The Outsiders

Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

by William Thorndike

This book turns typical notions of successful CEOs on their head. It dives into the stories of eight off-the-beaten-path business leaders, unpacking their groundbreaking strategies and the surprising lessons we can learn from them.

About the author

William Thorndike wears many hats - he's the brains behind private equity firm Housatonic Partners, a bestselling author, and occasionally teaches at Stanford Business School.

Shaking up the corporate playbook

Think fast: who's the GOAT of CEOs? If you're up on your business history, Jack Welch probably springs to mind. During his long stint at General Electric, Welch was all about hands-on management, keeping Wall Street in the loop, and laser-focusing on stock prices. In many ways, he was the poster child for CEOs.

But the greatest ever?

When it comes to measuring a CEO's chops, the real test is how they stack up against their peers in terms of shareholder returns, benchmarked against the S&P 500. By that yardstick, Welch's 3.3 percent edge over the S&P looks a bit less impressive. Henry Singleton, on the other hand, blew the S&P out of the water by a whopping 20.4 percent.

Scratching your head and wondering, "Henry who?"

Don't sweat it. In this summary, we'll give you a taste of Singleton's management magic, along with another case study. Get ready for some eye-opening business lessons from CEOs you've probably never heard of.