Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and Life [Hardcover]

Noah Blumenthal (Author), Marshall Goldsmith (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009

Standing on a mountaintop in Switzerland, Jeff thought he had figured out the secret to living a great life. Eight years later he was a rising star in his company and looking forward to the birth of his first child. Then it all unraveled. Follow his extraordinary journey as he discovers what he missed on the mountain and how to recapture his success at work and in life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Be the Hero

"Noah Blumenthal's uplifting new book, Be the Hero, will teach you to think like a hero. This book will change your outlook on life!"
--Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level

"I recommend Be the Hero for anyone who is driven by the challenge of delivering peak performance at work and at home."
--Michael H. Thaman, Chairman and CEO, Owens Corning

"Noah Blumenthal uses a simple, compelling story to teach profound lessons."
--Tammy J. Winnie, Director, Organization Change Management, Kellogg Company

"I could not put this book down. The story is riveting and the learning from it is priceless."
--Sharon Jordan-Evans, coauthor of Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay

About the Author

Noah Blumenthal is the Founder and President of Leading Principles, Inc., an executive coaching and consulting company. He is a coach, speaker, and published author. Noah's book, You're Addicted to You was published by Berrett-Koehler in April, 2007. He has also written for magazines, including articles for OD Practitioner, Practicing, Leadership Excellence, Personal Excellence, Change This, and MWorld the Journal of the American Management Association.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160509000X
• ISBN-13: 978-1605090009
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Noah Blumenthal is a nationally bestselling author and was named by Leadership Excellence Magazine as one of the world's "Top 100 Minds in Personal Development." As a keynote speaker and executive coach Noah helps individuals and organizations develop heroic leadership and has worked with clients in the Fortune 500 in financial services, advertising, media, pharmaceuticals, professional services, utilities and consumer products.

His most recent book, national bestseller Be the Hero, has transformed both workplaces and lives. Among other things readers have written about how being a hero has helped them respond to budget crises and layoffs, manage difficult bosses and customers, battle cancer, and overcome a lifelong fear of flying.

To watch the inspirational hero video, take the quiz to find out about your own heroism, or to learn more about Be the Hero, visit the website.
www.be-the-hero.com

To learn more about Noah Blumenthal's corporate services, visit his company website.
www.leadingprinciples.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like a fast-paced novel, yet useful, July 31, 2009

By 

Roben Torosyan PhD "Roben Torosyan" (Fairfield, CT USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and Life (Hardcover)

I'm surprised. While the ideas may be familiar to those acquainted with the psychology of personal change, the book reads like a fast-paced summer novel. And I need its reminders daily.

Best dialogue from the book:
Jeff said, "So I think I get what you are saying, but this guy was a jerk. He didn't have a reservation. There was a forty-five minute wait and he wanted to be seated immediately in one of the premier seats in the restaurant. That's a jerk."
"No," said Martin. "That's a story. You are telling yourself a story about this person that's making you angry even now."

Best insight:
Whatever the problem (or opportunity), I have options about how I frame the situation to myself. Hard to implement at times, but incredibly powerful. And confirmed by dozens of classic studies (McAdams, Sheehy, Levinson, among others)--most of which don't read as entertainingly.

New Yorker cartoon that most relates: A man walks in on his wife in bed with another man. His wife says, "Allow me to offer a competing narrative."

Healthy parody from The Onion: "I Guess Now Would be As Good a Time as Any To Triumph Over Adversity." Includes observations like " I'm just not up for a moment of unprecedented human achievement right now. Maybe after I finish watching the rest of this Seinfeld episode, I'll be in the mood to discover my previously untapped wells of courage and power. But maybe I'll take a nap first."

Far Side cartoon that most relates: Two devils watch a guy pushing a wheelbarrel of coal through the fires of hell, and he's whistling. One devil says to the other, "You know, we're just not reaching that guy." Whether at work or home, I must beware what I tell myself others should do, and what hell my own story puts them through.

Sure such books don't change external reality. But I can change how I relate to that reality, how I respond, and what I do. And that can change what then happens in reality.

[...]

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be the Hero..., August 10, 2009

By 

Jeremy Sullivan "of BK" (SF, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and Life (Hardcover)

Length:: 2:40 Mins

Here's a video the author made to promote his book. Check it out.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A quick read, but insightful and moving, July 24, 2009

By 

Gregory D. Meyer - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Be the Hero: Three Powerful Ways to Overcome Challenges in Work and Life (Hardcover)

Noah has written an excellent parable that is readily applicable the moment you pick it up. All of us experience "change moments" when the way we view the world colors the way we live those moments. The true value of Be The Hero is that it helps us to recognize the way we are seeing things and to consider that as the basis for behavior change.

You can use Be The Hero to improve your communications and your relationships immediately -- but it will have even more value as you practice Noah's techniques at home and at work. Thanks for a great read!