What's Holding You Back: 10 Bold Steps that Define Gutsy Leaders
Why do leaders shy away from tough decisions?The more responsibility a manager has, the more likely it is he or she will face tough decisions. Often, these hard choices determine the difference between success and mediocrity; yet many managers, when faced with tough decisions, crumble. Whether making decisions for a small group, a department, a division, or the whole company, all managers have experienced situations where they know what they need to do, but also know that these steps will be unpopular. They worry there is no ideal option, a lack of data, guaranteed disappointment, or that there is no quick fix—they need a long-term perspective. And they worry that their choices might in fact be dead wrong. They will decide to delay, further analyze, massively compromise, ignore the whole thing, or employ any other tactic to avoid dealing with the situation.What's Holding You Back? offers leaders and managers (at all levels) the road map they need to confront difficult situations head-on. Robert J. Herbold clearly explains why managers fall victim to very human behaviors, such as avoiding conflict, striving for certainty, avoiding a career risk, a lack of self-confidence, a lack of a sense of urgency, or protecting their turf. Then through illustrative, real-world examples from Microsoft, Porsche, IBM, Merck, Canon, Sony, Whirlpool, IDEO, Tesco, P&G;, Target, and 3M, Herbold details the larger consequences of this lack of courage.What's Holding You Back? spells out the ten core principles of confident leadership. The book also outlines the proven tactics and strategies that managers have used to confront their inner wimp and call upon their inner courage. Step by step Herbold reveals how managers can cultivate and deliver accountable and decisive leadership, even while grappling with the toughest dilemmas.Operational and innovative excellence can only come with gutsy leadership.