Carolyn Dewar: What Sets Exceptional CEOs Apart

FranklinCovey On Leadership

FranklinCovey

Business, Management

4.9 • 851 Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We are joined by Carolyn Dewar, McKinsey senior partner and author of CEO Excellence, to unpack what makes great leaders stand out. Drawing on extensive research from her book CEO Excellence, Carolyn reveals the bold mindset that defines exceptional CEOs, the critical risks they take, and why focusing on expanding the pie drives long-term success. She shares insights on the four seasons of being a CEO, from early bold moves to finishing strong, and why openness to learning often matters more than confidence. Listeners will learn how CEOs can avoid analysis paralysis, manage their calendars ruthlessly, lead through uncertainty, and prepare for smooth transitions that save businesses billions. Greatness lives in everyone; it just needs unlocking. FranklinCovey's newest guide, Where are all the Great Leaders: Solving the Leadership Crisis in a Disruptive World, is an invitation to reset. Download it here: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/tlg-where-are-all-the-great-leaders?x=j4G37p&lb-mode=over%E2%80%A6 FranklinCovey’s world-class learning solutions—delivered Live-Online, On Demand, or Live In-Person—are designed to build exceptional leadership skills and enrich your culture at every level of your organization. To learn more, email us at [email protected], visit franklincovey.com, or call us at: 1-888-868-1776

Transcript

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0:00.0	The research we did of the top 200 CEOs who've been the highest performing,
0:04.0	turns out they created an incremental $5 trillion of value versus the average CEOs in their peer set, in their industries.
0:12.0	That's equivalent almost to the GDP of Germany.
0:20.0	Hello and welcome to Franklin Coveon Leadership. I'm your host, Will Hodling, Franklin Covey on leadership. I'm your host, Will Hodeling, Franklin Covey's
0:25.3	head of product. In these conversations, we'll speak with many of the world's most respected leaders
0:30.5	to understand the mistakes, methods, and mindsets that enable them to have the impact they have today.
0:36.9	We hope that their hard-earned insights accelerate you on your journey.
0:41.3	Today's guest is Carolyn Dure.
0:43.5	Carolyn is the founder and global co-leader of McKinsey's CEO practice,
0:48.3	where she advises CEOs, founders, and boards leading through growth, transformation, and crises.
0:55.8	She is the author of the New York Times bestselling CEO excellence and the author of the upcoming CEO for all seasons,
1:01.9	which is being released today. In today's wide range in conversation, we talk about the mindsets
1:07.0	that distinguish the highest performing CEOs, the CEO experience and transition over the course
1:13.4	of the job, we touch on CEO performance and pay, and talk about what's next for CEOs
1:19.7	across America and the world.
1:21.4	Carolyn Dure, welcome to Frank and Covey on leadership.
1:23.9	Thanks so much for having me.
1:24.9	Great to see you, Will.
1:25.9	Absolutely.
1:26.9	Very excited for today's
1:28.0	conversation. So you have spent a lot of your career dedicated to researching and writing about
1:34.6	CEO excellence and performance. Why? What motivates you to stay so engaged and excited about
	...

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