Courage: The Backbone of Leadership

by Gus Lee, Diane Elliott-Lee

In Courage , Gus Lee captures the essential component of leadership in measurable behaviors. Using actual stories from Whirlpool, Kaiser Permanente, IntegWare, WorldCom and other organizations, Lee shows how highly successful executives face and overcome their fears to develop moral intelligence. These real-world examples offer practical lessons for rooting out unethical practices and behaviors by

Genres: Leadership, Business, Nonfiction, Business Leadership, Self Help

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for becoming a stronger person and less afraid of the what if's!

[Sergei Shnitman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd advise reading this book to anyone who's facing a tough career situation, complicated relationship or drowning in procrastination. For me it acted as a kind of a butt-kick.
How often do we think that playing an artful courtier would advance us in our career. Avoiding conflict, scheming behind backs, arranging a clique or joining one nearly always seems to be a safer bet than openly promoting your agenda. Open conflict may result in being fired, losing a core client or subordinate. Gus Lee's book explains how important and eventually rewarding it is to behave in the opposite way.
We all do admire bold people, many imagined oneself as such at least once. It's high time these dreams came true. Mr Lee's book will explain how to do it.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with parables about courageous communication and leadership. Lee includes some simple models that can help each of us show up with courage in our lives.

I like his Action-e(motion)-reaction formula for courageous feedback. It's a practical way to describe a behaviour and its impact, which is the start of a discussion about feedback.

Further in, he also acknowledges and describes how to show courage when you don't have positional power, which is one of the most common leadership questions that comes my way.

[Dustin Hedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that every single leader of any kind of organization or anyone who works for a company that they hope to grow up the ladder should read. Folks, I will review this book annually and go through the learning lessons that the author shares. This is now one of my favorite books of all time. I am stretched and encouraged. It can be a slow read at points, but all stories and illustrations are important for what the author builds to in the end. So so so good!

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book preaches first principles; the foundational traits that every leader and organization needs to be successful. There are only three of them but they all are profound. These principles, joined with great practical stories, make for a wonderful book. Lee is repetitive, but this effect only aids his mission in relating to the reader the various ways which his principles intersect and govern the realm of leadership and team building. Loved it.

[Marie-Josée Gagnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is plenty of examples of courage application in your day to day work life.

[Steve Kreidler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same old messages in a new book. Nothing wrong with the message or stories, but no new insights about courage as a component of leadership.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author knows his modern pop psychology. It sounded to me like it was written by an author bragging about his accomplishments and looking for some new clients.

Don't waste your time.

[Robert Enzenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gus Lee has been a favorite fiction author for me, and I am equally pleased with his non-fiction efforts. Gus Lee started his own leadership journey as a poorly prepared "Chinaboy" from SF Bay area, who learned his first leadership lessons at the feet of none other than then Major Swartzkopf as a West Point plebe circa 1965. He completed an eight-year army career as a military attorney JAG officer. Much of his Leadership suggestions and observations come from his observations from his own Army Career.. And he notes the failure of those who know "what's right" but choose to do something else. Totally consistent with the West Point Cadet Prayer, where cadets are encouraged to always "choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong:" and "never to be content with a half-truth when the whole truth could be won." And the book is entirely applicable to people at ALL levels, from parents in the home, to the local church community, to business and politics, the CEO boardroom and Pennsylvania Avenue. I have given this book to at least ten people over the past 15 years.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gus Lee is an amazing author, speaker, and person. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing him present in person myself. But several folks whose judgment I really respect have positively raved about him.

So I picked up Courage with high hopes & expectations. Of course there is plenty of good stuff here. But I find/found little that broke all that much new ground.

He does synthesize & re-present some solid material (e.g. about integrity, courage, and character as essential aspects of great leadership) here. For folks who've read a lot of this kind of literature already, however, I'm not sure how much new stuff you/we will learn.

Writing novels might be Mr. Lee's forte as an author. I'm looking forward to reading one of his fictional works. (My sense is that several of these include many autobiographical elements. And I really love reading memoirs, too.)

[Rafik Farouk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courage grows in community. I encourage you to go into the world with good courage, holding fast to all that is good, honoring all persons, facing our fears, and robustly living rightly and boldly.
It is our birthright to strive for principles and to relate to each other according to things greater than ourselves. This is our opportunity to practice, model, and embrace courage, the first of all hum qualities.

That is how the book ends. I encourage you to read it, it is exceptionally written and inspiring.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope to write a formal review of this later, but for the time being...
Gus Lee is better known for his fiction, especially his New York Times bestsellers, but this instructional leadership title is worth more than a look. It is written in an incredibly accessible tone, is a quick read, but the material sticks with you, and is broken down in such a way that you can digest the lessons and utilize the methods so that you act with courage in every part of your life.

[Cem dincer · Rating 4 out of 5]

bunlar aslında şirketler için yazılmış gibi görünsede, şirketin temelinde insan ve seçilen değerlerin doğruluğu ve test edildiği için, çok güzeldi. ama zor kitap, okuması anlaması değil o en kolay. en zoru: niye bu kitap şu anda bende. boyle bir kitap bu.
core values ne demek olduğunu bu kitaptan öğrendim.

[Sambasivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an uncommon topic for a full book but now gaining popularity. The real life examples are quite simple and CLEAR. Courage as a trait can be practised on a daily basis and it definitely helps us overcome fear and practise integrity with character. Good read.

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so well-worth your time if you need to work with a team or extend leadership of any kind in your work. It teaches so much about healthy communication and integrity. A great, great book.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great book! I highly recommend this book. Gus Lee presents courage as the cornerstone of all we do. A very encouraging and empowering read!

[GM Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a "must read"!

[Chris Theule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good focus on courage.
Not sure I agree completely though.