Why I Ditched the Corner Office for Good

Not long ago Fortune Magazine published my reflections on my rise to the corner office, my life as a CEO, and how I coped with the years that followed my exit from the corporate throne. I'll cut to the chase; my days in the CEO afterlife as a retiree are as fulfilling as ever. Some of that contentment I attribute to the social network where I have shared my experiences in blogs on leadership and strategy. Frankly, I'm amazed that a fading memory has managed to unearthed so many vignettes that were seemingly buried forever.

Recently, I tried my hand as an author of both fiction and non-fiction books. My 2015 business book, Do Less Better: The Power of Strategic Sacrifice in a Complex World was a relatively easy transition from blogging. Writing fiction became the biggest challenge of this afterlife. Eight years ago I began The Circumstantial Enemy , a historical novel . I had the first draft complete after two years. I needed another three years of rewriting and editing, and a further three years to convince a bona-fide publisher to take on the project. Persistence paid off. The Circumstantial Enemy has been released by Endeavour Press just in time for Christmas. I’m hoping historical fiction and adventure fiction buffs will be as impressed with the book as were the folks at Endeavour.

Related: Want to Cut Complexity? Kill Your Darlings.

Twenty years have passed since I left the corner office. It seems like half that long. Much has changed, including me. Somehow I managed to reinvent myself. It wasn’t easy. Reinvention never happens without passion, determination and hard work. I’m just one of many examples of people getting out of life what they put into it.

The Circumstantial Enemy is available as an e-book and a paperback at amazon.com . I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think of it.