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Excerpts from Cracking the Corporate Code

im Kaiser describes how he realized he would not reach the next level and could never be CEO of Coming: "No one comes out and says, 'Well, I don't like him because he challenged me too much.' They say, 'Well, you know, we're not as comfortable with him as with others.' At that point in my career, I was a senior vice-president and setting the standards for other division managers to follow. We had the best diversity record. We had the best quality record. We had the best innovation record. We met or exceeded the operating targets. We had the strongest people ratings. And then I got passed over. My boss said, 'No, you haven't done anything wrong. Yes, you've done everything I wanted you to do. But you already have a good job. What more do you want?' I said, 'I've got a great job, but I've been in it eight years. How long do you want me to do it? Another eight years?' And there was silence. And he walked to the window, looked out and said, 'I wish it could be different.' And that was it. I think he meant what he said, because we were fairly close. I mean, he had always shown a liking to me. So I said, 'Okay, I understand. Either play me or trade me.' That's what I told him. I went away, didn't ask any more questions.

"The next year was one of the most successful of my career. I went back to my former boss and said, 'Well, we had a conversation a year ago. I've done what you asked, just as always.' They made me CEO of a subsidiary."