In this revelatory memoir, Clifford Hudson, former CEO and Chairman of Sonic Corp, challenges established thinking, offering counterintuitive career advice to help professionals and businesses at all levels thrive.
"There are more opportunities for success and happiness available to those who are willing to loosen the reigns and let themselves wander down many paths."
The way of variety, of shared leadership, of instability and innovation, clearly paves a path to success, and a life-giving one at that."
In this thought-provoking memoir, Hudson explores whether or not mastery is even necessary for success. Most people don't need to be experts in their field. Yes, the successful know more than the average person about a particular topic, and they often possess a better-than-average ability with a particular skillset; but not everyone who is successful is an expert.
More importantly, in today’s technology-driven environment, change is the only constant, including the nature of work and the skills required to do it. Over-investing in expertise is often riskier than learning to be adaptive and open to new knowledge, ideas, and skills. Experience can also lead to overconfidence. And yet we continue to deeply value the expertise ideal.
Clifford Hudson is the former general counsel, president, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Oklahoma City-based Sonic Corp. A lifelong student of experiences fueled by unending curiosity, he has served a number of roles most notably a Jack-of-All-Trades.
In the Clinton administration, he served as chairman of the board for the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Cliff also served as a trustee of the Ford Foundation and is a past chairman of the board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
His first book, Master of None, challenges established thinking and explores whether or not mastery is needed to succeed. Instead, he sees variety and diversity being essential for success. His career, life and interests are proof.
Discover Cliff's journey as a Jack-of-All-Trades