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The CEO's Secret Handbook

Bill Swanson, the CEO of Raytheon, has compiled a handbook of business insights- A lifetime of executive wisdom at the tip of your fingers, if you can get a hold of it! The book is only circulated between business associates; it is not out on the public market. Journalist Paul Kaihla got the chance to discuss some of the best parts of Swanson's handbook and he shares them with us.

A lot of the rules are common sense when you really think about them, but it takes a great insight to achieve the clarity. Thankfully Mr. Swanson has done the hard part for us. There are twelve "secrets" shared in Kaihla's article, each complete with a testimonial, real-life example. Here are the twelve points brought up in the article:

• Your can't polish a sneaker
• Learn to say "I don't know." If used when appropriate, it will be used often.
• You remember 1/3 of what you read, ½ of what people tell you, but 100% of what you feel.
• Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what's there; few can see what isn't there.
• Never direct a complaint to the top; a serious offense is to "CC" a person's boss on a copy of a complaint before the person has a chance to respond.
• Treat the name of your company as if it were your own.
• Have fun at what you do. It will be reflected in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump!
• When faced with decisions, try to look at them as if you were one level up in the organization. You perspective will change quickly.
• If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
• When something appears on a slide presentation, assume that the world knows about it and deal with it accordingly.
• A person who is mice to you but rude to the waiter - or to others - is not a nice person. [This rule never fails.]
• When facing issues or problems that are becoming drawn out, "short them to ground."

Some of the aphorisms are somewhat self-explanatory, while others need a little fleshing out, but all are guaranteed to produce expanded results. Some of these can even be used in everyday life, such as the person who is rude to other people but not you specifically. Those types are never good to associate with, in business or personal life!

Try Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management for more insight on how to be the best Manager/CEO you can be!