PULL UP YOUR C.H.A.I.R.

Book Reviews & Recommendations

Loaded with Insight!


“Pull Up Your Chair: Five Strategies to Change the Trajectory of Your Career” by Cicely Simpson is an incredibly helpful and intriguing read that truly can, as the book title states, change the trajectory of your career. In my own line of work I found myself feeling a sense of stagnation and desperately wanting more, without having to actually change my career as a whole. Because let’s face it, no one wants to do that if they can at all avoid it! This book offered a ton of insight and advice and really has set the course for helping me make some much needed changes for the better. -Amy K

Bring your folding chair!


The book opens with an amazing quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” It essentially means that you have to make your way by yourself wherever you go.

And, this is what the book is about. Make yourself a better leader and get yourself noticed everywhere. The author has shared five strategies which are actually derived from the word “chair.”

Yes, the word CHAIR is actually an acronym that means:
C = Champion Yourself
H = Honesty
A = Adaptability
I = Impact
R = Regrets

Cicely (author) has shared personal stories, tips, and insights to become a better professional no matter where you work.

Besides, the book has an excellent, artistic, and visually attractive cover – tells you a lot about the quality that you’re going to get inside of it!

“Pull Up Your Chair: Five Strategies to Change the Trajectory of Your Career” is 100% recommended to anybody who wants to improve. -Ghulam Mustafa

‘Empower yourself to set goals that you can truly achieve’ – Wise guidance


Author Cicely Simpson earned her degree in political science from Lipscomb University, her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, and is the Founder and CEO of Summit Public Affairs, a lobbying firm, and an in demand public speaker and leadership coach. On her website she states, ‘Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.

The clever title of this book reflects Cicely’s wealth of leadership and experience to ‘guide clients who seek to pull up their chair and set their table of success.’ In her inimitable fashion, she presents her concept of C.H.A.I.R.℠ leadership she has devised and that has made an integral impact on her clients. The five strategies - Champion yourself (track your big wins and small triumphs), Honesty (stay true to yourself and know how you land on people), Adaptability (embrace the unknown), Impact (change the outcome, ask “what if”), and Regrets (‘you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take’, etc). Her concept was in reaction to congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s quote “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.

Having successfully coached clients - and now readers as well – on her CHAIR concept, Cicely encourages us to practice, implement, and master the strategies in this book to not only enhance our business mind but also our social interactions. There is much wisdom in these pages, and it is all accessible to incorporate. Very highly recommended. -Grady Harp

Those are the steps that we are going in-depth.


The C.H.A.I.R.℠ Program is one of the most unique and intricate concepts I read in quite some time, while some other approaches just focus on what you need to do to become a true leader, this book also deals with what comes afterwards. Champion yourself, Honesty, Adaptability, Impact, Regrets. Those are the steps that we are going in-depth to get the better out of you, as success is not only a one-way road but can also spread to others and it can be achieved by you, your actions and your motivation. This book is so unique in many regards but the more I’m most happy about is that it helps you keep moving forward, way past that momentum and success, that feeling you thought is infinite but can be done at any time, this book helps you capitalize so much within you, that a true leader will just be the start of an unforgettable journey. -Julius Z

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cicely is a keynote speaker, leadership expert, ForbesBooks best-selling author, Forbes Contributor, Founder of the 21st Century Leadership Institute, and Creator of C.H.A.I.R. Leadership, a unique leadership model for modern leaders.

Cicely is changing the way people understand their roles their own careers. In her twenty-five-plus-year career, Cicely has held leadership roles in every organization she has served. Today, she endeavors to show everyone from CEOs to students how they can carve out a permanent space at the table, no matter what direction their career takes. Beyond showing them what this new brand of leadership looks like, Cicely is pushing people past their comfort zones in order to inspire real change. Cicely shows individuals, teams, and organizations how to find their edge and keep it.

