McKinsey partners urge you to invest time and energy into understanding emerging trends, technological developments, and shifting competitive dynamics. Also, instead of trying to predict future trends on your own, build networks of advisors, customers, and industry experts who can help you identify upcoming opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also manage the risks associated with your business strategies by <strong>analyzing possible negative outcomes before making any big decisions.<\/strong> If you determine the worst-case scenario that could result from your decision, and make sure your organization can survive it, then you can pursue <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/ambitious-goals\/\">ambitious goals<\/a> without putting the entire company at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Area #2: Organizational Unity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-a-company\/\">Managing a company<\/a> may be what most people associate with the role of CEO, but that\u2019s only one part of your duties. <strong>As a leader, you\u2019re also responsible for managing <\/strong><strong><em>people<\/em><\/strong>: keeping everyone from your leadership team to your customers happy, and making sure everyone works toward the same goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this section, we\u2019ll discuss three areas where your soft skills can make the difference between being an average CEO and an exceptional one:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guiding and energizing your leadership team<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-love\/\">Building strong relationships<\/a> with the organization\u2019s board of directors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Connecting with company stakeholders<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Leadership Guidance<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra say that your executive team\u2019s effectiveness significantly impacts company performance. However, more than half of senior executives report that their company&#8217;s top team underperforms. <strong>These shortfalls often stem from friction within the leadership team<\/strong> rather than from any lack of intelligence or competence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, the authors urge you to prioritize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/understanding-group-dynamics\/\">team dynamics<\/a>: Choose people who can set aside their personal agendas for the good of the company, who support one another instead of tearing each other down, and who bring a diverse array of perspectives and ideas to the table. Doing so will lead to much better results for your leadership (and therefore your business) than obsessing over logistical matters like meeting frequency and agenda items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Foster Teamwork Among Company Leadership<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra add that even an ideal leadership team requires ongoing work and active management to perform at its best. This is because executives tend to be competitive, achievement-oriented people who often struggle to cooperate with each other. The McKinsey partners offer two strategies to help address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>First, consistently invest in team-building. <\/strong>One common practice is to hire facilitators or coaches. These professionals can help your team understand each others\u2019 individual working styles, build trust with one another, and set clear rules about how to resolve interpersonal conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Second, make sure your team works exclusively on issues that need their collective perspective and authority.<\/strong> In other words, give them problems that <em>require <\/em>them to work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra encourage you to prioritize agenda items that will truly benefit from the senior team\u2019s input, and delegate other matters to individuals or smaller groups who can handle them more efficiently. In addition to making your executives collaborate on major issues, this practice ensures that you\u2019re not wasting valuable team time on matters that don\u2019t really need the whole team\u2019s attention, such as routine operational issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Board Synergy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with your company\u2019s board of directors can be one of your most challenging responsibilities, but it\u2019s a crucial part of your duties as CEO. Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra emphasize the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-is-trust-earned\/\">building trust<\/a> with the board, because trust is essential to an effective working relationship. A strong working relationship, in turn, will allow you and the directors to work together for the good of the organization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To build that atmosphere of trust and collaboration, the authors first recommend that you practice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/radical-transparency\/\">radical transparency<\/a> with your board of directors. <strong>This means you proactively share both positive developments and problems as soon as they arise.<\/strong> In addition to establishing trust between you and the board, such openness serves two more purposes: It stops directors from wasting time looking for problems you\u2019ve hidden from them, and it ensures they can take action while issues are still manageable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also helpful to <strong>cultivate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/personal-connections\/\">personal connections<\/a> with each of the directors.