The G Quotient: Why Gay Executives are Excelling as Leaders... And What Every Manager Needs to Know (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) [Hardcover]

Kirk Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2006 | Series: J-B US non-Franchise Leadership (Book 214)

The G Quotient identifies a management phenomenon that will change the way people view their professional roles in the workplace. Based on a landmark five-year study, The G Quotient redefines successful leadership for all managers. Organizations and working units under the leadership of white-collar gay males are collectively experiencing 35 percent higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and workplace morale in addition to reporting greater employer loyalty and individual productivity. It is proof that today’s employees are responding to a new type of organizational leader.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

According to Snyder, whose book compiles the results of a five-year research project covering over 2,000 organizations and 3,500 professionals, openly gay male managers and executives offer a specific and effective model of leadership that he calls the G quotient, which accounts for a 25 to 30 percent higher level of job satisfaction and workplace morale among employees of gay managers. Snyder believes the gay experience teaches these managers to "place a greater emphasis on the individual value of their employees," and identifies seven qualities that gay executives bring to the workplace: inclusion, creativity, adaptability, connectivity, communication, intuition and collaboration. Snyder is perceptive and detailed in analyzing his research and discussing it with a slew of today's top gay business leaders, including a state senator, a college president, and top executives at Disney, PepsiCo and Morgan Stanley. Novel managing strategies, including "focusing on the process of work rather than the final product," "placing value on experiential learning" and "seeing inspiration as a manageable commodity," make this a practical business primer as well as a landmark study; managers looking for a fresh approach should pick this title up, as should those interested in the rising profile of gays in America.
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Review

According to Snyder, whose book compiles the results of a five-year research project covering over 2,000 organizations and 3,500 professionals, openly gay male managers and executives offer a specific and effective model of leadership that he calls the G quotient, which accounts for a 25 to 30 percent higher level of job satisfaction and workplace morale among employees of gay managers. Snyder believes the gay experience teaches these managers to "place a greater emphasis on the individual value of their employees," and identifies seven qualities that gay executives bring to the workplace: inclusion, creativity, adaptability, connectivity, communication, intuition and collaboration. Snyder is perceptive and detailed in analyzing his research and discussing it with a slew of today's top gay business leaders, including a state senator, a college president, and top executives at Disney, PepsiCo and Morgan Stanley. Novel managing strategies, including "focusing on the process of work rather than the final product," "placing value on experiential learning" and "seeing inspiration as a manageable commodity," make this a practical business primer as well as a landmark study; managers looking for a fresh approach should pick this title up, as should those interested in the rising profile of gays in America. (Publishers Weekly Annex  (starred review), June 2006)

Snyder (Rossier Sch. of Education, Univ. of Southern California; Lavender Road To Success: The Career Guide for the Gay Community) here explores not only what it means to be a gay male executive but what it's like to work for such an individual. His provocative study clearly and impressively shows that employees working for gay bosses have higher rates of satisfaction, job commitment, and productivity. The secret? Snyder calls it The G Quotient, which measures seven components of executive leadership: "inclusion, creativity, adaptability, connectivity, communication, intuition and collaboration." While these are certainly not new business principles, they are apparently more consistently and creatively applied by the executives in Snyder's study. Snyder argues that "G Quotient leaders understand and value themselves," implying that they are better able to understand and value their employees. He even includes a few employee testimonials. While in no way implying that heterosexual male bosses do not also motivate their employees, Snyder's research strongly suggests that they might learn a thing or two about leadership from their gay colleagues. While some may find this a questionable subject for a business book, Snyder treats the material sensibly and seriously. Highly recommended for libraries with gay/lesbian studies or larger business collections.
—Richard Drezen, Washington Post News Research, New York (Library Journal, June 2006)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (June 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787982466
• ISBN-13: 978-0787982461
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #657,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harvard Business Review List, June 28, 2006

By 

Mike Barnes (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The G Quotient: Why Gay Executives are Excelling as Leaders... And What Every Manager Needs to Know (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Hardcover)

When I first saw this title on HBR's recommended reading list I thought it was going to be a "gay good," "straight bad" manifesto disguised as a business book. But since I'm gay myself I nonetheless found myself compelled to read it even against my better judgement. Now I know why HBR recommended it.

Snyder delves way beyond gay issues and presents a business leadership book with more weight to it than most. I found myself shaking my head in ackowledgement many times throughout this book as well as having light bulbs turned on. Snyder's research led him to connect severaltrends that have led up to the leadership crisis in this country and that effects everyone with a job.

"The G Quotient" does for business leadership what "The Tipping Point" did for understanding how we are effected by change. My fear is that straight types will assume like I did this is a "gay good," straight bad" book and pass it by. It's anything but. This book deserves to be read by a wide audience and if it is, it will be a tipping point of its own in terms of establishing a new type of business leadership. Five Stars.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Validation for employees, June 10, 2006

By 

Eddie W. "Duke" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The G Quotient: Why Gay Executives are Excelling as Leaders... And What Every Manager Needs to Know (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Hardcover)

In his book, "The G Quotient," Kirk Snyder identifies what he calls the "reconstruction of contemporary employees." I found this part of the book to be very enlightening for understanding why so many people today are dissatisfied with not just their jobs but with their bosses. He uses this "recalibration" as the back-drop to a very timely book. Not being gay, I thought I might not relate to the subject matter as much as someone who is gay (or even works for someone gay), but that wasn't the case. This book sheds a lot of light on who makes up todays workforce, what they are all about and most importantly, how much they have to offer. If you are frustrated and tired of not getting a chance to show your stuff at work, this book will help tremendously.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Those Practicing the G7 = Heaven for Their Employees", June 19, 2006

By 

Teresa Minke (Newport Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The G Quotient: Why Gay Executives are Excelling as Leaders... And What Every Manager Needs to Know (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Hardcover)

Author Snyder has succeeded where so many others have failed. Who knew? Respecting and engaging your employees increases productivity and company loyalty. Well researched, this book is a must read for middle managers all the way up to top-level executives. As a heterosexual woman who has worked for three different Fortune 500 companies, Snyder focuses on what the managers profiled in his book are doing right--letting their employees know they are "making a difference." Managers practicing "The G7 = Heaven" for their employees. Bravo, Snyder!