Book Review: The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive

“The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive” by Patrick Lencioni is a fictitious story about two competitive companies that are in the technology industry. The CEOs of the companies, Rich and Vince, had similar upbringings, attended the same universities, graduated from the same graduate school and had all the same advantages. However, the underlying theme of the story is that it is not always the background that determines the success or failure of an individual, but rather his character.

Both CEOs are driven, intelligent and extremely hard-working. However, Vince is caught up in trying to be the No. 1 technology company in the market by learning everything there is to know about his competitors, their pricing, marketing, strategy, etc., whereas Rich simply concentrates on his “four obsessions” and pays very little attention to his competitors. The lesson I took from this was to watch your own home and take care of it instead of worrying about everyone else’s.

This easy-to-read tale also shows how it’s not just the intelligence but the culture and health of the organization that matters to its success (employee retention, customer retention and profits).

This book offers a number of real-life examples of how to handle dissention in the ranks, troubled employees and non-performers. It explains and helps you understand that as a leader, sometimes you need to be above the minutia and concentrate on what really matters the most in growing your organization.

So, just what are the CEO’s four obsessions? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Troy McCracken is CEO of master agency Spectrum Inc., a company he founded in 1999. McCracken also is a member of the 2009-10 PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board.