Synopses & Reviews
A psychologist and leadership expert explains how to harness the right level of anxiety Most of us see anxiety as a bad thing, so at the first sign of it we try to fight back or run away. But according to Robert Rosen, this outdated view ignores one of the most powerful forces in business: Anxiety helps us concentrate, learn, relate to people, think more creatively, and deliver better results.
Of course, too much anxiety causes fear, chaos, and loss of morale. But too little leads to stagnation and a false sense of security. Its like a rubber band: If you pull it too hard, it breaks. If you dont pull it hard enough, you fail to maximize its potential. Finding the happy medium between panic and passivity is the secret to success.
Drawing on twenty years of research with CEOs, Rosen explains how great leaders succeed by living and leading with just enough anxiety. He shows how the ability to manage anxiety brings out their own best performance, enables them to build great teams, and inspires and challenges their organizations.
Only when we allow ourselves to feel our insecurity, discomfort, confusion, and pain can we reach our potential, both as individuals and teams. Just Enough Anxiety offers practical guidance to all kinds of organizations, blending cutting-edge psychology with real-world stories of success.
Review
Without any risk of exaggeration: JEA is one of the most important, useful and timely books for the first decade of this century. Not just for the business reader. For everyone!
Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Management, University of Southern California and author of On Becoming a Leader and co-author of Judgment
We have all experienced the damaging side of anxiety. Using examples from throughout the business world, Rosen demonstrates that anxiety is not just a malevolent feeling, but can in fact, be a key factor for success.
David Gergen, Director of the Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
We are competing in a global economy that requires organizations public and private to move forward with creativity and innovation amid changing economic and demographic landscapes. In Just Enough Anxiety, Bob Rosen has articulated key values and performance measures that organizations need to improve their performance in this dynamic environment. As I work to ensure a strong and vibrant future for Virginia, I find Bobs ideas about performance excellence and continuous improvement compelling. Bob is an asset to our Commonwealth.
Timothy M. Kaine, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The ultimate goal of any leader is to create a winning company. Great leaders do this by mastering the human side of execution. Inherently they know how to turn up or turn down the heat. Just Enough Anxiety shows you just how to do this. The book is honest, heartfelt, and focuses on what really matters in business.
Michel Tilmant, Chairman and CEO, ING Group
Just Enough Anxiety is a rare, new resource for leaders everywhere, at every level, and provides a challenging view of business success.
Frances Hesselbein, Chairman and Founding President, Leader to Leader Institute
One of todays key leadership challenges is deciding how much change an organization can absorb at any point in time. Bob Rosen does an excellent job helping leaders think through this delicate balancing act.
Dennis Nally, Managing Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
I love this book. Great advice
Wonderful coaching that shows a path we can all follow. Somewhere between just coasting along and being paralyzed with panic lies the land of just enough anxiety. Bob Rosen shows us how to find and navigate around this land.
Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times best-selling author of What Got You Here Wont Get You There
Rosen has uncovered the secret to building a high performance culture. JEA is a must- read for every CEO and individual who holds a leadership position.
JP Garnier, Chairman and CEO, Glaxo Smith Kline
Bob Rosen offers us a thoughtful look at the powerful emotions that impact executive decisions and how to balance these forces with Just Enough Anxiety. Youll learn that anxiety is a natural tool to be used to your advantage and embraced as an ally. Dont miss this profound examination of what makes us tick.
General (Ret) John Jumper, Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff
Many great books have been written about the age of turbulence, global dynamism or business disruption focused upon firm level concerns. No great book has focused upon what it means to lead in these times, because to do so requires a rare author who has both a deeply conceptual and pragmatic mind and has worked intimately with those who lead well. Finally, that book has arrived.
Blair Shephard, Dean, Fuqua School of Management
[Rosens] message is both critical and timely. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with demands and pressures of todays challenges, whether inside or outside of business.
Frank Guzzetta, CEO, Macys North
Tough challenges bring out the best in people, but continuous crisis management can be destructive. Bob Rosens concept of Just Enough Anxiety captures this dilemma in a framework that CEOs can use to maintain the optimum amount of pressure to keep our business moving forward.
Mike Turner, CEO, BAE Systems
About the Author
Robert H. Rosen is a psychologist, researcher, business adviser, and bestselling author of Leading People and The Healthy Company. He won a MacArthur Award in 1991 for his leadership research. He has interviewed more than 250 CEOs, and each year he speaks to thousands of executives worldwide. His firm, Healthy Companies International, has worked with major organizations around the world, including Johnson and Johnson, Northrop Grumman, Intel, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boeing, and ING.