What Others Have To Say​

  • D. Qualls
    "I love Cicely. She is a no-nonsense person. Cicely will challenge you. She will confirm your strengths and she will provide you resources and tools to develop the areas that she feels that there are opportunities. Her energy, her experiences and just her attitude really connected with me and my interest and wanted to reach out to her to continue to challenge myself and develop my career into hopefully a new journey. The one part that she has brought to light for me is I have been undervaluing myself in my work. Her career experiences, her journeys of what she's done, the different industry sectors that she has served, and again help you think about not only who you are, but what you are and what you want to be."
    D. Qualls
  • A. Yanez
    Cicely – thank you SO much for speaking to the team!!! They loved you! I appreciate you so much.
    A. Yanez
  • T. Eyet
    I want to express our deep appreciation for the time you invested with our teams last week. Your presence helped us reach some truly revelatory moments. Our discussion the next day, inspired by your insights, led to some significant breakthrough moments. We are all deeply committed to this new energy and eagerly anticipate how it will positively transform our work and team dynamics.
    T. Eyet
  • Scott Sager
    Cicely Simpson offers a unique and fresh approach to the major issues facing corporate and political America today. Her presentations combine a warmth for her audience with a personal charisma that captivates audiences with her honest and relatable stories of overcoming racial and gender barriers through principle centered decisions. Cicely's insights into servant leadership, building trust and forging open and honest communication resonate with aspiring professionals of every age -- and show that things can be done right even in the highest levels of Washington politics and the board rooms of some of America's most successful corporations. Cicely will leave you longing for more and will empower individuals to reinvest in making things better right where they are!
    Scott Sager
  • C. Brown
    "Thank you so much Cicely. One of the best decisions I made this year was to join your program. It has truly changed my thinking."
    C. Brown
    Asst. Vice President
  • C. Richards
    I have known and seen Cicely to be a wonderfully accomplished woman and certainly aspirational for me. I found her to be be very empathetic in the ways she works. She has helped me to be able to pinpoint my unique place of value as opposed to being very general. She has not prescribed the path that she thinks each person should be on. Instead, she has been very authentic and tailored, he;ping me think through what, in fact, that is it that I actually want. She has a gift of finding in each person the skills that they particularly have, and then helping you to see how you can put those forward to other to other people.
    C. Richards
    Dean of Students
  • T. Schmaler
    Cicely Simpson has an amazing ability to take deeply complicated policy and political issues and distill them into dynamic and digestible ideas that further the conversation. During her appearance at the Brookings Institution panel on wage growth, her confidence, command of the subject and keen sense of humor made the discussion both interesting and informative for the audience.”
    T. Schmaler
    Managing Director
  • J. Simonsen
    "I have known Cicely Simpson for many years. I have had the opportunity to see her speak on several occasions, before various groups of professionals. Cicely is extremely knowledgeable, very engaging, and an outstanding presenter. She is always very well prepared, and presents her topics succinctly and in a straightforward manner. It is without hesitation that I recommend Cicely to be a speaker for your organization.”— Jan Simonsen Equity Partner, Carr Maloney P.C.
    J. Simonsen
    Equity Partner
  • M. Winegeart
    "Cicely Simpson was the keynote speaker for Lipscomb University’s Leadership Summit - a weeklong experiential learning intensive for 120+ graduating juniors and seniors. College students can be an intimidating audience, especially our Summit group that included Bio Chemistry, Engineering, Business, Accounting and Social Work majors! As the favorite Summit speaker, Ms. Simpson delivered in spades. Her passionate and humble style quickly won over even the most skeptical academics. I highly recommend Ms. Simpson to any group that values authenticity and passion, delivered with humility, clarity, and relevancy.”
    M. Winegeart
    Executive Director
  • L. Dowd
    “It is rare when you meet someone with incredible experience, composure, wisdom, humor and kindness, but Cicely is all of those things and more. Cicely has become a coach, mentor and friend to me. Our relationship started when she was a guest on my podcast twice and I was on hers twice. We found a fast friendship and a kinship in our desire to change the working world for the better. I've watched Cicely instill confidence in the leaders she coaches. She built an incredible community to help people and does it all with a level head and grace. She could have 100 things going on but you'd never know it as she makes you feel like you are the only person in the room. I'd recommend Cicely to anyone looking for a coach, a great podcast, a thoughtful and excellent book or a speaker to help your team be their best."
    L. Dowd
    Chief Revenue Officer
  • A. Ward
    "Thank you so much for your time spent with us at Summit! During this time, you truly modeled for us time and time again how to embody every characteristic of exemplary leadership. Thank you for coaching us to be people of impact who understand that “okay is not okay.” You taught us that while “okay is comfortable, it’s not thrilling. It’s not passion. It’s not life-changing, fulfilling, and unforgettable."
    A. Ward