What Keeps Leaders Up at Night: Recognizing and Resolving Your Most Troubling Management Issues

by Nicole Lipkin

You are not perfect. Never have been, never will be. And no matter how much experience you gain, how long you contemplate a decision, or who you seek counsel from, you will still make the occasional management misstep--a few of them. Guaranteed. And if you stay in management long enough, you will undoubtedly ask yourself questions such as:• Why do I sometimes feel threatened by my best people? • How do I remain cool in hot situations? • How can I ensure people hear what I say? • How can I cope more effectively with change? • Why have I lost so many of my best employees to the competition?The question is, will you wait for these mistakes to happen and then stay awake at night dwelling on these questions, or will you address them proactively so that you may discover the right solutions to apply now? Clinical and business psychologist Nicole Lipkin knows the stresses leaders face. In What Keeps Leaders Up at Night, she examines the common mistakes leaders make with their people. Featuring illuminating examples and exercises, this sleep-friendly book shines a bright light into the dark corners where all leaders struggle with their own shortcomings and presents smart solutions to the problems that arise as a result.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Management

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Dawn Lennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aptly titled, this book covers eight of the most frustrating and difficult problems that leaders face in the workplace. It addresses topics like why leaders are a good boss one day and then become bad, why employees won't take a leader's advice, unproductive "fighting," and resistance to change.

The book has a very readable structure that presents a real-life workplace situation, the contributing factors that are based in psychology (including documented studies), deconstruction of those factors into concepts for the lay person, and approaches to turning things around.

Lipkin fully acknowledges that leading is, by its nature, a messy business. People at work are different and collectively create a community and a culture that has to adapt to situations that are in constant motion. This book does a good trying to give leaders workable concepts that they'll find useful.

As a text, the book can be used as a desktop reference. When you have one of those eight problems, open to that chapter and find a strategy for moving through it.

[Derren Burrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good book, a few really key nuggets found in here. Highly recommend.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this book had information I already knew or that was just business common sense. It's still helpful to be reminded of such things every once in awhile but I was disappointed at the lack of original thought that went into it. It became heavy pop psychology towards the end. I wouldn't recommend this book for leaders but for those aspiring to be leaders to get a better perspective on what their boss might be going through.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book on the pitfalls that leaders face. I haven't read too much on the topic, but I related to almost all the situations as either a leader or as someone affected by a leader. I think it is helpful and have already recommended that others at work read it. I think the last two chapters especially were really helpful.

[Jollyroger15 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Regurgitated research that most leaders already know