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The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Strategies Exceptional People Use to Do the Work and Make Success Happen
Learn the 12 principles of self-leadership, the most important factor in driving results and achieving success.
Adam Kreek has consistently defied the odds to find greater achievement in all facets of his life. After 73 days alone at sea, Kreek and his expedition team survived a capsize in the Bermuda Triangle, the subject of the Dateline NBC documentary “Capsized”. Four years earlier, Kreek won Olympic Gold with his eight-man rowing team. A two-time Olympian, he holds 60 international medals and multiple Hall of Fame inductions.In The Responsibility Ethic , he shares the 12 essential principles of self-leadership that have fueled his incredible accomplishments―and shows you how to master these principles too.
Kreek is a powerful guide who teaches us how to realize our full potential at any stage of our career and lives. Drawing on his eight years of intensive Olympic training, near-death ocean expeditions, and career as an executive coach and corporate trainer, Kreek shares winning strategies from the trenches, where the strongest minds prevail.
A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, The Responsibility Ethic challenges business leaders globally to chase their ambitions and to take responsibility for their success.
Adam Kreek has consistently defied the odds to find greater achievement in all facets of his life. After 73 days alone at sea, Kreek and his expedition team survived a capsize in the Bermuda Triangle, the subject of the Dateline NBC documentary “Capsized”. Four years earlier, Kreek won Olympic Gold with his eight-man rowing team. A two-time Olympian, he holds 60 international medals and multiple Hall of Fame inductions.In The Responsibility Ethic , he shares the 12 essential principles of self-leadership that have fueled his incredible accomplishments―and shows you how to master these principles too.
Kreek is a powerful guide who teaches us how to realize our full potential at any stage of our career and lives. Drawing on his eight years of intensive Olympic training, near-death ocean expeditions, and career as an executive coach and corporate trainer, Kreek shares winning strategies from the trenches, where the strongest minds prevail.
A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, The Responsibility Ethic challenges business leaders globally to chase their ambitions and to take responsibility for their success.
270 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2019
25 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 5, 2019
Well, I wrote this book so my review is cheerily biased. This book is written for driven professionals who are looking to gain an edge in business and life. The Responsibility Ethic is rooted in my experience as an executive coach and management consultant and pulls from my stories of Olympic and deep ocean rowing.
If you have higher personal standards, work with other people and want to up your self-leadership, take a look at this book. Each chapter transcends both sport and business with messages about peak performance, goal achievement and grit.
The book was built (with love) for go-getters who enjoy sports and adventure stories – and want more influence.
If you have higher personal standards, work with other people and want to up your self-leadership, take a look at this book. Each chapter transcends both sport and business with messages about peak performance, goal achievement and grit.
The book was built (with love) for go-getters who enjoy sports and adventure stories – and want more influence.
December 6, 2019
Great book. Inspirational for living a more fulfilled/meaningful/successful (you can't separate the three) life.
April 7, 2020
This book was fantastic. Excellent and practical tools and strategies to stay focused and driven, and to accomplish goals both personal and professional. Highly recommend.
January 13, 2023
PD books have never really been my thing, but after hearing Adam Kreek speak at a conference, I figured this one would be one to try. Turns out he writes as well as he speaks. Highly recommend!
April 25, 2023
Full disclosure, I’m one of the people Adam mentions in this book. I rowed across an ocean with him. What that might take away in objectivity it might give insight over someone coming to this book with no connection. In spite of being a bit allergic to the self-help genre I chose to pick up Adam’s book because I’ve known Adam for 15 years was curious to see how all the conversations, we’ve shared over the years translated to the page.
We prepared for and executed a row across the Atlantic Ocean that almost ended in disaster. We were fortunate, and in a weirdly beautiful way turned into a success because of how we handled it…plus a lot of luck and/or divine intervention. In the multiyear process of preparing, doing, and recovering from that we’ve had a lot of hard physical work, laughs, tough meetings, danger and a whole lot of banter. That’s one of the best parts about rowing across an ocean with someone, it’s the opportunity to get to know them well. I’ve seen Adam close to his very best, and close to his very worst.
One of the things that impressed me as we first got to know each other (and made me roll my eyes a bit) was that Adam was always consuming other self-help books. He would think about them, apply them to his lived experience, challenge, tweak, test, and make the ideas his own. Inevitably some of these ideas would come out in some kind of philosophical discussion on a training row, or some discipline, or way of thinking that would be applicable to tackling the challenge of rowing an ocean. Sometimes these sounded cheesy, some flopped, but many really helped. Motivational speaking is his craft, and he is absolutely dedicated to it. Reading this book was like seeing the best of what he knows to be true now, distilled.
