Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today
From the author of the acclaimed book Fierce Conversations comes the antidote to some of the most wrongheaded practices of business today.

· “Provide anonymous feedback.”
· “Hire smart people.”
· “Hold people accountable.”
These are all sound, business practices, right? Not so fast, says leadership visionary and bestselling author Susan Scott. In fact, these mantras — despite being long-accepted and adopted by business leaders everywhere — are completely wrongheaded. Worse, they are costing companies billions of dollars, driving away valuable employees and profitable customers, limiting performance, and stalling careers. Yet they are so deeply ingrained in organizational cultures that no one has questioned them. Until now.

In Fierce Leadership, Scott teaches us how to spot the worst “best” practices in our organizations using a technique she calls “squid eye”–the ability to see the “tells” or signs that we have fallen prey to disastrous behaviors by knowing what to look for. Only then, she says, can we apply the antidote..

Informed by over a decade of conversations with Fortune 500 executives, this book is that antidote. With fierce new approaches to everything from employee feedback to corporate diversity to customer relations, Scott offers fresh and surprising alternatives to six of the so-called “best” practices permeating today’s businesses. This refreshingly candid book is a must-read for any manager or leader at any level who is ready to take a long hard look at what trouble might be lurking in their organization - and do something about it.
1016097341
Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today
From the author of the acclaimed book Fierce Conversations comes the antidote to some of the most wrongheaded practices of business today.

· “Provide anonymous feedback.”
· “Hire smart people.”
· “Hold people accountable.”
These are all sound, business practices, right? Not so fast, says leadership visionary and bestselling author Susan Scott. In fact, these mantras — despite being long-accepted and adopted by business leaders everywhere — are completely wrongheaded. Worse, they are costing companies billions of dollars, driving away valuable employees and profitable customers, limiting performance, and stalling careers. Yet they are so deeply ingrained in organizational cultures that no one has questioned them. Until now.

In Fierce Leadership, Scott teaches us how to spot the worst “best” practices in our organizations using a technique she calls “squid eye”–the ability to see the “tells” or signs that we have fallen prey to disastrous behaviors by knowing what to look for. Only then, she says, can we apply the antidote..

Informed by over a decade of conversations with Fortune 500 executives, this book is that antidote. With fierce new approaches to everything from employee feedback to corporate diversity to customer relations, Scott offers fresh and surprising alternatives to six of the so-called “best” practices permeating today’s businesses. This refreshingly candid book is a must-read for any manager or leader at any level who is ready to take a long hard look at what trouble might be lurking in their organization - and do something about it.
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Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst

Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today

by Susan Scott
Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst

Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today

by Susan Scott

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Overview

From the author of the acclaimed book Fierce Conversations comes the antidote to some of the most wrongheaded practices of business today.

· “Provide anonymous feedback.”
· “Hire smart people.”
· “Hold people accountable.”
These are all sound, business practices, right? Not so fast, says leadership visionary and bestselling author Susan Scott. In fact, these mantras — despite being long-accepted and adopted by business leaders everywhere — are completely wrongheaded. Worse, they are costing companies billions of dollars, driving away valuable employees and profitable customers, limiting performance, and stalling careers. Yet they are so deeply ingrained in organizational cultures that no one has questioned them. Until now.

In Fierce Leadership, Scott teaches us how to spot the worst “best” practices in our organizations using a technique she calls “squid eye”–the ability to see the “tells” or signs that we have fallen prey to disastrous behaviors by knowing what to look for. Only then, she says, can we apply the antidote..

Informed by over a decade of conversations with Fortune 500 executives, this book is that antidote. With fierce new approaches to everything from employee feedback to corporate diversity to customer relations, Scott offers fresh and surprising alternatives to six of the so-called “best” practices permeating today’s businesses. This refreshingly candid book is a must-read for any manager or leader at any level who is ready to take a long hard look at what trouble might be lurking in their organization - and do something about it.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780385529044
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication date: 01/11/2011
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 237,988
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

SUSAN SCOTT is the founder of Fierce, Inc., a global training company whose clients include Yahoo, Starbucks, Cisco, BP, General Dynamics, New York Life, Nestle, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Lego, C.A.R.E., Best Buy, Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young. Scott is the author of Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life — One Conversation at a Time. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

What Fresh Hell Is This? 1

Squid Eye 2

Spotting the Tells 3

Memo to Leaders 4

What Are You Practicing? 9

The Purpose of This Book 12

The Idea of Fierce 15

Why Fierce? 17

What Is "Fierce" Leadership? 19

Where to Begin? 23

Fierce Practice #1 From 360-Degree Anonymous Feedback to "365" Face-to-Face Feedback 26

A Dangerous Idea 27

Practicing Squid Eye 31

What Were We Thinking? 35

The Fierce Practice: "365" Face-to-Face Feedback 38

Praising with Courage and Skill 54

Taking It to the Organization 58

Personal Action Plan 60

Conclusion 61

Fierce Practice #2 From Hiring for Smarts to Hiring for Smart+Heart 62

The "Firm" 63

The Business Crisis That Smarts Can't Solve 67

Practicing Squid Eye 70

What Were We Thinking? 73

If You're Still Not Convinced, Think Nobel Prize 74

Your Most Valuable Currency 77

The Fierce Practice: Hire Smart+Heart People 79

The Smart+Heart Interview 91

Taking It to the Organization 98

Personal Action Plan 98

Conclusion 100

Fierce Practice #3 From Holding People Accountable to Modeling accountability and Holding People Able 103

Who's Accountable? 105

Non Est Mea Culpa 107

The Victim Context 114

Are You In or Out of the Cave? 116

Justified "Victim" 118

Practicing Squid Eye 119

What Were We Thinking? 121

The Fierce Practice: Model Accountability. Hold People Able 123

Taking It to the Organization 144

Personal Action Plan 145

Conclusion 147

Fierce Practice #4 From Employee Engagement programs to Actually Engaging Employees 150

The State of Engagement 151

What Matters Anywhere Matters Everywhere 153

Practicing Squid Eye 163

What Were We Thinking? 165

The Fierce Practice: Include! Engage! 170

Taking It to the Organization 185

Personal Action Plan 192

Conclusion 194

Fierce Practice #5 From Customer Centricity to Customer Connectivity 198

The Trouble with Customers 200

The House Feels Cold 205

Happens Every Day! 208

Practicing Squid Eye 209

What Were We Thinking? 212

The Fierce Practice: Customer Connectivity 215

Mineral Rights with Customers 229

Taking It to the Organization 236

Personal Action Plan 241

Conclusion 243

Fierce Practice #6 From Legislated Optimism to Radical Transparency 248

What Is Legislated Optimism? 250

For the Rhythm of Your Home 254

Practicing Squid Eye 256

What Were We Thinking? 258

Letting the Fresh Air into the Room 261

The Fierce Practice: Radical Transparency 264

Interrogating Reality Through Beach Ball Meetings 270

Taking It to the Organization 286

Personal Action Plan 287

Conclusion 290

Conclusion: Crossing the Bold Line 292

Acknowledgments 301

Recommended Reading 303

Index 305

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