★★★☆☆
Review
The book is based on a six-year study of 51 companies and 200 interviews of business leaders.
"Why Smart Executives Fail" by Sydney Finkelstein is a book that explores the reasons why even highly intelligent and successful executives can make costly mistakes that can ultimately lead to the failure of their organizations.
In the book, Finkelstein identifies several key factors that contribute to executive failure, including hubris, overconfidence, and a lack of self-awareness. He also discusses the role of organizational culture in facilitating or preventing executive failure, and the importance of building an effective leadership team that can provide a balance of skills, experience, and perspective.
I have kept it brief and summarized the key learnings from the book below into 7 reasons why “Smart Executives Fail”, as well as any useful quotes.