This is not a list of executive toys, gadgets or gimmicks, just top of the range products that will not only help you do your job better, but make you look good while you’re doing it. All items outlined below are made from the finest materials, with absolutely no expense spared. Quality like this does not come cheap, but it’s worth investing in the best if you want to promote an impeccable corporate image to colleagues and competitors alike.
1. Kiki James Classic Bridle Journal
If organization is the key to success, then this top of the line personalized journals, handcrafted in the UK from the finest Italian bridle leather, will surely unlock riches beyond your wildest dreams. The colour-contrasting red ribbon completes a stylish, yet timeless look.
2. Montblanc Meisterstück Pen
From Caran d’Ache to Visconti, Cartier, OMAS and Graf von Faber-Castel, there are many companies which make writing instruments suitable for top executives. There is one company, however, founded in 1906, which still stands head-and-shoulders above the rest: Montblanc. Their pens are timeless, sophisticated and of superlative quality. The Meisterstück, with 18k gold nib and rhodium-plated inlay, is perhaps the most classic of all.
3. Pen Pot by Barnes & Noble
Handmade from Italian leather, this pen pot will perfectly compliment your journal. The pot’s interior is also soft leather that’s not only extremely tactile, but also particularly protective of pens.
4. Antique Silver Photo Frame
No executive desktop would be complete without some kind of family photograph. Nothing will make your photo shine brighter than a solid silver frame, preferably one that’s antique. The frame in the image above was made by Henry Miller of Birmingham in 1932 and has a blue-velvet backing.
5. Executive Brass Name Bar
Sadly, in this modern age of open-plan offices and hot desking, name bars seem to be going the way of leather desk pads: towards the dustbin that is. Nevertheless, nothing screams authority and status more than an inscribed, brass-plated name bar, mounted on solid hardwood.
6. HP EliteBook 8730w Mobile Workstation
Every company employee, from the well-oiled CEO to the oily intern, needs his or her own computer. The HP EliteBook 8730w Mobile Workstation is one of the few suitable for a top executive. With Windows Vista Business, an Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor X9100 and a vast array of security software pre-installed, this machine will not let you, or your company down.
7. Sage Brown Desktop Business Cardholder
Executives tend to display business cards on their desks, but most just stack them in an unsightly pile or spread them out on some saucer or other. Why not present them properly, in a designated business cardholder? Sage Brown’s cardholder is made from indulgent crocodile-effect leather, with a calf leather base and burnt orange lining.
Just one item missed… a serious working executive nearby. Rest all are easier to achieve.
You forgot the Post-It Parchment Notes, on which the overpaid enfant terrible has scribbled such whims as:
- “Find out name of wine I had earlier on corporate jet”
- “More motivational posters, mugs, and mission statements”
- “Lump/reduce into ‘Personal Time’ both Sick & Vacation Days”
- “Trim again pay, benes, healthcare…push ‘HSA’ and ‘HMO’”
- “Don’t forget MSNBC TV appearance…leak my memoir-to-come”
- “John Edwards’ home has an indoor basketball court. To-do”
Needed to complete list: Executive chair, uber-cool glass top desk or reclaimed, hand-rubbed oak desk, Wall Art, Tabletop art, Bookshelves filled with appropriately titled Executive books like 7 Successful…, Chicken Soup for the…, Art of War, How to Improve Your Golf Swing…, etc.
This seems to be a rather transparent shill. The leather journals, while certainly decent, are not what I would refer to as characteristically executive. Admittedly, Montblanc pens have been virtually ubiquitous in upper management circles for a long time. On the other hand, the Barnes and Noble pen pot is probably the least appropriate desktop device listed in this article. It might make sense if it were a gift or if it matched an unusually casual decor. However it’s incredibly incompatible with the other items. Having the HP listed here was just the crowning achievement in transparency. Executives of large organizations do not manage security on company computers.
Just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much you can get depending on your taste, your budget and what you can get away with.