Everything you thought you knew about becoming a CEO is wrong. You must graduate from an elite college or business school. In fact, only 7 percent of the CEOs of today's companies went to a top school--and 8 percent didn't graduate from college at all. Never put a foot wrong. In fact, people who have become CEOs have on average had five to seven career setbacks on their way to the top.

Drawing on the biggest dataset of CEOs in the world -- in-depth analysis of 2,600 leaders, drawn from a database of 17,000 CEOs, as well as 13,000 hours of interviews -- The CEO Next Door is crammed full of myth-busting and counter-intuitive insights in what it really takes to get ahead. Discover the way actual CEOs of top companies think and behave, and the kind of traits to develop if you want to make your ambitions a reality and take your career right to the top.

"What does it take to succeed at the top? Botelho and Powell offer the answer — and it’s not what you think. Whether you’re running a large organization, or simply have your eye on the corner office, this book should be your guide" - Daniel Pink, bestselling author of DRIVE

"Well-researched, practical and eye-opening... The CEO Next Door is like having 2,600 mentors take you under their wing" - Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE and BIG POTENTIAL

"Debunks a host of myths about what it takes to become a CEO ... You won’t ever look at the corner office in the same way again." - Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of GIVE AND TAKE, ORIGINALS, and OPTION B with Sheryl Sandberg

"The CEO Next Door is the go-to guide for every aspiring professional ... it weaves together cutting edge leadership research with practical advice and inspiring stories to create a useful and credible roadmap" - Marshall Goldsmith, #1 Leadership Thinker

"The most useful and credible book on career success I’ve seen in years! ... a rare view behind the scenes on how leaders get picked for coveted roles and how they really succeed and fail. . . refreshingly candid and deeply researched" - Jacqueline Reses, Capital Lead and People Lead, Square, Inc.

"I enjoyed every page of this book. A must read for all those who care deeply about leading well." - Vicki Escarra, former CMO of Delta Air Lines and CEO of Feeding America and Opportunity International

"What an invaluable book. With colorful stories and interviews, and solid, in-depth data to back up its points, The CEO Next Door is the next must-read for business leaders of all types!" - Susan Packard, co-founder HGTV, author and media executive

"Invaluable for anyone looking to raise their leadership to a higher level... their book isn’t leaving my desk as I prepare to step into the CEO role" - Tim Buckley, CEO of The Vanguard Group

"The CEO Next Door contributes much needed research and data to a subject long dominated by anecdote and conjecture. Your probability of success will rise substantially when you put these insights into action" - L. Kevin Cox, Chief Human Resources Officer, American Express Company

"A compelling and concise roadmap to help you identify and develop your executive talent" - Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO AT&T

ELENA L. BOTELHO has advised more than 200 CEOs and boards in nearly two decades, first as a strategy consultant at McKinsey and currently as a top-billing senior partner at ghSMART. She grew up in Azerbaijan and Russia in a family of mathematicians. She earned her MBA from Wharton. Her life's work is to be a "greatness catalyst," helping others reach their full potential.

KIMBERLY POWELL is a principal at ghSMART, where she works with clients in the areas of management assessment, leaderhsip coaching, and organization change initiatives. Previously, she worked for fifteen years with the Boston Consulting Group, advising CEOs and senior managers of Fortune 500 companies. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, and was an F. C. Austin Scholar at the Kellogg Schoool of Management at Northwestern University.

Tahl Raz has written for Inc., the Jerusalem Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, and GQ. Raz lives in New York City.