A CEO for All Seasons

“A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership” by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra, and Kurt Strovink

I highly recommend “A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership” for aspiring and current CEOs as well as corporate functional leaders – Chief Communications Officers (CCOs) like myself, CHROs, CFOs and other senior executives. In fact, there are valuable lessons here for leaders at every level.

For context, I've directly supported CEOs for more than 25 years, seeing the seasons described in the book play out in multiple environments and industries – in steady-state operations and during CEO successions, an IPO, more than 50 M&A transactions and integrations, global rebrands, and high-stakes crises. That experience is exactly why “A CEO for All Seasons” resonated so deeply with me. I lost count of how many times I paused to jot down notes. It is practical, candid and grounded in experience.

This compact guide from McKinsey's senior partners builds on their New York Times bestseller “CEO Excellence,” distilling wisdom from interviews with 83 top-performing CEOs. The core framework likens the CEO journey to four seasons: Stepping Up (preparation and ascension), Starting Strong (building early momentum), Staying Ahead (sustaining performance amid challenges), and Sending It Forward (crafting a lasting legacy). Backed by data and candid reflections, the book emphasizes humility, curiosity and adaptability.

For aspiring and current CEOs, this is a valuable playbook on stepping into the role, building early momentum and adapting as the job evolves.

But its value extends well beyond the corner office, making it an outstanding resource for corporate functional leaders. I found the sections on stakeholder engagement and narrative evolution particularly actionable. In the “Starting Strong” season, for instance, the authors stress building trust through authentic communication – something I’ve seen play out firsthand as new CEOs establish credibility with employees, boards, investors and regulators in compressed timeframes. Functional leaders will appreciate how the book equips us to better anticipate shifts in a CEO’s season, align our strategies to their priorities, and contribute to the cross-functional cohesion that separates good companies from great ones. In my experience, that partnership is where the real work happens – communications isn’t just about messaging; it is about enabling business outcomes across all phases of leadership.

Finally, “A CEO for All Seasons” challenges all of us to reflect on our own trajectories. What season are we in as a function? How can we foster curiosity and empathy to drive team effectiveness? For communications professionals, it reinforces the need for disciplined storytelling – maintaining message consistency while adapting to organizational rhythms. This book isn’t static advice; it is about evolving with intention, blending human lessons with strategic rigor.

In a volatile world where leaders must deliver short-term results while building long-term resilience, this is a must-read. Highly recommended for anyone serious about leadership.

After reading CEO Excellence multiple times, my expectations for A CEO for All Seasons were sky-high—and it did not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down.

This book masterfully explores both the big, strategic themes and the seemingly small moments that truly define leadership. None of them are small. The insights woven throughout every chapter serve as invaluable reminders of what matters most in every interaction, every opportunity, and in “every season” of leadership.

For me, this book has been both inspiring and deeply practical. It continues to help me refine, define, and prepare for the moments when I’ll need to draw on its wisdom to create success as a leader.