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Rocking the Boat: How Tempered Radicals Effect Change Without Making Trouble
Most people feel at odds with their organizations at one time or Managers with families struggle to balance professional and personal responsibilities in often unsympathetic firms. Members of minority groups strive to make their organizations better for others like themselves without limiting their career paths. Socially or environmentally conscious workers seek to act on their values at firms more concerned with profits than global poverty or pollution.
Yet many firms leave little room for differences, and people who don't "fit in" conclude that their only option is to assimilate or leave. In Rocking the Boat , Debra E. Meyerson presents an inspiring building diverse, adaptive, family-friendly, and socially responsible workplaces not through revolution but through walking the tightrope between conformity and rebellion.
Meyerson shows how these "tempered radicals" work toward transformational ends through incremental means—sticking to their values, asserting their agendas, and provoking change without jeopardizing their hard-won careers. Whether it's by resisting quietly, leveraging "small wins," or mobilizing others in legitimate but powerful ways, tempered radicals turn threats to their identities into opportunities to make a positive difference in their companies—and in the world.
Timely and provocative, Rocking the Boat puts self-realization and change within everyone's reach--whether your difference stems from race, gender, sexual orientation, values, beliefs, or social perspective.
Yet many firms leave little room for differences, and people who don't "fit in" conclude that their only option is to assimilate or leave. In Rocking the Boat , Debra E. Meyerson presents an inspiring building diverse, adaptive, family-friendly, and socially responsible workplaces not through revolution but through walking the tightrope between conformity and rebellion.
Meyerson shows how these "tempered radicals" work toward transformational ends through incremental means—sticking to their values, asserting their agendas, and provoking change without jeopardizing their hard-won careers. Whether it's by resisting quietly, leveraging "small wins," or mobilizing others in legitimate but powerful ways, tempered radicals turn threats to their identities into opportunities to make a positive difference in their companies—and in the world.
Timely and provocative, Rocking the Boat puts self-realization and change within everyone's reach--whether your difference stems from race, gender, sexual orientation, values, beliefs, or social perspective.
- GenresLeadership
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Debra E. Meyerson
8 books7 followersIn 2010, when I was a professor at Stanford, I suffered a severe stroke. I lost all movement of my right arm and leg; even worse, I lost all ability to communicate.
While I won my struggle to survive, much of my identity – as a Stanford professor, a speaker and writer, an athlete, a mother and a wife – was taken from me. My mind was working but I was trapped inside a broken body, unable to do what I used to do. And maybe even worse, I couldn't tell anyone what I was experiencing.
With hard work and a lot of help I regained enough mobility to again be independent, and have recovered some ability to speak. But I have come to accept that I will never again have all the capabilities I once had.
Seven years later, I'm still slowly recovering more of my abilities and am continuing to rebuild my identities. I've found few resources to help with the emotional piece of this journey, and have heard the same from many of my fellow survivors. That is why I'm writing Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke.
As a professor, I studied and taught about how small, everyday actions can disrupt what’s normal, chip away at the status quo, and create positive change. That work led me to write Tempered Radicals, first published in 2001.
Now, in a very different context, I live by the message I previously taught. With small, deliberate efforts, and a lot of conscious choices, I continue my slow recovery, discover more about myself, and shape my new identities.
While I won my struggle to survive, much of my identity – as a Stanford professor, a speaker and writer, an athlete, a mother and a wife – was taken from me. My mind was working but I was trapped inside a broken body, unable to do what I used to do. And maybe even worse, I couldn't tell anyone what I was experiencing.
With hard work and a lot of help I regained enough mobility to again be independent, and have recovered some ability to speak. But I have come to accept that I will never again have all the capabilities I once had.
Seven years later, I'm still slowly recovering more of my abilities and am continuing to rebuild my identities. I've found few resources to help with the emotional piece of this journey, and have heard the same from many of my fellow survivors. That is why I'm writing Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves after Stroke.
As a professor, I studied and taught about how small, everyday actions can disrupt what’s normal, chip away at the status quo, and create positive change. That work led me to write Tempered Radicals, first published in 2001.
Now, in a very different context, I live by the message I previously taught. With small, deliberate efforts, and a lot of conscious choices, I continue my slow recovery, discover more about myself, and shape my new identities.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2017
Lots of ideas and anecdotes
Much like the tempered radicals whose stories are told in the book, this is a very measured approach to looking at how to affect change within organizations.
There is a lot of good material in here, though figuring out to to take action from the theory is likely to take substantial work on the part of each and every reader.
Much like the tempered radicals whose stories are told in the book, this is a very measured approach to looking at how to affect change within organizations.
There is a lot of good material in here, though figuring out to to take action from the theory is likely to take substantial work on the part of each and every reader.
February 8, 2023
disappointing read
Hard to get through and redundant. A whole book to define something but no real tools or tips to effectuate change. Not enough applicable information for me
Hard to get through and redundant. A whole book to define something but no real tools or tips to effectuate change. Not enough applicable information for me
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews