The Courage to Act: 5 Factors of Courage to Transform Business

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read!
Review: Only a brave pair of authors would try to tackle a topic as all-encompassing as the need for courage in the modern business world, but that is exactly what Drs. Merom Klein and Rod Napier have set out to do. Do they succeed? Not entirely. While their diagnosis of the organizational ills plaguing today's companies is spot-on, their prescriptions are generic, involving "creating a safe environment," "building pride" and "keeping it fun." Despite the obviousness of some of the sound advice in the later chapters, the book shines in its first 70 pages, in which the doctors present an original, enlightening analysis of how organizational changes have altered the roles and responsibilities of mid-level workers. Based on this fresh perspective, we think that all readers could use a little Courage.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended by Stern's Management Review
Review: The thrust of this book is to help facilitate organizational change through finding more courage both within yourself and inspiring it in others. The author's aim is to help the reader find 1) more candor to deal with the truth, 2) a greater sense of purpose, 3) a more optimistic will, 4) more disciplined rigor, and 5) a greater inclination to trust and risk. These are five quintessential dimensions of courage that bring people to cross an action threshold and persevere. Each of these factors is explored in separate chapters; specific how-to guidelines are presented and summarized. The book vividly deals with the emotions underlying the will to act; it is insightful and invigorating. We highly recommend it.