Crack the C-Suite Code: How Successful Leaders Make It to the Top

An insider’s guide to creating your own path to the corner office

How can I reach the C-suite? That is the most common question Cassandra Frangos hears from the executives she coaches. Many aspire to reach the C-suite, but the typical paths to the top are hard to find and difficult to follow.

In Crack the C-Suite Code, Frangos reveals the hidden dynamics for reaching C-suite. She offers expert guidance based on her experience as a consultant at Spencer Stuart and former head of global executive talent at Cisco, a company with 70,000 employees. Her deep research on the topic includes candid interviews with CEOs, hundreds of aspiring C-suite candidates, and the leading experts in the field.

Frangos identifies four core paths you can follow to reach the C-suite: The Tenured Executive, The Free Agent, The Leapfrog Leader, and The Founder. To actively improve your chances for success, she presents:

Insider knowledge from current CEOs and well known executives
Guiding questions that clarify the risks and rewards associated with each path
Accelerators and derailers that either enhance or detract from your chances to succeed
Advice on how to leverage your experience, leadership brand, and mindset to help you land on the c-suite short list
Insight on how the evolving role of the CEO affects your strategy to reach the top

A career playbook for anyone who aspires to the top spot, Crack the C-Suite Code features advice from successful C-level leaders, including Accompany’s Amy Chang, Goldman Sachs’ Edith Cooper, Nest’s Yoki Matsuoka, Cisco’s Chuck Robbins, and Corning’s Wendell Weeks. These and other top leaders from a broad range of companies, including Microsoft, Google, and General Electric, tell the stories of their success and help aspiring executives crack the C-suite code.