There's more to Life than the
corner Office
the Secret to total life prosperity
by
Lamar Smith and
Tammy Kling
“The corner office has become symbolic
of high performance and success,” says
author and former CEO Lamar Smith.
“It’s an office that men and women all
over the world strive to occupy.” “The
CEO is the modern equivalent of royalty
and the corner office is the “throne
room.”
In THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN
THE CORNER OFFICE
(March 2009; McGraw-Hill; $17.95), a
parable, Smith explores the
relationship between a young, driven,
narcissistic investment banker and a
down-to-earth, successful older CEO who
meet by a fortunate twist of fate.
This touching story is about a young man
whose life is out of control. His career
entirely consumes him as he focuses
solely on acquiring the brass ring,
losing sight of what’s truly important
to the point that he is separated from
the woman he loves and on the brink of
divorce. Initially dismissed by the
young man as old and past his prime, the
CEO takes him under his wing and shares
the hard life lessons that he himself
learned on the road to success.
Texan, Lamar Smith believes that our
quest for the ‘corner office’ in its
many forms starts early, fueled by the
gold star the teacher passes out for
outstanding achievement. “By the time
we’re grown, we are so conditioned to
achieving and to pursuing the
ever-elusive gold star that our lives
become unbalanced and our true purpose
and power are lost.” Smith wrote the
parable based on his own life, mirroring
his experience and observations as he
traveled from young military officer in
Viet Nam to a seasoned CEO of an
international financial services
company.
In THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN THE
CORNER OFFICE, the author contends
that Americans have become consumed by
greed and hubris, asking readers to
consider whether they are leading the
best life possible with joy and
confidence, or just caught up in the rat
race, in a single-minded quest for
achievement in just one aspect of life.
While people vow to change, they often
don’t, keeping them “passengers on the
journey of life, letting events and
relationships enter and exit without
much conscious thought or planning about
what happens next.”
Through his mentorship and wisdom, the
CEO skillfully and respectfully forces
the young executive to look long and
hard at the consequences of running away
from problems and being overly focused
on career. The student learns that it
is not about lowering your sights, but
about achieving your ‘own corner office’
while balancing physical, intellectual,
emotional, financial, and spiritual
well-being enabling and empowering
sustained high performance in all
important areas of life.
About the Author
Lamar C. Smith
is a
seasoned business professional active in
corporate and non-profit board service
who is an active author and speaker.
Smith spent most of his business career
with First Command Financial Services, a
retail financial planning firm with over
300,000 client families. There he rose
through the ranks and served as CEO for
15 years. Today Smith is a member of
the board of Torchmark, Inc, a leading
provider of retail insurance products;
serves on the boards of Search
Ministries, Inc., Christian Prayer
Breakfast Fort Worth; and chairs the
board of H.O.P.E. Farm, Inc., a
non-profit organization for at risk,
inner city boys. Smith was an Air Force
Special Forces attack pilot and flew 114
combat missions in the Southeast Asia
conflict. While there he earned
decorations including two Silver Stars,
six Distinguished Flying Crosses, and
eleven Air Medals, awarded for
gallantry, heroism and meritorious
achievement. From Georgia, Smith holds
a degree from Georgia State University
in Business Administration. He resides
in Fort Worth, Texas with his family.