After spending four years on a project with him and 73 days in a 30-foot boat with him I thought I might be immune to whatever he had to say. However, in the first few chapters I’d found myself inspired to start drawing up a list of to-dos and reframing some of the challenges in my life.
In person, Adam is a friendly, smart, gregarious, genuine, and funny. He’s not a superficial friend. Reading this book reminded me of those delightful times we’ve sat down over a good meal, and a bottle of wine and had one of those witty, thoughtful, and enlightening conversations that’s left me feeling a bit wiser and motivated at the end of it.
I had such a good time with that I might give other self-help books a try. Ill also be interested to see if Adam rereleases the book once he’s older and garnered new live experiences and perspectives to draw from.
We prepared for and executed a row across the Atlantic Ocean that almost ended in disaster. We were fortunate, and in a weirdly beautiful way turned into a success because of how we handled it…plus a lot of luck and/or divine intervention. In the multiyear process of preparing, doing, and recovering from that we’ve had a lot of hard physical work, laughs, tough meetings, danger and a whole lot of banter. That’s one of the best parts about rowing across an ocean with someone, it’s the opportunity to get to know them well. I’ve seen Adam close to his very best, and close to his very worst.
One of the things that impressed me as we first got to know each other (and made me roll my eyes a bit) was that Adam was always consuming other self-help books. He would think about them, apply them to his lived experience, challenge, tweak, test, and make the ideas his own. Inevitably some of these ideas would come out in some kind of philosophical discussion on a training row, or some discipline, or way of thinking that would be applicable to tackling the challenge of rowing an ocean. Sometimes these sounded cheesy, some flopped, but many really helped. Motivational speaking is his craft, and he is absolutely dedicated to it. Reading this book was like seeing the best of what he knows to be true now, distilled.
After spending four years on a project with him and 73 days in a 30-foot boat with him I thought I might be immune to whatever he had to say. However, in the first few chapters I’d found myself inspired to start drawing up a list of to-dos and reframing some of the challenges in my life.
In person, Adam is a friendly, smart, gregarious, genuine, and funny. He’s not a superficial friend. Reading this book reminded me of those delightful times we’ve sat down over a good meal, and a bottle of wine and had one of those witty, thoughtful, and enlightening conversations that’s left me feeling a bit wiser and motivated at the end of it.
I had such a good time with that I might give other self-help books a try. Ill also be interested to see if Adam rereleases the book once he’s older and garnered new live experiences and perspectives to draw from.
February 20, 2024
I love how the author describes winning. He won a race with his team and won by an inch! This book taught me a valuable lesson about winning and the team. It made me think about the whole tribe and not just about myself. I appreciate the author's near death experience and how different types of leaders have an impact on his life. When you become a mentor, bring some confidence and empathy, which is what I got from the book. I enjoyed it and highly recommend picking up this book.
July 5, 2024
Good, local stories with simple actionable summaries at the end of each chapter.
Could have been four stars but the last two chapters were far weaker than the rest and the stories used focused on his rowing where it feels like he could have used more of his stories from his business dealings.
Could have been four stars but the last two chapters were far weaker than the rest and the stories used focused on his rowing where it feels like he could have used more of his stories from his business dealings.
April 8, 2024
I enjoyed this read. I will for sure read this one again in the future. I'm sure my star rating will grow after the second pass. I feel it deserves a second pass. :)
February 4, 2025
This is one of the best books of its kind, & I’ve read many during an ongoing self improvement journey that began in 1986. Adam writes with an innate practicality so comfortably characteristic of Canadians. Clear in the way Analytic philosophy, and my fellow Americans can be, but subtly & succinctly reflective of the Continental style. He offers up a structure & pace that allows one to read the book in a sitting, or more patiently and methodically (by contrast, his crew deployed a race structure and pace that was nearly unsustainable - my own crew practiced alongside them and became better for it!). Adam’s book is best read in sequence, but the chapters work out of order as well - you might revisit a topic when you need a refresher or a clarifying boost. His stories and adventures are quite literally world class, as are his reflections on the human condition. He presents succinct definitions and helpful turns of phrase that capture his organized & intuitive outlook in a way that feels familiar and current. This book is also a fine guide toward articulating a moral compass for those who like to crank! Philosophically oriented business books abound these days, and that’s truly wonderful for those new to the tradition - it is an ancient recipe for effectiveness with a conscience. But Adam’s approach is immediately accessible and offers fresh takes on known problems. I’d recommend many books of this ilk, but his is a fantastic starting place and should be included in the pantheon of great guidebooks for life.
July 24, 2020
Great book!
A thought provoking and inspiring book. It is filled with inspiring ideas, entertaining stories and actionable strategies for both life and business!
A thought provoking and inspiring book. It is filled with inspiring ideas, entertaining stories and actionable strategies for both life and business!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews