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The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

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The Outsiders

By: William N. Thorndike
Narrated by: Brian Troxell
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About this listen

"It is impossible to produce superior performance unless you do something different." - John Templeton.

What makes a successful CEO? Most people call to mind a familiar definition: a seasoned manager with deep industry expertise. Others might point to the qualities of today's so-called celebrity CEOs charisma, virtuoso communication skills, and a confident management style. But what really matters when you run an organization? What is the hallmark of exceptional CEO performance? Quite simply, it is the returns for the shareholders of that company over the long term.

In this refreshing, counterintuitive audiobook, author Will Thorndike brings to bear the analytical wisdom of a successful career in investing, closely evaluating the performance of companies and their leaders. You will meet eight individualistic CEOs whose firms' average returns outperformed the S&P 500 by a factor of twenty in other words, an investment of $10,000 with each of these CEOs, on average, would have been worth over $1.5 million twenty-five years later. You may not know all their names, but you will recognize their companies: General Cinema, Ralston Purina, The Washington Post Company, Berkshire Hathaway, General Dynamics, Capital Cities Broadcasting, TCI, and Teledyne.

In The Outsiders, you'll learn the traits and methods striking for their consistency and relentless rationality that helped these unique leaders achieve such exceptional performance. Humble, unassuming, and often frugal, these "outsiders" shunned Wall Street and the press, and shied away from the hottest new management trends. Instead, they shared specific traits that put them and the companies they led on winning trajectories: a laser-sharp focus on per share value as opposed to earnings or sales growth; an exceptional talent for allocating capital and human resources; and the belief that cash flow, not reported earnings, determines a company's long-term value.

Drawing on years of research and experience, Thorndike tells eye-opening stories, extracting lessons and revealing a compelling alternative model for anyone interested in leading a company or investing in one and reaping extraordinary returns.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2012 William N. Thorndike, Jr. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
Leadership Business
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My favourite Business book of the Year

Brilliant book about managers spanning the decades, sharing insight's how these brilliant managers got the results they did.

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2 people found this helpful

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great book

loved it. such a rewarding experience to complete this book. great reading performance as well.

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Very good points but boring at times

I liked the point of the book and there were some very interesting points made. It does get boring at times and however it is worth it to be able to take the teachings on board.

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This is an amazing book for executives and capital allocation

Goes through different types of CEOs and their decision on capital allocation. Love this book. would love to have this as a guide on capital allocation and investment decisions.

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Institutional imperative

The book makes the case that the 8 CEOs were able achieve amazing results by not following institutional imperative. I get a sense that CEOs past, present and future often do follow the institutional imperative and I wanted the book to explore that more. Is there a problem with the current practice of selecting and recruiting CEOs? From an evolutionary perspective, ineffective CEOs should have been outcompeted pretty quickly and disappeared but I do not think that is the case. Until that problem is addressed, institutional imperative will be alive and well and shareholder's capital remains at risk.

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capital allocation

Fantastic lessons learnt on capital allocation. One of the most basic but underappreciated concepts. thanks

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Exceptional

Life changing for business leadership imagery and assumptions. Its the why of brilliance, simply the standard for commercial knowledge.

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Good Research

This was quite useful. it just made me focus on the importance of cash flow and capital allocation for business health and longevity.

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EXCELLENT

Excellent short course on Capital Allocation a must read for all aspiring CEOs investors and the like

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Great book

Well written, Highly recommend it. For entrepreneurs and visionaries who look for opportunities and stand against the odds and crowd.

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