Courage: The Backbone of Leadership [Hardcover]

Gus Lee (Author), Diane Elliott-Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2006

In Courage, Gus Lee captures the essential component of leadership in measurable behaviors. Using actual stories from Whirlpool, Kaiser Permanente, IntegWare, WorldCom and other organizations, Lee shows how highly successful executives face and overcome their fears to develop moral intelligence. These real-world examples offer practical lessons for rooting out unethical practices and behaviors by

• Assessing them for rightness and integrity
• Addressing moral failures
• Following through with dialogue and direct action

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this guide to doing the right thing, Lee presents a self-help approach to solving hard-edged problems. The key to effective leadership, he argues, is "principled conduct under pressure"—in short, courage. While courage is hardly the one-size-fits-all magic bullet that Lee envisions, much of his advice is valuable, particularly that dealing with communication, the thorniest management issue of all. The book is built around extended anecdotes about executives facing tough personnel decisions and having to confront their habits of "avoidant communication," and Lee's reconstructed dialogue is engaging, realistic and instructive. He also offers periodic references to his own, genuinely inspiring transition from myopic, alienated wimp to successful executive, lawyer, executive coach, consultant and bestselling novelist (China Boy, etc.). Granted, this business book has many of the problems typical of the genre: the constant invoking of the book's title, whether or not relevant to the point being made; the regular introduction of acronymed concepts and clumsy coinages; the inspirational speeches and the occasional royal we phrasing ("We now see the difference between high, medium and low core values"). But any book that offers a road map to handling unpleasant workplace conversations is welcome—even if the choices in your everyday life don't require as much courage as in Lee's scenarios. (Feb.)
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Review

In this guide to doing the right thing, Lee presents a self-help approach to solving hard-edged problems. The key to effective leadership, he argues, is "principled conduct under pressure"—in short, courage. While courage is hardly the one-size-fits-all magic bullet that Lee envisions, much of his advice is valuable, particularly that dealing with communication, the thorniest management issue of all. The book is built around extended anecdotes about executives facing tough personnel decisions and having to confront their habits of "avoidant communication," and Lee's reconstructed dialogue is engaging, realistic and instructive. He also offers periodic references to his own, genuinely inspiring transition from myopic, alienated wimp to successful executive, lawyer, executive coach, consultant and bestselling novelist (China Boy, etc.). Granted, this business book has many of the problems typical of the genre: the constant invoking of the book's title, whether or not relevant to the point being made; the regular introduction of acronymed concepts and clumsy coinages; the inspirational speeches and the occasional royal we phrasing ("We now see the difference between high, medium and low core values"). But any book that offers a road map to handling unpleasant workplace conversations is welcome—even if the choices in your everyday life don't require as much courage as in Lee's scenarios. (Feb.) (Publishers Weekly, December 12, 2005)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (March 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787981370
• ISBN-13: 978-0787981372
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Asian American
  • #87 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Business

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Leading with Character March 14, 2006

By D. Jacobson

Format:Hardcover

We all want bosses with backbone, but they are surprisingly rare. In Courage: The Backbone of Leadership, Gus Lee addresses an issue that hasn't received enough attention in the literature on leadership. He provides leaders at all levels a useful framework for tackling difficult issues with integrity and courage. Lee tells numerous stories of real leaders who used courage to confront unethical behavior, resolve conflicts with colleagues (subordinates, peers, and bosses), and challenge wrongs. Also includes a useful self-assessment tool to help readers identify their deep concerns and establish behavioral objectives.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid look at how to make honesty your policy December 21, 2006

By Rolf Dobelli HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Corporate employees and managers should take a stand against unethical behavior, but that requires the courage to live, work and lead in congruence with your highest values. Author Gus Lee offers a "primer" on courage, including how it shapes decision making, how leaders can demonstrate it in their work, and how you and your employees can learn courage, and use it to support each other and to build moral businesses. To illustrate ethical behavior, Lee discusses case histories of individual courage in corporate life. His discussion is sometimes repetitious, and the vignettes are occasionally confusing, since he may refer back to examples he presented many chapters ago. Despite such flaws, these accounts offer key lessons. We believe that executives and managers can learn about principled action - and can reinforce it among their subordinates - by reading Lee's book and passing it along.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the best December 20, 2006

By Cherie B. Kerr

Format:Hardcover

This is the transformational leadership book. But don't rely on me, just because I run a company. Look above this line, under "Reviews." See who endorsed Courage. This is the only book that's been endorsed by Warren Bennis and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. General Schwarzkopf says that "when it comes to leadership, Gus Lee has walked the walk." Add to that General Fred Franks, CEOs, Board Chairs, FBI agents, professors, college presidents, corporate senior executives, non-profit leaders, faith organizations, and even Amy Tan. If you're in a company or a family, read this book.