“An exceptional map for understanding the actions, decisions, market positioning and personal development that ultimately determine whether we have effectively managed our careers or fallen short." —John Koryl, President, Neiman Marcus Stores & Online

As a nationally respected executive recruiter, Chris Nadherny knows what it takes for professionals to get to the next level, and what holds them back. During his 30 years with Spencer Stuart—one of the world’s top executive recruiting firms—Nadherny conducted more than 700 search assignments for a wide-range of companies, assessed thousands of successful professionals and counseled many whose career paths have been disrupted or stalled.

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"Having read and prescribed many career books, this would be my absolute top choice. The author's perspective is unique in that his vast executive search experience provides insight both from a company's view as well as from the prospective executive. Together, they form a mosaic of what really defines exceptional talent and how this should guide one's career decisions. Chris Nadherny has created a career management reference guide that will prove invaluable for many aspiring executives in the years to come." —Fred Ley, SVP Corporate HR and Global Talent Management and Acquisition, Walmart, Inc.

"In Proactive Executive Chris Nadherny has consolidated his decades of learnings in the executive search business to create an invaluable blueprint for optimizing your career. His book is packed full of insights, practical how-to's and suggestions for aspiring C-suite professionals. The lessons that he shares are particularly relevant in today's ultra-competitive marketplace." —Jody Bilney, SVP and Chief Consumer Officer, Humana, Inc.

"Want help in improving your career? Then read this book before it's too late. Chris Nadherny turns 30 years of executive search experience into a reference guide that offers invaluable advice for executives at every stage of their careers." —Gian Fulgoni, ‎Co-Founder & CEO at comScore, Inc.

"Chris Nadherny shares his considerable experience as a national C-suite recruiter to capture the most critical, but often overlooked, elements of professional development and career planning in his book, The Proactive Executive. His book is full of proven and practical advice, insights, how-to's, action steps and real life case studies to guide your journey. A great read!" —Kimberly Williams, CEO, Consumer Safety Technologies

"Today as you move up an organization or change companies in a leadership position, you need the total package. Chris Nadherny outlines the steps needed to prepare yourself in advance for a significant career move, and to make sure it is the right one. Importantly, his approach makes these difficult steps achievable." —Roger Adams, Chief Marketing Officer, Fortune 500 diversified financial services company, Board Member, Association of National Advertisers.

"Read this book! No fluff here. Only practical tools and 'hard' career management skills that are guaranteed to result in positive career and personal growth. This is a 'go to' resource successful executives can pick up throughout their careers." —John Seebeck, VP and General Manager ECommerce, CDW, Inc.

"Physician heal thyself hasn't typically been relevant advice for business executives. Until now. Chris Nadherny's Proactive Executive does just that. This book reminds smart, strategic, and effective executives, who have mastered goal setting, planning, execution and monitoring, to apply these very talents to managing their own careers. Starting with the most important trait, self-awareness, Chris brings evidence in the form of examples and cases proving the qualities, and then the strategic actions that he's seen work over a stellar career of his own in executive search." —Tom Collinger, Executive Director Medill IMC/Spiegel Digital and Database Research Initiative, Northwestern University

"I have known Chris for nearly 20 years as a candidate, client and friend. This book powerfully distills career management insights from the thirty year career of someone I consider to be one of the world's most respected search executives. The detailed case studies, what-if scenarios, lessons learned and proactive action plans he lays out will be invaluable to executives at any stage in their career." —Love Goel, CEO, GVG Capital

"It's easy as an executive to be so focused on your job that you forget to manage your career. Nadherny's The Proactive Executive is filled with savvy observations and practical suggestions to help even the most successful executives improve the odds of building successful, long-term careers.  I loved the real-world examples, and I have already earmarked a bunch of pages that I'll be going back to. The Proactive Executive is a must read for any modern executive!" —David Spitz, CEO, ChannelAdvisor

"Today's business environment requires leaders to manage multiple, complex initiatives while reacting to new information on an ongoing basis. Good leaders almost always have a proactive plan to handle these challenges. Perhaps the toughest project any leader faces is the long-term management of his or her career through the series of changes in their personal situation and the rapidly evolving marketplace. In his new book, The Proactive Executive, Chris Nadherny provides an excellent roadmap for managing your most important business project—your career. The Proactive Executive provides a career's worth of practical perspective, insights, suggestions and "how to" tips designed to keep you ahead of the curve and achieving greater personal career success." —Michael Linton, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Farmers Group Insurance, Inc.

"I wish this book had been written sooner! There is lots of wisdom here that I could have used in my own career. I am overnighting The Proactive Executive to both my adult kids. Chris Nadherny's insight and advice is that important." —Bill Bass, Chairman, Black Wolf Group

Author Bio:
As a nationally recognized C-level recruiter, I spent 30 years with Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search firm. My early career was in brand marketing after receiving a Wharton MBA. While at Spencer Stuart my executive search clients included leading Fortune 500 companies, private equity portfolio companies, and later stage start-ups. Along the way, I assessed the track records and backgrounds of over five thousand aspiring and C-suite executives. The insights and observations gained from these assessments provided me with unique perspective on how successful careers are formed. I also counseled many other executives whose careers had become derailed.

After many years in the recruiting trenches, I decided to leave Spencer Stuart with the goal of helping executives achieve greater professional success through proactive and thoughtful career planning and management. In my forthcoming book, The Proactive Executive: A C-Suite Recruiters 5-Step System for Achieving Greater Career Success, I share the best of my 30 years’ worth of observations, learnings and insights. The book provides practical, straightforward advice, action steps and how to’s for immediately improving your career prospects, job satisfaction and earnings potential. My hope is that this book will positively influence the careers of many executives, including yours.