Grounded: How Leaders Stay Rooted in an Uncertain World

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 HCIs unique Healthy Leader 360 Assessment, which was developed based on hundreds of face-to-face interviews with executives around the world. Above all, the authors offer 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.