Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Grounded"I have no hesitation in predicting that Rosen's book will be one of the top, most important books on leadership for the 21st century."
—Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor in Business Administration and University Professor at the University of Southern California; author of Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership
"Grounded argues that we all have the capacity for personal leadership. Bob Rosen provides insights for becoming the more alert, engaged, decisive, resilient, and inclusive leader organizations need."
—Kay Koplovitz, founder of USA Network; entrepreneur; author of Bold Women, Big Ideas
"Bob Rosen's timely, well-written book goes to the heart of what it takes to lead in today's complex world. Rosen's message deserves to be widely read and followed to produce better leaders for the 21st century."
—Bill George, Harvard Business School professor; bestselling author of True North
"Today's business climate is the epicenter of some pretty powerful 'winds of change.' Read Rosen's groundbreaking new book, Grounded."
—Marshall Goldsmith, author or editor of 34 books, including the New York Times bestsellers MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There
"Great leadership is the most difficult and worthy challenge of our times. Bob Rosen, backed by a wealth of experience working with CEOs, knows that leadership is fundamentally personal—and that the ability to drive change begins inside. I recommend that every leader take his advice."
—Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, the Lego Group
"Grounded reminds us how important it is to balance every piece of our lives—personal, spiritual, family, work, exercise, and more—into one life, which becomes our life's work. Thank you, Bob, for helping leaders to be their best!"
—Alan Mulally, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company
"Bob Rosen's Grounded lays out a compelling, personal, and proven path for you to take responsibility for your own learning and development. This is a powerful book, relevant for leaders all around the world."
—Silas S. S. Yang, Asia Pacific chairman and global network leadership team member, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Confronted by disruptive change and worldwide economic turbulence, leaders at all levels—across all industries and sectors—find themselves ill-equipped to manage the challenges they now face. They must contend with chronic uncertainty, intense competition, personal burnout, and a new world order of global interconnectedness. Most leaders are poorly served by the prevailing paradigm that obsessively focuses on what we do to produce short-term results while sabotaging who we are as healthy human beings. Few have seen alternatives, until now.
In Grounded, internationally renowned CEO advisor Bob Rosen proposes a new approach to leadership that speaks to our better selves and is designed for any leader who grapples with the unrelenting and complex demands of today's marketplace. Rosen argues that leaders at every level can become more self-aware, develop their untapped potential, and drive significantly better results—for themselves, their teams, and their organizations. This groundbreaking approach is drawn from Rosen's Healthy Leader model and highlights the six personal dimensions that fuel—and refuel—the world's top leaders: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health.
Grounded is based on long-term research with hundreds of CEOs and leaders from around the world, and includes illustrative stories from a variety of organizations, including the Fire Department of New York, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Lego Group, Ralph Lauren, and Medstar Health.
Now any leader can master the six dimensions needed to develop the stamina and strength to not only weather tough times but to achieve exceptional results.
Review
Advisor and organizational psychologist Rosen (CEO & founder, Healthy Companies Intl.; The Healthy Company: Eight Strategies To Develop People, Productivity, and Profits) outlines a holistic approach to leadership based on his in-depth research of several international companies (e.g., Polo Ralph Lauren, Alcoa, PBS). The book's main message is that a leader must cultivate a healthy internal balance of six aspects: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual. Rosen identifies these qualities as the roots of leadership and suggests that the leader possessing them can more easily withstand chaos. The core of the text discusses methods for developing sound foundations. The healthier the leader is, the stronger the organization will be as a whole. The book's final section expands on how developing these characteristics will influence a well-balanced person and contribute to a flourishing company. VERDICT Rosen draws from interviews and case studies to present a simple message to leaders: focus on improving yourself before you try to fix your company. While the conceit of the title is compelling, the concepts put forth may appear as unreachable ideals. This volume pulls together dissimilar leadership models and will appeal to business readers bored of training manuals. Recommended. —John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston (Library Journal, October 2013)
Synopsis
We are in the middle of a leadership crisis. CEOs are grappling with an onslaught of forces – growth in their companies has stalled, and productivity is flat. At the same time, they are contending with a distrustful, cynical workforce along with their own personal burnout. They are surrounded by volatility and impermanence in everything from the economy to industry shifts. Many are uncertain and ill-equipped to withstand these forces.
This book shows how great leaders are staying rooted and aspiring to new heights by applying a unique model of leadership, based on the idea that what makes a successful leader is who a person is, not what he does. This new leadership is defined by the “Six Dimensions of Healthy Leadership”: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health. Great execution begins inside a person; leaders need to step back from their actions and begin to think about themselves as people. They need to look inside themselves, into their values, personalities and experiences, and commit themselves to being healthy. Only then can they lead.
What makes Grounded unique is that it focuses on a deeply human, personal approach to leadership, looking at leaders not as icons or heroes but as real people with aspirations, fears, concerns and emotions. The Six Dimensions model is illustrated by interviews with dozens of leaders such as Dennis Nally, PWC Chairman; Kay Koplovitz, CEO of USA Networks; Graham Allen of the British Parliament; Tim Ryan, Ohio Congressman; Eric Schoomaker, Surgeon General of the US Army; and Mike Puzziferri, Battalion Chief of the New York Fire Department. This multifaceted approach is also supported by the latest results of HCI’s unique Healthy Leader 360 Assessment, which was developed based on hundreds of face-to-face interviews with executives around the world. Above all, the authorsoffer inspiration and motivation. Without glossing over the difficulty of readers’ leadership challenges, they show that change, while difficult, can happen, and give readers the insights and tools for revitalizing their personal and work lives.
Synopsis
A practical, human approach to business leadership based on the author's Six Dimensions of Healthy LeadershipBeset by rapid change and challenged by uncertain markets, many of today's business leaders find themselves ill equipped to manage the hazards they face. They must contend with cynical workforces, personal burnout, economic impermanence, and constant volatility. Facing these issues, many leaders find themselves poorly served by the prevailing paradigm of corporate leader as icon and hero. Grounded offers a new model for leadership intended for actual humans, based on the author's Six Dimensions of Healthy Leadership: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health.
Arguing that great leadership is not based on concrete actions as much as on the inner qualities of a person, Grounded forces leaders to look at their own values, personalities, and experiences and use those as a basis for honest, effective leadership. Based on hundreds of face-to-face interviews with executives around the world, the book gives leaders the tools and insight they need to lead confidently, effectively, and humanely.
- Illustrated by real interviews with dozens of leaders from organizations such as the New York Fire Department, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the US Army
- Gives leaders the skills and insight they need to face tough business challenges with confidence
- Appropriate for CEOs, entrepreneurs, managers, human resources professionals, consultants, and almost anyone who leads other people
Grounded argues that the key to effective leadership lies in the personal qualities of leaders themselves. With the Six Dimensions of Healthy Leadership, readers will be able to tap into their inner leader and guide their organizations through any challenge.
Synopsis
A provocative, personal approach to leadership based on in-depth research with hundreds of executives around the worldConfronted by disruptive change and economic turbulence, many of today's leaders find themselves ill-equipped to manage the hazards they now face. They must contend with chronic uncertainty, cynical employees, and personal burnout. Most are poorly served by the prevailing paradigm that obsessively focuses on what we do to produce short-term results while sabotaging who we are as healthy human beings. Few have seen alternatives, until now.
Grounded proposes a new approach that's designed for actual humans who must grapple with these forces. This new paradigm speaks to our better selves. Based on the author's Healthy Leader model, it focuses on the six personal dimensions that fuel—and refuel—the world's top leaders: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health.
The book argues that leaders at every level can be more self-aware, develop their untapped potential, and drive significantly better results—for themselves, their teams, and their organizations.
- Shows readers how to build a personal leadership model that works with their values, goals and capabilities
- Features fresh stories from leaders in a variety of organizations including the New York Fire Department, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Lego Group, and Medstar Health
- Gives leaders practical tools to face their toughest challenges with greater skill, confidence, and impact
By developing themselves and mastering the six dimensions, readers can gain the stamina and strength to not only weather tough times but to achieve much, much more.
About the Author
Bob Rosen is a trusted CEO advisor, organizational psychologist, and bestselling author. As the founder and CEO of Healthy Companies International, he has long been on a mission to transform the world of business, one leader at a time. The recipient of a multiyear grant from the MacArthur Foundation, Bob continues to pursue his research into the nature of leadership. A frequent media commentator, he has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the Financial Times. Bob's previous books include The Healthy Company, Leading People, Just Enough Anxiety, Global Literacies, and The Catalyst.
Table of Contents
PART I A CRISIS ON THE HORIZON1 The Winds of Change 2
2 Are You Bending, Breaking, or Staying Rooted? 12
3 Who You Are Drives What You Do 24
PART II THE ROOTS OF HEALTHY LEADERSHIP
Physical Health 38
4 Body-Mind Awareness 40
5 Energy Management 48
6 Peak-Performance Lifestyle 57
Emotional Health 65
7 Self-Awareness 67
8 Positive Emotions 76
9 Resilience 91
Intellectual Health 101
10 Deep Curiosity 103
11 Adaptive Mindset 114
12 Paradoxical Thinking 128
Social Health 138
13 Authenticity 140
14 Mutually Rewarding Relationships 151
15 Nourishing Teams and Communities 163
Vocational Health 176
16 Meaningful Calling 179
17 Personal Mastery 189
18 Drive to Succeed 200
Spiritual Health 215
19 Higher Purpose 217
20 Global Connectedness 225
21 Generosity of Spirit 235
22 On Becoming a Healthy Leader 248
PART III PUTTING LEADERSHIP INTO ACTION
How Healthy Leaders Build Healthy Organizations 262
23 Tapping into a Higher Purpose 265
24 Forging a Shared Direction 272
25 Unleashing Human Potential 280
26 Fostering Productive Relationships 287
27 Seizing New Opportunities 294
28 Driving High Performance 301
Grounded: A Change in Consciousness 311
Notes 314
Acknowledgments 330
About the Author 332
Index 334
About Healthy Companies 348