Fearless At Work by Michael Carroll - Book review

Fearless at Work

Timeless Teachings for Awakening Confidence, Resilience, and Creativity in the Face of Life's Demands

By: Michael Carroll

Published: November 13, 2012
Format: Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1590309146
ISBN-13: 978-1590309148
Publisher: Shambhala







"But somehow, for so many of us, such workplace confidence seems elusive, and instead of feeling resourceful and resilient, we too often find ourselves hoping for success, chasing happiness, craving rewards, and fearing the worst", writes human resources professional and founding director of AAW, Michael Michael Carroll, in his inspirational and deeply personal book Fearless at Work: Timeless Teachings for Awakening Confidence, Resilience, and Creativity in the Face of Life's Demands. The author describes how employees all too often feel overwhelmed by the obstacles, problems, and challenges they face in the workplace, and offers an alternative approach to meeting those challenges by becoming fearless at work.

Michael Carroll understands that people often feel fear in the workplace, as they meet challenges of all kinds, face unexpected change, and an uncertain future. At such times, when an individual wants to be at their most resilient and most creative, they find themselves immobilized by fear and a sense of being lost due to the uncertain footing. The author acknowledges that he has experienced the same fears and sense of helplessness himself. To regain control of his own life and future, Michael Carroll rediscovered his own natural fearlessness. To regain mindfulness, and to live fearlessly as a human being, the author called upon the principles of Buddhist philosophy, and incorporated its teachings into his own life and thoughts.

Michael Carroll (photo left) recognizes the personal calmness established through adopting the practices of mindfulness. Through a deeper and richer understanding and awareness of the events large and small in our daily lives, people can become more resilient and creative in how they meet those life challenges. Far from recommending the complete expulsion of fear, or becoming aggressive or stoic in the face of those fears, Michael Carroll presents the concept of fearlessness as a confidence to sit and be still, and meeting the challenge.

Michael Carroll shares the five primary slogans for achieving fearlessness at work through the timeless teaching of the Buddhist tradition. The five slogans that form the core of fearlessness are as follows:

* Face the fierce facts of life
* No delight; no courage
* Recognize fear
* Discover the jewel of fearless abundance
* Command gracefully

For me, the power of the book is how Michael Carroll combines the timeless teachings of Buddhism, with the practical techniques and exercises to develop your own fearlessness. The author presents five primary slogans to develop fearlessness, and a total of thirty-eight slogans in all. Michael Carroll explains each set of slogans and principles through the medium of story and personal experience. The author takes a very personal and hands on approach to the wisdom shares in the book. The author encourages the reader to read, contemplate, and practice the principles to develop each person's inherent personal fearlessness.

The very observation that being fearless is a natural human condition is empowering for the individual who experience a temporary failure of confidence. The teachings help guide the individual on the journey from fear to recognizing and embracing personal courage and fearlessness. Instead of fear and doubt ruling the workplace, the author describes practices that can transform the entire culture of the work environment to one of fearlessness. This fundamental change in company culture establishes the conditions of personal growth, creativity, and the confidence to overcome any obstacle/.

I highly recommend the engaging and empowering book Fearless at Work: Timeless Teachings for Awakening Confidence, Resilience, and Creativity in the Face of Life's Demands by Michael Carroll, to anyone seeking a personal loss of grounding and courage at work or in their personal lives. This book offers the wisdom to recapture your inherent human fearlessness, and provide the guidance to live a life of mindfulness and confidence.

Erika Andersen: Leading So People Will Follow - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Blogger, leadership trainer, consultant, and founding partner of Proteus International, and author of the engaging and timeless wisdom filled book Leading So People Will Follow, Erika Andersen, describes how despite many books and much training on the subject, truly great leadership remains rare. In today's challenging economic climate, talented leadership is needed more than ever. Erika Andersen addresses this leadership challenge by presenting an alternative approach. Erika offers a strategy and methodology for how to lead so people will follow. Erika Andersen draws on the leadership stories found in classic fairytales from around the world. From these stories, Erika distills the six characteristics that followers seek and look for in leaders. Erika Andersen also describes how a leader doesn't achieve results alone, and shares the three key types of supporters that successful leaders should seek out, and to gain assistance from them.

Erika Andersen is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, December 6, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Blogger, leadership trainer, consultant, and founding partner of Proteus International, and author of the engaging and timeless wisdom filled book Leading So People Will Follow, Erika Andersen, describes how despite many books and much training on the subject, truly great leadership remains rare. You will learn:

* Why great leadership is rare despite a growing need for more leaders

* How great leaders have been described through folklore and fairytale

* The six leadership attributes essential for outstanding leadership

* Three special guides and supporters needed by leaders to achieve the vision

Since 1980, Erika Andersen (photo left) has developed a reputation for creating approaches to learning and business-building that are uniquely tailored to her clients’ challenges, goals, and culture. She and her colleagues at Proteus International, inc. offer practical methods and skills for individuals, teams, and companies to clarify and then achieve their hoped-for-future.

