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(Hardcover)
The co-authors of Primal Leadership (2004) explain how the stress and sacrifice associated with leadership can produce burnout and bad decisions if not counteracted by a conscious renewal process. Based upon interdisciplinary research in such fields as neuropsychology and management, their Intentional Change Model shows leaders how to use mindfulness, hope, and compassion to become more effective. Exercises and activities are given at the end of each chapter. Boyatzis teaches organizational behavior at Case Western Reserve, and McKee is affiliated with the Teleos Leadership Institute. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Building on the principles they laid out in their 2002 bestseller, Primal Leadership (coauthored with emotional intelligence expert Daniel Goleman), Boyatzis and McKee explain how managers and executives can employ mindfulness, hope and compassion to create-and maintain-exceptional business success. "Effective teams and powerful, positive organizational cultures do not happen by accident," they write; they are created by "resonant" leaders who employ emotional intelligence to motivate and nurture their employees. Yet resonance can be exhausting to maintain, the authors have found, and even outstanding leaders can turn dissonant under the pressure of chronic business stress. When that happens, they say, "rest and relaxation" aren't enough to restore a leader's emotional resilience. Drawing upon cognitive psychology, Buddhist philosophy and their own research, the authors propose a series of more effective remedies. Among them: cultivating "openness, curiosity and awareness" about oneself and others; visualizing a positive, realistic dream; and working to understand and improve the situations of others. Boyatzis and McKee argue convincingly that such practices can "favorably impact the bottom line while enabling leaders to sustain their effectiveness for longer periods of time." At a time when business leaders are under scrutiny for moral lapses on financial and social fronts, the exercises and arguments in this book can help executives learn to improve their interests by strengthening their ethics. 60,000-copy first printing. (Oct. 27) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
More Reviews and RecommendationsRichard Boyatzis is Professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve. Annie McKee is Co-chair of the Teleos Leadership Institute and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. They are coauthors, with Daniel Goleman, of Primal Leadership (HBS Press, 2002).
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April 02, 2006: Boyatzis and McKee build on the foundation presented in Primal Leadership with sound advice on how leaders can flex their emotional muscles to become better at what they do. Stress and burn-out are no longer dirty little secrets and a clear connection is made between lack of emotional resilience and decreased performance as a leader. They include some excellent exercises that have been in the toolkits of coaches and counselors for decades, and are here given the weight and legitimacy they have long deserved. Boyatzis has extensive research to back his ideas and he and McKee write in an accessible and non-threatening way that will allow even the most emotionally blocked executive to benefit.
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October 03, 2005: The authors have previously writen about emotional intelligence and this book does something important and valuable in providing a guide to overcoming the vicious cycle of stress, sacrifice, and dissonance that afflicts many leaders. Their research is intense (in a good way) and they use many real stories to offer a framework for creating the resonance that fuels great leadership. I was fascinated by the author's thoughts on how leaders can overcome constantly sacrificing themselves to workplace demand and, instead, manage the cycle using specific techniques to combat stress, avoid burnout, and renew themselves. Most of the book's strategies focus on mindfulness, hope, and compassion, and shows how intentionally employing these qualities creates effective and enduring leadership.