Courage: The Backbone of Leadership

Yes, Courage, by Gus Lee, is about honesty and integrity. Yes, it will help you see yourself for what you are and how you perform. Courage, however, is about communicating. You communicate with yourself, which demands gut wrenching courage to do accurately and objectively. Communication must take place between co-workers, your direct reports, and the constituencies that subscribe to what you do. Honest and Courageous communication in times of conflict can make or break organizations at their point of decision. Courage, can quickly and profoundly affect your style of communication and help you to assess the demanding issues hindering your organization's progress. Tools within the text will also help you assess yourself and the required changes needed to communicate and lead powerfully.

Gus Lee does a fantastic job of pointing out that Integrity and Character in business or personal life are of supreme value. However, as he points out, without courage to face conflict and difficult situations in business and life in general, we will not show integrity and character. The book is filled with fascinating stories of corporate executives who learned how to have courage in the midst of difficult circumstances. The communication model he sets forth in the book is outstanding. I would highly recommend this book to any business owner or Human Resources Manager.

You easily get intriqued with this book. Great reading and examples of management decisions that Mr Lee was involved with. Highly recommend.

This is the transformational leadership book. But don't rely on me, just because I run a company. Look above this line, under "Reviews." See who endorsed Courage. This is the only book that's been endorsed by Warren Bennis and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. General Schwarzkopf says that "when it comes to leadership, Gus Lee has walked the walk." Add to that General Fred Franks, CEOs, Board Chairs, FBI agents, professors, college presidents, corporate senior executives, non-profit leaders, faith organizations, and even Amy Tan. If you're in a company or a family, read this book.

We all want bosses with backbone, but they are surprisingly rare. In Courage: The Backbone of Leadership, Gus Lee addresses an issue that hasn't received enough attention in the literature on leadership. He provides leaders at all levels a useful framework for tackling difficult issues with integrity and courage. Lee tells numerous stories of real leaders who used courage to confront unethical behavior, resolve conflicts with colleagues (subordinates, peers, and bosses), and challenge wrongs. Also includes a useful self-assessment tool to help readers identify their deep concerns and establish behavioral objectives.