What Does It Take to Become a Successful Executive? Reflections on Behavioral Dynamics.

The paper focuses on some of the more hidden and obscure aspects of workplace interactions which profoundly affect an executive's chances of success. The importance of (i) an executive's position within the organization's hierarchy, (ii) the embedded power structure, (iii) its political infrastructure, and (iv) the psychological characteristics of the key players in determining their relative success or failure is highlighted. Eight 'Reasons to be Careful'--each of which can help facilitate executive success and guard against failure and career disappointment--are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]