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THE CEO'S PLAYBOOK - Leading from the Boardroom to the Breakroom
Hardcover
Publisher Price: $29.99
Publisher: Robert L Darbelnet
Published: Jun 18 2026
Pages: 358
Weight: 1.18
Height: 0.94 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
The CEO's Playbook is a practical field guide written by a seasoned CEO and board leader who has lived the role from both sides of the table. Structured as short, self-contained chapters (plays), the book distills decades of experience into clear principles CEOs can immediately apply, whether preparing for a board meeting tomorrow, navigating a talent decision, responding to crisis, or rebuilding trust inside the organization.
What separates a good CEO from a great one? It's rarely strategy. More often, it's
judgment. It's knowing when to speak and when to stay silent, how to lead without
micromanaging, and how to earn the trust of a board while staying connected to the
people on the front line.
Whether you're in the corner office, working your way toward it, or sitting across the
table in the boardroom, The CEO's Playbook distills decades of real-world leadership
into ninety concise, candid chapters that cover every aspect of the role: the decisions,
the dilemmas, and the moments that matter most.
Read it before you need it.
Robert L. Darbelnet is a retired CEO who served more than twenty years at the helm of
AAA. Bob counts forty years of executive leadership experience, including a
distinguished record on seventeen boards across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He
chaired seven of the boards he served on, and his governance work spans hospitals,
higher education, the performing arts, insurance, international trade associations,
automotive intelligence, traffic safety, and some of the world's largest mobility and travel organizations.
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