<\/strong> To do so, learn about each one\u2019s area of expertise, strongly held beliefs and values, and communication preferences. Also, whenever possible, have one-on-one conversations with board members to get their input on important issues and share your perspectives in turn. These practices help strengthen the bonds between you and your board, leading to more effective teamwork and better outcomes for your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Stakeholder Relations<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Maintaining good relationships with your board is crucial, but Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra say that it\u2019s equally important to <strong>maintain good relationships with <\/strong><strong><em>all <\/em><\/strong><strong>of your company\u2019s stakeholders<\/strong>, from executives to customers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to do this is to create a meaningful, inspirational vision for your organization: something you can hold up as your ultimate goal and the reason why your company exists. This will create more authentic and productive relationships with all of your stakeholders because people who believe in your vision will believe in you, and therefore in your company as well. A strong, unique vision will also help set you apart from your competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To develop such a vision, <strong>look for places where the market\u2019s needs, your company\u2019s capabilities, and your personal passions overlap.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The McKinsey partners add that you can prove your commitment to your vision by also working to address other environmental, social, or political challenges, even if they\u2019re not directly related to your ultimate goal. As with your overarching vision, you\u2019ll have to identify where people\u2019s needs align with your organization\u2019s strengths.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the Walt Disney Company\u2019s mission is to \u201c <a href=\"https:\/\/thewaltdisneycompany.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8230; entertain, inform, and inspire people around the globe through\u2026 storytelling.<\/a>\u201d As an offshoot of that overarching vision, the company invests in a wide variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/impact.disney.com\/social-impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">philanthropic projects<\/a> to support people\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/good-health-and-happiness\/\">health and happiness<\/a> all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Align Company Culture With Company Vision<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Your company\u2019s vision will inspire excitement and trust among most of your stakeholders. However, remember that employees are stakeholders as well\u2014Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra say that keeping your workers engaged and committed requires you to create a workplace culture that meets their personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors offer some advice on strengthening your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/building-a-positive-workplace-culture\/\">company culture<\/a>. First, <strong>choose a cultural anchor\u2014a single, powerful focal point for your company culture. <\/strong>This is a similar concept to the \u201cinspirational vision\u201d the authors discussed before, but less specific; a cultural anchor is a concept or a mindset, rather than a concrete goal. It should be emotionally moving, logically connected to your company\u2019s performance, and simple enough that everyone from C suite executives to frontline employees can use it to guide their decisions. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, suppose you choose \u201crespect\u201d as your cultural anchor. That single word could encompass respect for every member of the organization (regardless of position), respect for oneself, respect for customers, and even respect for the world as a whole\u2014which implies that social and environmental responsibility are also part of the company culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The McKinsey partners urge you to <strong>involve leadership from every level of the organization in choosing your cultural anchor.<\/strong> Doing so will ensure that it authentically connects with the company\u2019s strategic and cultural needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve chosen your anchor, the authors say you must make sure your company culture aligns with it. You can do this in four ways:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1) Pay attention to people\u2019s stories about their experiences with your company<\/strong> as employees, customers, or any other role. The authors say to celebrate and share examples that demonstrate the values you want to promote, while letting stories that go against your new culture fade away on their own. Don\u2019t try to suppress negative stories, as that will only call more attention to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2)<\/strong> <strong>Make sure the company\u2019s daily processes and reward systems support the culture you\u2019re trying to create. <\/strong>For example, if you\u2019ve chosen honesty as your cultural anchor, but only reward employees based on sales, your workers will quickly realize that it\u2019s better for them to tell whatever lies are needed to make a sale. This is a clear mismatch between what you claim to value and what your company <em>actually <\/em>values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3) Embody the culture you want the organization to adopt. <\/strong>Your employees watch everything you do and look for clues about what really matters to you, not just what you say in meetings. Therefore, the McKinsey partners advise you to always live up to the values you promote, <em>especially <\/em>when doing so involves some level of personal risk or sacrifice. Furthermore, if and when you fall short of those ideals, candidly acknowledge your failure and your need to improve; such honest vulnerability will show your employees that you\u2019re making the same changes you\u2019re asking them to make, and facing the same struggles. This is similar to being honest with your board and will produce many of the same benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4) Help people feel confident about learning and living the new work culture.