From the former dean of Harvard Business School comes a richly researched examination of the CEO role—and a pathway to succeeding in the job.

Millions of ambitious professionals aspire to lead a company and one day hold the title of chief executive officer, not just for the prestige but because they know the impact they can make from that role. If you've worked in a company led by a great CEO, you may have experienced the way a gifted leader can energize an organization and bring a sense of joy, meaning, and momentum to our workdays.

Yet despite the hold the role has on popular imagination, relatively few people have a solid understanding of what CEOs actually do all day, and what behaviors differentiate those who perform the job well from those who do it poorly.

Nitin Nohria, distinguished professor and former dean of Harvard Business School, pulls back the curtain on the top role and helps aspirants understand what it's really like to lead a company. Drawing from a quarter century of biannual HBS New CEO Workshops that thousands have attended, and a deep reservoir of research, Nohria distills what he and his colleagues have learned about how the best CEOs approach their work. Topics include how those executives allocate their time, communicate, drive strategy and execution, infuse purpose, shape culture, manage stakeholders, and so much more.

The CEO is an accessible, enduring instruction manual filled with timeless principles that will prepare leaders for the ultimate success.