If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown: 10 Hard Charging Strategies for Leading in Politically Correct Times (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "WCMH-TV in Ohio reported that Glendening Elementary School, in Grovesport, has banned celebrations of Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day, in part because a few deprived..." (more)
Key Phrases: politically incorrect leaders, maximization mindset, affirmative action mindset, Merry Christmas, Red Alert, General George (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is not your typical business book. You won't find academic remedies to your business challenges or exhortations to create a warmer and fuzzier workplace. In fact, you'll find the opposite-tips on how to be a tougher, take-no-prisoners-style manager. It's time to stop letting workplace political correctness push you around and get serious about your business.

In If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown, Dave Anderson doesn't pull any punches. Offering simple wisdom and politically incorrect solutions that really work, he's not here to inspire you, but to taunt you into action. He shows you how to be more direct without being disrespectful; how to give honest feedback even when it hurts; and how to hold employees accountable for results. In short, you'll learn how to get the most out of your business.

Want more politically incorrect wisdom?

• Tenure is a license for laziness
• Diversity without competence is worthless
• Don't trade your values for valuables
• Political correctness is a disease that destroys the workplace
• It's time to fight back!

From the Inside Flap

Today's businesses are mired in mediocrity. The current trend toward increased political correctness in society in general, and in the business world in particular, is making it tougher and tougher to get things done in the office. We've gone from tolerating people's differences to tolerating their shortcomings—and business is paying the price.

When society deems all behaviors and beliefs equally valid, society fails. As our culture's morality declines, so does its work ethic. Today, almost any behavior is tolerated, but you can't fire a bad employee for being a bad employee. If all other behaviors are okay, then it must be okay to be late for work too. When society changes for the worse so does business. The cancers of moral

relativism and political correctness are destroying businesses just like they're destroying our society—and it's time to take a stand.

If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown is a guide for business leaders who are sick and tired of political correctness and its corrosive effect on the workforce—and are ready to do something about it. It shows business leaders how to stop the trend toward increasing workplace political correctness and how to tackle the crises it causes with leadership strategies that get results in times of mediocrity.

This book won't tell you how to make your employees happy. After all, who cares if they're happy if no one's working? Instead, it tells you how to motivate lazy employees, reward the winners, fire the losers, and run a tight and profitable ship. You won't find any touchy-feely gobbledygook about caring or being nice. Instead, you'll find simple, to-the-point wisdom that only sounds clichéd because it works.

But you'd better be tough enough to face the truth and fight the forces attacking your business. To change your company for the better, you have to be a strong leader and you have to be prepared to rock the boat. It's true, in today's politically correct business world, If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (November 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047172503X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471725039
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #453,134 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to combat politically correct cancer from spreading throughout your business., September 13, 2006

By	Carl Valeri "CarlValeri.com" (Basking Ridge, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a fan of merit-based achievement, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dave Anderson's If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown: 10 Hard Charging Strategies for Leading in Politically Correct Times. In this straightforward tome, Anderson, president of LearnToLead, an international sales and management training organization, describes techniques for combating the politically correct cancer spreading wildly throughout businesses in the United States.

His no-nonsense strategies for implementing a meritocracy provide a great model for leaders aspiring to encourage and reward innovation and results, and weed out the dead weight. Throughout this book Anderson gives examples of political correctness run amuck. In his well researched chapter, "Peering into the PC Cesspool," his examples are enlightening, true-to-life, and at times, frustrating.

Anderson relieved my frustration by providing clear directions for eradicating the overabundance of political correctness in business. He can be blunt, and his frankness can be a little unnerving. To his credit, Anderson warns his readers of his candid approach, which comes from a conservative Christian point of view.

Anderson's knowledge comes from his firsthand experience running his own successful business, and dealing with the complications and barriers that can result from political correctness gone awry. This is an excellent book for anyone attempting to overcome challenges of this nature.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do Yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK!, April 21, 2006

By	Brian Watkinson (Kennebunk, Maine) - See all my reviews

I've read a lot of books on leadership and business and I can honestly say I've taken something of value from each and every one. But I've never read a book where I've walked away with SO MANY gems to help make my business and me...BETTER! I love Dave's honesty. In this book he says the stuff the rest of us sometimes don't have the guts to say.

Thank you Dave. Great book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Industrial-strength managment advice that really works!, January 5, 2006

By	Gus Gustafson (Saco, ME United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having had the pleasure of consulting with hundreds of managers and owners in the last 10 years, I have to say (or write) this book hits you smack dab between the eyes on how to run a profitable and growing organization.

Motivational speakers come and go. But it's pretty obvious Dave is here to stay and will make you laugh (and probably even cringe a little) along the way throughout this easy read.

Buy as many copies of this book as you can and share them with your management team. The opening comments in his preface hit home to everyone in business in the greatest country in the world.

I have shared Dave's ideas with some of my clients with great success.

Thanks Dave Anderson.

Gus Gustafson
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