The Go Point: When It's Time to Decide--Knowing What to Do and When to Do It

What do you do when it’s time to get off the fence?

One of the world’s most noted leadership experts, Michael Useem uses dramatic storytelling to show how to master the art and science of being decisive. He places you smack in the middle of people who faced their go point, when actions–or lack of them–determined the fates of individuals, companies, and countries.

• Why on earth did Robert E. Lee send General George Pickett on an almost suicidal charge against the Union lines at Gettysburg?

• How does the leader of a firefighting crew make life-or-death decisions when one direction means safety, the other danger?

• You’ve just assumed responsibility for a scandal-wracked corporation, a company teetering on the brink of disaster. What you decide over the course of the next several days will have consequences for thousands of employees and investors. How do you fulfill your responsibilities?

You’ll discover why some decisions were flawless, perfectly on target, and others utterly disastrous. Most of all, you’ll learn how to make the right calls yourself, whether you’re changing your career, launching a product, or deciding on a potential acquisition or merger.

Discusses the art of effective decision making by gathering stories about the decisions made by leaders in different fields, analyzing the outcomes, and explaining how to create a personal template to help make better decisions.

MICHAEL USEEM is the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania,and director of its Center for Leadership and Change Management. Dr. Useem is also the author of The Leadership Moment.

Michael Useem, the author of The Leadership Moment, is the William and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as well as the director of its Center for Leadership and Change Management. Professor Useem takes his students to the ends of the world—the Antarctic, the Andes, and the Himalayas—to learn about their personal and professional go points. Professor Useem earned his doctorate at Harvard University and has published widely, including in the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Fast Company. He is also the editor of the Wharton Leadership Digest and lives in Marion Station, Pennsylvania.

From the Hardcover edition.

Introduction: deciding with consequences for others — In the heat of the moment — Getting into the decision game — Using the net — Seeing ahead — Making decisions — Transcending personal profit — Unforced errors.