Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Scott Aylward (San Diego, CA) and Pattye Moore (Edmund, OK) are co-founders of INSTINCTS, LLC, a company dedicated to helping up-and-coming executives develop their leadership instincts.

Prior to founding INSTINCTS, Pattye was president of Sonic Corp., parent company for Sonic, America's Drive-in, the largest drive-in restaurant chain in the?U.S. with over 3,000 locations. Scott was Chairman and CEO of Barkley Evergreen & Partners, the largest employee owned advertising agency in the country with nearly 400 employees.? For 10 years, Scott and Pattye worked together and over?time developed a working relationship that was unique to the corporate world of today. This relationship, while structured as client/agency, was built upon unconditional trust, mutual respect, an unrelenting passion to succeed and a desire to have those around them, truly enjoy the journey.?The result was a working relationship that allowed them to build the Sonic brand and lead both of their companies to year after year of record growth.

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Praise for

Confessions from the Corner Office

"As usual, Aylward and Moore have created a path that helps the reader identify and develop critical instincts, behaviors that not only create energy around business life, but can make personal lives richer and more rewarding."
Kenneth Keymer, CEO and President, VICORP Restaurants

"However you define your corner office, this book helps you develop the instincts you need to build deeper relationships and be more successful both personally and professionally."
Andy Andrews, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Traveler's Gift

"In Confessions, authors Aylward and Moore capture the reality of our humanity within the corridors of corporate America with real stories about real people."
Clifton L. Taulbert, Pulitzer Prize nominated author of The Last Train North

"An insightful, practical guide to achieving a winning management style. I applaud the authors' ability to motivate with empathy rather than intimidation."
Jerry Langley, Executive in Residence, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame

Aus dem Klappentext

Scott Aylward and Pattye Moore were young professionals in marketing and advertising. They had nothing more than undergraduate degrees from state universities----no MBAs, fancy connections, or leadership experience. Yet they each quickly rose to the top of their respective companies. Midway through their careers, they began a business partnership that was so powerful it led to record growth for both their companies and careers.

Confessions from the Corner Office explains how these young professionals reached the pinnacle of success in their industries by relying on gut instinct, rather than the standard business school leadership practices. Now, they've condensed all their firsthand business experience into fifteen leadership instincts that, when properly developed and nurtured, will make you a better and more successful leader----while leading you right to the top of the corporate ladder.

These fifteen instincts, which the authors call "essential Corner Office Instincts," make up the soft skills of leadership: building strong and respectful relationships, motivating and managing, and leading with dignity and respect. The authors also explain the power and career benefits of finding and nurturing a relationship with a corporate soul mate. They don't teach these skills in business school, but they're essential for lasting success. Confessions from the Corner Office will show you how to develop and nurture these instincts and turn them into a lasting competitive advantage.

Drawing on their own instinctive, successful leadership experiences, Aylward and Moore identify seven Attitude Instincts and eight Performance Instincts. Both types of instincts are required to make it to the top. Each chapter introduces an instinct and presents real-life business examples, personal stories, and probing questions before offering advice on developing and honing that instinct.

Whether you work in a big corporation or run your own business, whether you want to move up from the bottom rung or secure your place at the top, this is the ultimate guide to the leadership skills you need to climb all the way to your corner office--however you define it--and stay there.

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Confessions from the Corner Office

John Wiley & Sons

Chapter One

Pattye: Our readers may find this hard to believe, but I would have never made it to the corner office without your help.

Scott: Now, why would our readers find it so hard to believe that you needed my help?

Pattye: Actually, I think most people don't want to admit that they can't do something on their own. But I know for a fact that I couldn't have done it without you there to push me, to encourage me, to make me look smarter, to give me confidence when I was shaking in my boots-the list could go on and on.

Scott: I'm all ears because this is good for my ego.

Pattye: Oh, I'm not sure your ego is in any need of repair.

Scott: Point taken, and here is a little secret for you, Ms. Moore. The fact is I couldn't have gotten to the top without your help either. I can't even count how many times I bounced ideas off you, tested out personnel decisions, and asked your opinion.

Pattye: If this was a self-help book, you might say we were codependent-in a good way.

