Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond [Paperback]

Beth Banks Cohn PhD (Author), Roz Usheroff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2009

Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times…and Beyond answers the question on everyone’s mind today: what does it take to successfully navigate your career in challenging times when jobs are tight, competition is fierce, markets are changing and technology is redefining how we work and network? Whether you are in the middle of your career or just starting out we all have at least one thing in common - we want to have a long and fulfilling career. Some of us might be waiting for things to return to “normal” but who knows what the new “normal” will be? As citizens of the world we are all finding out how closely our fortunes are tied together. The rules in the business world transform daily and sometimes it is hard to keep up with the pace of change. Taking the Leap can help you achieve your goals by focusing you on three critical areas: Personal Leadership, Change Management and Communication. Dr. Beth Banks Cohn and Ms. Roz Usheroff blend their complementary expertise – Cohn in change management and leadership development and Usheroff in communication and executive branding – to bring you career-boosting strategies along with activities and case examples that will benefit you at any stage of your career. As you read this book you will learn the essentials on: • How to brand yourself with tips and hands-on exercises so you can define, claim and improve your professional image • How to be a more influential leader and the ten traits that will get you there • How to thrive through a career change; and how to manage others through change including ten keys to change management and the ten myths of change leadership • How to “read” your workplace landscape and use office politics to your advantage • How to avoid common communication traps between genders, generations and cultures • How to master virtual communication and long-distance work relationships • How to leverage and improve your professional network. As you develop skills in these areas you will truly find yourself “taking the leap” in your career because you will be far ahead of any of your colleagues, not just in demonstrating leadership but in managing your career strategically. This may seem more important in challenging times such as these but in truth it is essential to manage your career strategically all of the time. Gone are the days when someone else might manage your career for you, choosing your next assignment or position. Also gone are the days where you could just go from one job to another with no thought of a pattern. Paying attention to your career no matter what your aspirations will help keep you working when others might not be. No job is “fireproof, “but this book shows you how to be the type of employee who is valued far above others. Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times…and Beyond is a book meant to be used over and over again throughout your career.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Beth Banks Cohn, PhD is a leading expert in change management and leadership development, and found and president of Banks Consulting! LLC (www.banksconsulting.net), a firm that helps companies develop growth and transformation strategies that balance cultural and company interests. She consults to a wide range of businesses, including pharmaceutical, software and retail. Drawing from more than two decades of business experience and a varied education that incudes a master’s degree in Human Resource Education, an MA in Organization Development, and a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, Dr. Banks Cohn brings a special blend of business practicality and human psychology to her work. For the better part of the last two decades, she worked for Johnson & Johnson and consulted domestically and internationally with a wide range of disciplines – sales and marketing, information technology, human resources, and manufacturing to name a few. She is the author of ChangeSmart™:Implementing Change Without Lowering Your Bottom Line published by BookSurge. Roz Usheroff is a nationally recognized communication expert and one of the most sought-after personal branding executive coaches and trainers in North America. She is founder of The Usheroff Institute (www.usheroff.com), which offers dynamic communication, leadership, and image training in one-on-one, seminar, and keynote address formats to Fortune 500 companies, executives, managers, sales teams, and individuals. Her extensive corporate client list includes Siemens, Merck, Pfizer, Frito-Lay, Northwestern University, SAP, Franklin Templeton, Bank of Montreal, Sony, Xerox, General Mills, and US Department of Justice. Usheroff is also a successful author and presenter who has delivered high-energy corporate trainings, engaging seminars, and entertaining keynote addresses to professional associations, business audiences, and education and training institutions around the world. A media veteran who has appeared on national television (NBC and CBC), numerous radio shows, and in print, Usheroff is author of a previous book, Customize Your Career: How to Develop a Winning Strategy to Move Up, Move Ahead, or Move On, published by McGraw-Hill.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (October 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439249172
• ISBN-13: 978-1439249178
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,884,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, July 14, 2010

By 

Holly Herman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond (Paperback)

I have been reading your book and it came in extremely handy in
working with a client last week. I had done a management review for
this client and found that her leadership style is challenging for her
entire staff. The language in your leadership section has been very
useful in presenting her with the situation. I think we always get
what we need just when we need it - and this was certainly the case
for me. Thank you for writing such a wonderful book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Should not be ignored for those shifting careers, January 8, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond (Paperback)

Transitioning between careers can always be a rough and chaotic time. "Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times... and Beyond" is a guide to career changing when the job market isn't so facilitating to upward mobility. Filled with much valuable information for those faced with a chaotic fight through the career world, "Taking the Leap" should not be ignored for those shifting careers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Success Strategies to keep you on track, December 21, 2009

By 

Kathleen Dall "KDall" (Middletown, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Taking the Leap: Managing Your Career in Turbulent Times...and Beyond (Paperback)

What makes this book different from any other Career Management book? Taking the Leap is an ACTION book. The authors offer sound advice and strategies on a variety of important career topics including leadership, managing change and communication. There are many real-life case studies/stories throughout the book to illustrate the points being made, and what strategy could have worked for a better end result. Many times I could see myself or someone I have known in these stories and it is interesting to imagine "what if" I/they had this information and guidance at the time? Disasters could have been avoided!!
I found the Personal Leadership segment to be very motivational. I also thought the Networking segment was excellent and offered some new twists that I had not used before. Perhaps the most critical topic for everyone's success, both personally and professionally, is managing change. If you are starting a new job and essentially starting over in a new organization, this section offered so many tips and strategies to improve your chances for success.
This is the kind of book you never really put away! I have to say it again, Taking the Leap is an ACTION book. If you are stuck in a rut, need a career coach, or interested in some new strategies, I recommend Taking the Leap as a "must read" for college students as well as experienced managers and leaders.