Joanne has used her extensive business world experiences to put together a very informative primer for those involved in today's workforce. A necessary read.—Dennis Swanson, EVP and COO, Viacom Television Stations Group

Finally, a mentor for each of us. This is a wonderful guided tour of life in corporate America, written in complete, sometimes painful, honesty. Joanne Cini is a career counselor without an agenda or conflict of interest. She gives the reader an up close and personal look at the work world, while insisting on a close and honest look in the mirror. Ultimately, Kingmaker is a very personal journey on the road to self-reliance and personal responsibility.—Lisa G. Churchville, President and General Manager, WJAR-TV Providence, Rhode Island

Kingmaker is a new twist on an old adage: to thine own self be true. Cini's contention, that you must take control of your own life and career in order to define your value potential in the competitive market of big business, is an important lesson for anyone looking to succeed in today's business world.—Ray Heacox, CEO, MediaOcean, a DDS Company

For most of us, empowerment is still a buzz word. Cini, like the mentor you always wanted, guides you to its full meaning in your career-to purposeful, wide-eyed analysis and decisions about what's right for you.—Wendy Tynan, General Manager, Rogen International.

Cini's game is strong: high energy, high personal values, a focus and passion for her work. If your career is worth saving or worth upgrading, then Cini's book is a must read. Written with candor and knowledge, Kingmaker is a blueprint on what to expect and how to achieve in a fast paced environment without losing yourself.—Frank Novak, Special Teams Consultant, Green Bay Packers

The journey Joanne takes us through is based on her own personal odyssey. That said, anyone who has spent a day in the life of Corporate America will relate to her observations. This is an astute chronicle of pitfalls to avoid, road bumps to maneuver, and challenges to aspire to. ENJOY THE RIDE!—Bill Cella, Chairman, MAGNA Global USA.

I intend to buy this book for each of our staff members. It's a clear, concise guide to how employees can achieve excellence, contribute to corporate goals, AND satisfy their personal and professional objectives. In this insightful book, Ms. Cini tells you how to demand more of yourself, your company, and your managers and come out a winner.—Christine Watkins, President and CEO, INVISION Inc.

Honesty is pure oxygen in a world dominated by cynics. Joanne Cini's efforts to instruct others based on her experiences-honest lessons learned in one of the world's pressure cookers, New York City broadcasting-is worth taking note of.—Louis Columbus, Senior Analyst, AMR Research

Your career can't just be the means to an end. It's too important and you spend too much of your life at it. Let it become a means to endless possibilities, passion, and discovery. In Kingmaker, a highly successful former media executive shows you how.

Through Joanne Cini's experience and guidance, you'll make a plan … not just for success, but for bringing passion and personal fulfillment back into your working life, and keeping it there, no matter where your career takes you.

You'll learn positive, value-nourishing ways to move up the corporate ladder, specific techniques for overcoming dysfunctional organizations and "negative energy," which battles are worth a fight, and when it's "game over." Above all, you'll learn specific techniques for keeping your freedom, holding on to your values, and staying focused on your most important whole life goals-business and personal.

• Moving up without selling out. Positive, dignified strategies for fast-tracking your career

• What really matters: keeping your eyes on the prize. Staying focused on the goals that really matter to you in your career

• Choose your next boss. Finding talented, enlightened, generous leaders … and what to do until you do

• "A New Plan B": protecting your security … and your choices. Creating a "freedom plan" that protects and empowers you and realizing that giving your all doesn't mean giving everything

Plan your career for passion, prosperity, fulfillment, and freedom

• Become your industry's WOW hire

• Navigate toward the top without compromising your values

• Excel, execute … and enjoy (almost) every minute

• Build your own personal value kingdom

• Learn the four keys to success: excellence, truth, anticipation, and planning

Thrive. On your terms and within the house rules. Give them what they want, and still be you.

Kingmaker is a call to action. Find the flexibility and courage to stake out the most rewarding career possible … even in the face of tough times, bad bosses, and maddening company politics. It's about working within the rules-and gaining the freedom to change them. It's about a working life in which generosity trumps greed, stretch is a given, willingness is necessary, and idealism can be wrapped in reality for great results.