Much of her recent work has focused on organizational visioning and strategy, executive coaching, and management and leadership development. In these capacities she has served as consultant and advisor to the CEOs and top executives of a number of corporations, including MTV Networks, Rockwell Automation, Turner Broadcasting, GE, TJX, NBC Universal, Union Square Hospitality Group, and Cablevision Corporation.

She has been invited to share her insights about managing people and creating successful businesses by speaking to corporations, non-profit groups and national associations. Her books and learning guides have been translated into Spanish, Turkish, German, French, Russian and Chinese, and she has been quoted in a variety of national publications, including Glamour, Fortune and The New York Times. She is the author of Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers (Portfolio, 2006) and Being Strategic: Plan for Success; Out-Think Your Competitors; Stay Ahead of Change (St. Martin’s Press, May 2009), and the author and host of Being Strategic with Erika Andersen on Public Television

My book review of Leading So People Will Follow by Erika Andersen.

My book review of Being Strategic: Plan for Success; Out-Think Your Competitors; Stay Ahead of Change by Erika Andersen.

My book review of Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers by Erika Andersen.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Blogger, leadership trainer, consultant, and founding partner of Proteus International, and author of the engaging and timeless wisdom filled book Leading So People Will Follow, Erika Andersen, describes how despite many books and much training on the subject, truly great leadership remains rare. In today's challenging economic climate, talented leadership is needed more than ever. Erika Andersen addresses this leadership challenge by presenting an alternative approach. Erika offers a strategy and methodology for how to lead so people will follow. Erika Andersen draws on the leadership stories found in classic fairytales from around the world. From these stories, Erika distills the six characteristics that followers seek and look for in leaders. Erika Andersen also describes how a leader doesn't achieve results alone, and shares the three key types of supporters that successful leaders should seek out, and to gain assistance from them on Blog Business Success Radio.

Leading So People Will Follow by Erika Andersen - Book review

Leading So People Will Follow

By: Erika Andersen

Published: October 16, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 111837987X
ISBN-13: 978-1118379875
Publisher: Jossey-Bass












"We want good leaders. In fact, we crave good leaders. We're hungry for good, worthy, followable leaders in every part of our lives", writes blogger, leadership trainer, and founding partner of Proteus International, Erika Andersen, in her engaging and timeless wisdom filled book Leading So People Will Follow. The author describes how people want leaders who they can follow, and provides the important leadership traits shared by great leaders, to develop leaders who people want to follow.

Erika Andersen understands that people are seeking great leaders, and that they want to follow great leaders. She points out that in today's uncertain economic times that there is an ever more pressing need for outstanding leaders than ever before. The author shares the often overlooked concept that anyone can become that extraordinary leader who people want to follow. Erika Andersen shares the six most essential characteristics that great leaders have in common. To illustrate these timeless traits, the author utilizes the power of story, through a retelling of fairytales and folklore from around the world. By offering these classic tales, where leadership abilities are critical to the story,

Erika Andersen (photo left) creates a compelling blueprint for modern leaders to emulate, and for potential followers to embrace toward achieving the leader's vision. The author recognizes that people are searching for great leaders to follow. Utilizing the the folktale leadership model, where the actions and character of outstanding leaders are part of the story, Erika Andersen presents an instinctive list of ideal leadership qualities. The stories describe these learnable traits in vivid and readily understood detail, as the attributes that are sought after by those who follow great leaders.

Erika Andersen describes the six essential leadership attributes as follows:

* Far-sighted: Emphasizes a vision and how to achieve it
* Passionate: Has commitment to a compelling vision, and has principles
* Courageous: Will overcome challenges and act responsibly
* Wise: Provide thoughtful decisions that gain the confidence of people
* Generous: Support and help their followers, and create a good environment
* Trustworthy: Creates a bond of trust with the followers

For me, the power of the book is how how Erika Andersen combines a powerful framework of leadership qualities through the medium of folktales, with the practical techniques and practices to develop and nurture those attributes. The author presents the timeless wisdom from the worlds of folklore and fairytale, where leaders displayed the six crucial qualities that define outstanding leaders. Erika Andersen offers the important insight, based on both the stories and her own experience and observation, that people have a visceral longing for and recognition of those six essential attributes.

The author makes clear as well that the six qualities of great leadership form a holistic and mutually supporting character. The leader must nurture, practice, and develop all of the six attributes to achieve great leadership within themselves, and for their followers. Erika Andersen also recognizes that great leaders understand they are not all powerful, and that they need guides and supporters in achieving their vision. Utilizing the folklore tradition, the author describes the three key supporters as wizards, well-wishers, and wild cards.

I highly recommend the insightful and transformational book Leading So People Will Follow by Erika Andersen, to any current or aspiring leaders, and to anyone who may find themselves thrust into a leadership role at any time. This important and must read book will develop anyone into a great leader, perhaps even of legendary and folklore proportions.