Chapter 3. ALONG FOR THE RIDE: RIDE-ALONGS
| Good at picking winning horses? |
| Think being boss is tough? |
| Your destiny could be to ride along. |
Some big-buck cravers don't want the buck to stop with them. Ride-alongs rise high, play critical roles, are well-respected leaders, and get rich—but never bear a CEO's ultimate pressure. Ride-alongs don't point the way. They find the right horse, hitch their wagon to it, and help the horse. Though they may never wear a CEO's crown, some famous ride-alongs ride high on the Forbes 400—Buffett's sidekick, Charlie Munger, for one, with $2 billion.[44]
This is no cakewalk! It's devilish divining whether the CEO you follow is leading you to new heights or off a cliff. Real ride-alongs aren't lemmings or stooping yes-men (though bad ones can be). No!
Ride-alongs have the board's, the employees', the shareholders', and the CEO's respect—and are paid for it. And, they can say and do things CEO's can't. The CEO is too public! Too visible! When it's time to play good cop-bad cop, guess who plays bad cop? Maybe they don't make founder-CEO mega-wealth, but great ride-alongs get big pay, firm ownership, and big net worth.
WHY RIDE ALONG?
Sound worse than being Dr. Evil's cat, Mr. Bigglesworth? No! Don't equate ride-alongs with "toady" or "groveling sycophant." Toadies aren't powerful—ride-alongs are. This isn't just being a top corporate officer—it is being a partner the CEO won't do without.
Big Backseat Bucks
Top ride-alongs make bucks rivaling other roads. They ...
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