The Man Who Wore the Star: Real-time Perspectives on a Business Leader's Changing World

The Man Who Wore the Star is the first book by an experienced corporate CEO to offer a special kind of real-time perspective on a CEO's work.

The author, James W. Kinnear, brings a special credibility to the task. He faced a blockbuster problem when he became CEO of Texaco in January of 1987: a $10.5 billion court judgment the company couldn't pay, and couldn't appeal. Texaco was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection -- the largest U.S. corporation ever to do so. Yet within two years the company had settled the court case, gotten out of bankruptcy, and fought off a takeover bid. For years to come, this will rank as one of the great corporate turnarounds.

The Man Who Wore the Star builds on these experiences to offer a unique perspective on the problem-solving process. For it puts forward not only what this CEO says today about his challenges, but also the texts of speeches through which he addresses these issues and exercised leadership.

The topics addressed are as wide-ranging as the job of a CEO.

How do you rally employees to work harder than ever, when the company's future seems less secure than ever? See Chapter 2.

How do you secure the loyalty of shareholders, when the stock is struggling and a takeover offer is on the table? See Chapter 3.

Can (or should) leaders in business ignore ethical concerns? See Chapter 4. What about a company's responsibility to the environment? See Chapter 7. How can a CEO deal with new technologies that developed after his or her career was mature? See Chapter 8.

Throughout the books runs the theme of leadership, the special skill that responds to every one of these challenges. Leaders, writes Jim Kinnear, are driven by their dreams of success for the enterprise, rather than for themselves. They lead by words, and by example. They must be accountable. Above all, they must have, and they must project, a strong sense of ethics.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, James W. Kinnear joined Texaco after service in the Korean War. He served in domestic and international assignments of increasing responsibility, becoming president and chief executive officer of Texaco in 1987. He retired from the company in 1993 but remains active in business and charitable activities.