Kingmaker is devoted to the honor of a great working life. It's a blueprint for transforming your career, no matter where you are: piercing questions to ask, specific actions to take, realistic changes to make … starting today.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 9 Ratings

Kingmaker : Exactly Right ! - 2004-03-27
Reviewer Rating:
Kingmaker by Joanne Cini is a must read for anyone who wants to survive and thrive in today's no frills, high productivity business environment. It has already become required reading in our company.

Learning from real life experience - 2006-09-12
Reviewer Rating:
I was impressed by the clarity with which the writer uses her life and professional experience and share it with us readers.
I learned a lot about myself and the decisions we all need to make to obtain the life we want. She is crystal clear on reminding us what we need to succeed in the professional arena, and to bravely look at our lives and make the necessary adjustments to obtain what we want in life.

A must-read for anyone in business - 2005-07-09
Reviewer Rating:
The book is excellent. It really helped to conceptualize some of the things I would like in my next step, such as growth opportunities and people I can learn from. Somehow, it also helped me embrace some of my strengths and gave me some additional courage.

Hits a nice stride in part 2... - 2004-12-27
Reviewer Rating:
In today's business environment, it's nearly impossible to have a guaranteed job or position at a company. Joanne Cini's book Kingmaker - Be The One Your Company Wants To Keep... On Your Terms (Prentice Hall) can help you navigate those waters and put you in a much better overall position.

Chapter List:

Part 1 - People, Profit, Politics, and Process: Who's A Kingmaker?; The Seismic Shift; A Word About Profit; Politics At Large; Politics In The Day To Day; Losing Like A Winner; Ego, Fear, and Competition; The Responsibility Of Leadership; The Champion; Embrace Diversity; Summary of Part 1

Part 2 - Excel, Execute, and Enjoy!: Value Yourself If You Intend To Be Valuable; How Can You Affect The Company's Margin?; Become Your Manager's Go-To Person; Getting A Handle On Obsession And Defensive Action; When Is It OK To Break Rank?; Interview Discovery; How To Pick (And Get Along With) Your Boss; Management By Type; Preparing For Your Annual Review: Managing Your Value Perception; Keeping Clear On What You Think You Want; Summary Of Part 2

Part 3 - Planning For Passion And Prosperity: Branding Yourself: The Art Of Free Agency; Achieving Fulfillment Through Great Work; Letting Go And Having A Life; The Freedom Plan; When Leaving Is The Only Answer; Summary Of Part 3; Your Personal Value Kingdom

The concept of being a kingmaker means having a stake in the rise of your boss to "king" status. Your future is linked and interwoven to theirs, and you need to know how to manage your career to take advantage of that fact. Cini relates wisdom and lessons learned in her 24 years in the television industry to help the reader through those landmines.

In the first part of the book, there seems to be a lot of relating of bad incidents and how she came to leave her job. I'll admit to being less than thrilled with the content, and started to wonder if this was going to be just a book of whining about how unfair corporate America can be. But Part 2 is where the book came together for me. She gets very practical about steps and attitudes that need to be present for an individual to excel in their jobs. And if you can make yourself one of these people, then you'll be considered one of those people who companies won't let go of, and you'll do it without selling out. The questions at the end of each chapter help you to think through things on a practical level.

Overall, a useful book on making sure you are the person that will survive the rough times in any corporate environment. There's something in there for everyone at every level.

The One I AM Going To Keep! - 2004-12-22
Reviewer Rating:
This is a great study on the inner career workings of one of America's biggest industries: TV Advertising. A seasoned Executive, Cini does a great job painting a portrait of the front-line corporate career battles we've all experienced, and detailing the tremendous lessons to be learned. No matter what your level of experience in corporate America, there's a pearl or two of wisdom from Cini that can benefit you.

If you are new to the ebb and flow of the daily grind, then take Cini's advice as the new best friend who will help you get to the top. The years of experience relfected here, plus the user-friendly format, should take much of they mystery out of knowing what to do to get ahead, without resorting to unethical behaviors.

If you are a mid-career, semi-seasoned pro, then the descriptive scenarios of real-life engagements coupled with the lessons learned, and the insightful takeaways, should help guarantee your continued rise to the top.

Finally, your career is one aspect, but there's another job we all have: life. Cini closes with some valuable introspective advice on where to look to ensure what you do and how you do it, lines up with what you truly want to be about.

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