The Fearless Executive

Insightful, truthful, practical and from the heart. It's really a book about life masquerading as a business book. It's about confronting and moving beyond your own fears to reach your full potential. It also has great career insights -- my favorite? Figure out what you really love to do in your career and then do everything that you can to make sure you do only that thing. Simple but true...

What an interesting concept: A Frightened Executive. It seems impossible at first brush. Aren't executives the high and mighty of the corporate structure, the exalted to whom lesser souls look for guidance? Well, yes, maybe. But they're also human and this is where Alan Downs gets into fresh territory. Fear, he says, isn't something to be embarrassed about (it sounds downright "uncorporate", doesn't it?), but something to deal with. And once the fear, whatever it might be, is dealt with, the executive is suddenly freed of nagging concerns that have actually held him back in the past. Three cheers for Alan Downs, the corporate observer who is unafraid to write about fear.

I picked up The Fearless Executive just as I was launching a new venture with 2 partners. We were all taking a huge risk, leaving stable jobs with steady incomes to start a new business. Naturally we were excited but nervous. For the last couple of months, when we feel discouraged we have a meeting and read portions of this book out loud to each other. It has helped us face our fears and insecurities. Slowly but surely, we are watching our business take off and we are grateful for the encouragement we have received from this book. Downs' writing style is intriguing and easy to read, but best of all, the truths he espouses WORK! This is a MUST READ for anyone thinking about taking a risk! If you have a dream to fulfill, this book will help you find the courage to see it become reality!

Finally, an insightful book that exposes the insidious and debilitating effects of fear on the individual and in the workplace. Rather than following the old, worn-out paradigm that fear is a sign of weakness and should be denied or not addressed, this book makes it clear that fear is a natural part of all of us and rather than pretending it isn't there, it's far better to address the causes of the fear and move into it, rather than hiding from it. In that way true and lasting change is possible and the old patterns of personal and corporate behavior can finally change for the better. Only through recognizing the paralyzing and potentially destructive patterns that fear causes can an individual or "corporate citizen" realize their full potential. This book is an invaluable guide out of those behaviors. Not only useful for "executives" but for all participants in the business community. Should be required reading especially in organizations dealing with high risk decision making.

I picked up this book on the recommendantion of several friends who told me that the book had helped them to gain important insights into their career trajectories. Those of my friends who read the book told me that the book really focussed them on the strengths of their careers, as well as the places where their professional lives were lacking. A couple of my friends told me that after reading the book, they felt empowered to take positive action at work that was already transforming the way they functioned in the workplace.Needless to say, I had high expectations when I began the book. All my expectations were met and exceeded! Most importantly, this book is not only a roadmap to success in the workplace -- it is also a roadmap to success in life. As I read the book, I was repeatedly struck by the impression that the keys to professional success, as discussed by the author, are also the keys to success in family, relationship, and even my pasttimes.The book provided me with significant material for reflection: How can I identify and work with my weaknesses? How can I foster my strengths and turn them to my best advantage? What are the personal patterns that hamper my progress, and what are the patterns that help me? The "Fearless Executive" addressed all these questions (and more) in a way that was approachable, intelligible, and easily digestable.I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is looking for a thoughtful discussion on maximizing success in life -- whether in the workplace or in the household. Read it!