Scott: But since it's a book about leadership, I have a better term-Corporate Soul Mates. That is truly what we were for 12 years, and what we still are. It is a unique concept and probably the secret to our success. It is sort of like being married without the expense of anniversary gifts.

What is a friend? A single soul in two bodies. -Aristotle

What is a Corporate Soul Mate? A single soul in two bodies. -Scott and Pattye

Corner Office Instinct 1

Find a Corporate Soul Mate

Soul mate (n.): partner, colleague, supporter, ally, helper, confidante In a recent Monster.com survey, employees were asked which Olympic sport their typical workday most resembled. Fifty-two percent of the respondents said "the luge"-in other words, they feel like they are racing 80 mph on their own. Only 20 percent of respondents said "bobsled"-which requires teamwork to win the race.

The luge is a pretty apt description for life in corporate America-hurtling through the day at breakneck speeds, basically one sharp turn away from losing control. And, knowing (or believing, at least) that it's all up to you. You've certainly heard the adage that it's lonely at the top, but for most workers, it's lonely on the way there as well. And most people believe that this is just the way it is-a dog-eat-dog world and you are on your own.

It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, if you really want to be the best, it can't be that way. And we are living proof of that.

Our success can be attributed in large part to our ability to embrace, practice, and live one of the most overlooked corner office instincts. Our instinct told us that we had a unique working relationship, but it told us something more. Our instinct told us it was okay to break the paradigm of an arm's-length agency/client relationship and, as a result, we became corporate confidantes. Our instinct pushed us to evolve from confidantes to corporate soul mates-two leaders who depended on and needed each other to challenge and debate the business issues of the day. When we did this, we discovered that it brought out the best and brightest thinking in each other. And that, my friends, is the power and benefit of having a corporate soul mate.

In order for the corporate soul mate instinct to pay dividends, however, there must be a foundation of unconditional trust and honesty between the two of you. Honesty in the sense that your relationship is so secure that neither of you holds anything back nor has any fear of being judged. Trust in the sense that regardless of what or who you talk about, what is said between the two of you remains confidential. It is only in a low-risk, nonjudgmental, confidential environment that you can truly be soul mates.

The reality is that there are situations at work almost every day where you need a corporate soul mate. Whether you own your business, are working your way up, or are already there, you will encounter new challenges, and you will be asked to step out of your comfort zone. You will often be uncertain as to what is the right decision.

You can internalize this uncertainty, talk to your spouse (who, by the way, might be a perfect corporate soul mate-don't automatically exclude him or her), ask your dog for advice, or you can consciously seek out someone to be your ally, confidante, supporter, friend, and corporate soul mate.

Who's Your Spotter?

Another way to think about this is to consider how helpful it is to have a workout partner at the gym. With a workout partner, you have someone to hold you accountable, to help you stay motivated, to encourage you, and to help you get back on track when you slack off. Most important, that workout partner gives you the confidence to stretch beyond what is comfortable, and, as a result, you reach new heights and keep improving your personal bests. Getting to the corner office is quite a workout, and you need encouragement, motivation, and help every bit as much as you do in the gym.

This instinct is one that came very naturally to both of us. For the past 12 years, we've been each other's corporate soul mate and have pushed each other to new career heights.

Joined at the Hip

My relationship with Scott started as the typical client/agency relationship. It was clear that he was very smart and knew the restaurant business so I was glad to have him working on our account. It wasn't long, however, before we both realized that we had a unique opportunity to form an even stronger bond that would pay dividends for both of us and our companies. The passion we each had for the business and for solving problems was evident in the late-night phone calls to report what we had just seen at a competitor or to share an idea that was sparked by something on television. Our curiosity and desire to be the best led us to bounce ideas off each other for growing our own businesses, for solving tough personnel issues, or for our own development. Pretty soon, our "souls" had become so connected that you might mistake us for a married couple (hence the title of this chapter-Get Married Again). We were truly joined at the hip, and, truth be told, still are. We still consult with each other several times a day. -Pattye

The Rest of the Story Although Pattye described our partnership well, I don't think you will really "get it" unless I give you more specifics about what it meant for us to be corporate soul mates. Here are a few examples: * Most nights we touched base (after Pattye got her children to bed) to talk about burning issues, upcoming meetings or presentations, or simply to compare...