<\/strong> This means giving them the training and tools they need to succeed. It\u2019s also crucial to create an environment where employees feel safe trying new approaches to their work, and aren\u2019t afraid they\u2019ll be punished for making honest mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Area #3: Self-Care<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So far we\u2019ve been discussing how to manage your various responsibilities to your company, but Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra urge you to remember that you also have responsibilities to yourself. They write that <strong>many executives overlook <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-importance-of-self-care\/\">the importance of self-care<\/a><\/strong>, which is a critical mistake\u2014your well-being is crucial to both your effectiveness as a CEO and your personal happiness. In this final section, we\u2019ll discuss two strategies that can help you protect your physical and mental health: effectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/peter-drucker-time-management\/\">managing your time<\/a> and attention, and having a strong sense of identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manage Your Time and Attention<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra assert that the demands of a CEO position, and the schedule required to meet those demands, are often overwhelming. It\u2019s therefore crucial to <strong>effectively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-time-efficiently\/\">manage your time<\/a> and energy to avoid exhausting yourself.<\/strong> Approach your role as a series of short but high-intensity working periods, and deliberately leave yourself periods of rest in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The McKinsey partners say that, when making your schedule, <strong>you should balance structure with flexibility.<\/strong> Start by scheduling your most important commitments, then build the rest of your calendar around those. Since it\u2019s impossible to predict everything your job will entail during any given day, week, or month, it\u2019s wise to leave yourself blocks of time when you have nothing specific scheduled. Those free periods are chances for you to pursue unexpected opportunities, catch up on tasks you\u2019ve been neglecting, or simply to take time for yourself and rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also crucial to <strong>bring your full attention to whatever you\u2019re currently doing.<\/strong> Thinking about what\u2019s already happened or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-stop-worrying-about-the-future\/\">worrying about the future<\/a> not only distracts you from the task at hand, it also drains your already-limited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/mental-energy\/\">mental energy<\/a>. Similarly, it\u2019s important to establish clear boundaries between your professional and personal life so that you (and your loved ones) can fully enjoy your time away from work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Remember: You Are Not Your Company<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>To protect your mental and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/emotional-health-and-well-being\/\">emotional well-being<\/a>, make sure you <strong>don\u2019t turn your role as CEO into your whole identity.<\/strong> In other words, remember that running a company is what you <em>do<\/em>, not who you <em>are<\/em>. Dewar, Keller, and Malhotra offer several strategies to do this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, <strong>make a point of having relationships outside of work<\/strong> that can help you stay grounded. Family, friends, hobby groups, and spiritual communities all offer chances for you to step outside of your role as the ultimate authority and remember that you\u2019re just another person. In addition, those relationships are enriching experiences in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, remember that <strong>your company\u2019s accomplishments come from everyone\u2019s collective efforts, not from your own brilliance.<\/strong> Whenever possible, redirect attention from yourself to your colleagues, customers, and your company\u2019s overarching vision. For this strategy, it\u2019s helpful to embrace a philosophy of <em>servant leadership<\/em>, meaning your first priority is to support your employees\u2019 success rather than pursuing your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, keep in mind that <strong>your position is only temporary.<\/strong> Someone most likely held the CEO role before you, and someone else will certainly have it after you. The company itself is what produces wealth, helps people, and changes the world; you\u2019re just the person who stepped in to run it for a while.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Being a CEO means juggling countless responsibilities. It&#8217;s a role that demands both boldness and careful planning, vision and execution, leadership and humility. In CEO Excellence, McKinsey &amp; Company partners Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra distill insights from 67 top-performing chief executives into practical wisdom you can apply. Whether you&#8217;re already in the C-suite or aspiring to get there, keep reading to discover strategies that will help you lead more effectively while protecting your own well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":146316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,14],"tags":[1871],"class_list":["post-146305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-management","tag-ceo-excellence","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>CEO Excellence by McKinsey &amp; Co.: 6 Mindsets of the Best CEOs - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Senior partners at McKinsey say six mindsets distinguish the best leaders from the rest. Here&#039;s our overview of their book CEO Excellence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/ceo-excellence-mckinsey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CEO Excellence by McKinsey &amp; Co.: 6 Mindsets of the Best CEOs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Senior partners at McKinsey say six mindsets distinguish the best leaders from the rest. 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