Tipping Sacred Cows: Kick the Bad Work Habits that Masquerade as Virtues

by Jake Breeden

Overview

Strategies for overcoming the "sacred cows" that hold people back at work

We all know the "sacred cows" at work-the conventional wisdom to try your best, work well with others, and produce excellent work. But these cherished nuggets of advice, in practice, have a dark side that can lead to career-limiting unintended consequences. Based on Jake Breeden's experience coaching thousands of leaders in 27 countries, and the latest scientific research in behavioral economics, neuroscience, and psychology, Tipping Sacred Cows reveals how to overcome the dangerous behaviors that masquerade as virtues at work, and how to lead with fewer self-imposed limitations and greater results.

• Identifies the seven most common sacred cows at work, including balance that turns bland, creativity that conceals narcissism, and passion that becomes obsession
• Offers simple steps for recognizing and overcoming the potentially career-limiting effects of each of the most common sacred cows
• Written by Jake Breeden, a faculty member at Duke University's Corporate Education program, rated by Businessweek and The Financial Times as #1 in the world

Tipping Sacred Cows shines a light on the hidden traps that lie between good intentions and great results, clearing a path so leaders can finally realize their full potential at work.

Take this quick 21-question survey to find out which of the seven sacred cows are standing in your way at work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118345917
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	03/04/2013
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	459,584
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jake Breeden teaches on the faculty of Duke Corporate Education, the world's top-rated provider of custom executive education. He has taught leaders in some of the world's leading companies, including Google, Starbucks, Cisco, Microsoft, and IBM. He has an MBA from Duke University and lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where his three daughters keep him laughing and learning.

For more information, please visit www.breedenideas.com.

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Table of Contents

1 Meet Your Sacred Cows 1

2 Bland Bold Balance 25

3 Automatic Accountable Collaboration 49

4 Narcissistic Useful Creativity 69

5 Process Outcome Excellence 95

6 Outcome Process Fairness 119

7 Obsessive Harmonious Passion 141

8 Backstage Onstage Preparation 167

9 Extinguish Your Backfires 187

Notes 193

Acknowledgments 203

About the Author 205

Index 207

Editorial Reviews

Think work obsession and a focus on fairness are the best ways to get ahead in the corporate world? Think again, says Breeden, who teaches at Duke Corporate Education and specializes in training modern leaders. It's time to let go of our sacred cows: the corporate "virtues" whose importance we take for granted. Breeden argues that success in the workplace requires being able to deep-six the conventional wisdom, recognize when assets have turned into liabilities, and consider the unintended consequences of the canon of corporate "wisdom." Breeden breaks down some of these old virtues into their component parts, including balance, collaboration, creativity, fairness, and passion—no longer as useful as they once were. "Executives pay lip service to balance," says a Breeden client, "but they pay bonuses to people who get results.'" Breeden puts his theories into practice, providing step-by-step guides for how readers can stop striving for each purported virtue and start using time and resources more wisely. Though the framing is simply a reversal of a number of other leadership guides that focus on evolving corporate values and leadership trends, this rigorous, thoughtful book may help leadership skill seekers develop their own ideas and strategies. Agent: Patricia Snell, Michael Snell Literary Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly