Ruthlessly Caring

Ruthlessly Caring

by Amy Walters Cohen
Released January 2023
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781394177172

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Book description

A startlingly insightful exploration of contemporary leadership

In Ruthlessly Caring: And other paradoxical mindsets leaders need to be future-fit, leadership strategist Amy Walters Cohen delivers a one-of-a-kind insight into contemporary business leadership. In the book, you’ll explore how the leadership environment is being radically redefined by 12 megatrends and how five paradoxical mindsets are necessary to achieving high performance and effective decision making in this new era of business. From ambitious appreciation to political virtue, humble confidence, and responsible daring, you’ll discover how to develop and expand your leadership identity. Whilst being heavily based in research, this revolutionary approach takes a practical look at the day-to-day realities of leading in business, offering fresh insight into how to tackle tough decisions, change behaviour, and evolve habits to become future-fit and thrive in a modern environment.

The author shows you how to:

  • Weave together multiple, seemingly contradictory, mindsets to enhance decision making and day-to-day leadership
  • Adapt to the megatrends that are driving much of the change we see throughout the world
  • Shake up the thinking, habits, and behaviours that are holding you back from unleashing your full potential as a leader

An indispensable roadmap to leading modern organisations, Ruthlessly Caring is a must-read for c-suite executives, directors, senior managers, and aspiring business leaders who hope to perform well in their role and get the best out of themselves and the people they lead.

Table of contents

  1. COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. DEDICATION
  5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  6. PREFACE
  7. CHAPTER 1: MEGATRENDS THAT ARE RESHAPING THE WORLD
    1. The Megatrends Shaping the Current and Future Leadership Context
    2. A Washing-Machine Effect: Interactions and Tensions
    3. Paradoxes Are Endemic in the Megatrend Context
    4. Becoming Future-Fit: A Paradoxical Environment Calls for a Paradoxical Leader
    5. Notes
  8. CHAPTER 2: THE FIVE PARADOXICAL MINDSETS OFFUTURE-FIT LEADERSHIP
    1. The Five Mindsets: High-Level Summary
    2. What Exactly Is a Paradox?
    3. Embracing Paradoxes: Why Bother?
    4. What Makes Paradoxical Thinking So Difficult?
    5. Paradoxical Thinking: Preferences and Pendulums
    6. Unfreezing Your Leadership Identity: Old Habits and Current Assumptions
    7. Building Self-Awareness
    8. Notes
  9. CHAPTER 3: RUTHLESSLY CARING
    1. What Is a ‘Ruthlessly Caring’ Mindset?
    2. Why Embracing a ‘Ruthlessly Caring’ Mindset Matters Amidst the Megatrends
    3. Leading Ruthlessly: Making Tough Performance-Focused Decisions
    4. The Ruthless Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    5. Leading with Care: Staying Compassionate No Matter What
    6. The Caring Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    7. Notes
  10. CHAPTER 4: AMBITIOUSLY APPRECIATIVE
    1. What Is an ‘Ambitiously Appreciative’ Mindset?
    2. Why Being Ambitiously Appreciative Matters Amidst Megatrends
    3. Leading Ambitiously: The Relentless Drive to Achieve
    4. Developing Harmonious Passion
    5. The Ambitious Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    6. Leading with Appreciation: Keeping Goals and Work in Perspective
    7. Learning to Appreciate What You Have
    8. Getting a Sense of Perspective
    9. The Appreciative Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    10. Notes
  11. CHAPTER 5: POLITICALLY VIRTUOUS
    1. What Is a ‘Politically Virtuous’ Mindset?
    2. Why a Politically Virtuous Mindset Matters Amidst the Megatrends
    3. Leading Politically: Being Savvy in the Circumstances
    4. The Five Key Ingredients of Politically Savvy Leadership
    5. The Political Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    6. Leading Virtuously: Doing ‘the Right Thing’ at the First Opportunity
    7. 1. Identifying Ethical Issues Early On
    8. 2. Acting with Moral Courage
    9. The Virtuous Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    10. Notes
  12. CHAPTER 6: CONFIDENTLY HUMBLE
    1. What Is a ‘Confidently Humble’ Mindset?
    2. Why Confidence and Humility Matter Amidst the Megatrends
    3. Leading Confidently: Trusting Yourself and Inspiring Others to Trust You
    4. Three Confidence Habits to Get Into
    5. The Confident Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    6. Leading with Humility: Harnessing the Knowledge and Skills of Those Around You
    7. How to Develop Intellectual Humility
    8. The Humble Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    9. Notes
  13. CHAPTER 7: RESPONSIBLY DARING
    1. What Is a ‘Responsibly Daring’ Mindset?
    2. Why Leading in a Responsibly Daring Way Matters Amidst the Megatrends
    3. Leading Responsibly: Making a Difference and Safeguarding the Organisation
    4. The Responsible Leader Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    5. Leading Daringly: Being Willing to Take Risks and Push Boundaries
    6. The Five Ingredients of a Daring Mindset
    7. The Daring Leadership Continuum: How to Stay on Track
    8. Notes
  14. CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING YOUR LEADERSHIP IDENTITY
    1. Why Identity Is Important in Relation to Paradoxical Mindsets
    2. What Identity Refers To
    3. The Troublesome Myth of ‘True Self’
    4. The Ability to Integrate Multiple Identities Is a Predictor of Leadership Success
    5. Identity Is Not Fixed, but Continuously Created, Shaped, and Spotlighted
    6. Narratives: How Identity Is Built Through the Stories We Tell
    7. Quick Recap
    8. Embracing All Five Mindsets: How to Develop and Expand Your Leadership Identity
    9. Concluding Remarks: The Challenge of Being Adaptably Authentic
    10. Notes
  15. INDEX
  16. END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Product information

  • Title: Ruthlessly Caring
  • Author(s): Amy Walters Cohen
  • Release date: January 2023
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781394177172