Decide Who Matters

Whether it’s an upset at work, or something more personal like the end of a relationship or illness, you may fear what other people think and say about you. Not only are many people concerned about the opinions of friends and work associates, there is what “they” think—the people beyond their scope of influence. This preoccupation with what “they” think means exhaustive time and energy is used managing opinions and perceptions and not on solving the issue at hand.

Enduring a setback in your personal or professional life can be overwhelming whether or not it is played out over the national media like many C-Level executives. You do not need to compound the problem by focusing on what “they” think. The only ones who count are those who are closest to you and whose opinions matter. Chances are they are already on your side.

Dealing with Setbacks: Comebacks Book Review by Michael Zipursky

We all face setbacks in our lives at one point or another. That’s pretty much a given and should come as no surprise.

What shapes us and sets one person from another apart is how we deal with these challenging times.

Some choose to stick their heads in the sand … and others take the hit, brush off the dirt and get back to ‘business’.

However, it’s not as simple as that, is it? How people deal with setbacks is an area I’ve found interesting for quite some time.

That’s why I was happy to accept a review copy of the new book “Comebacks” by Andrea Redmond and Patricia Crisafulli.

I’ve just finished reviewing it and wanted to share my thoughts on it with you…  Read the entire post on Michael’s Blog- Business Consulting Buzz.

Comebacks to Star at Northwestern Kellogg School Forum

Comebacks Forum: Lessons Learned As Leaders Redefine Success on Their Terms (Kellogg Leadership Initiatives)

May 27, 2010

The forum will feature six distinguished corporate leaders who will discuss candidly their journeys from setback to comeback. Speakers include David Neeleman (founder and former CEO of JetBlue), Harry Kraemer ’79 (former Chairman and CEO of Baxter International ), Christopher Galvin ’77 (former Chairman and CEO of Motorola Inc.), Herbert “Pug” Winokur (founder of investment firm Capricorn Holding and a long-time outside board member of Enron Corp.), Patricia Dunn (former Chair of Board, Hewlett Packard), and Dale Dawson (former CEO of TruckPro and an investment banker). Learn how these leaders not only faced adversity, but turned challenge into triumph as they redefined success on their terms. Moderator for the event is Professor Michelle Buck, Clinical Professor of Management and Organizations and Director of Leadership Initiatives. Several leaders profiled in the new book: COMEBACKS: Powerful Lessons from Leaders Who Endured Setbacks and Recaptured Success on Their Terms, by Andrea Redmond and Patricia Crisafulli (Jossey-Bass, April 2010) will appear. Copies of the book will be available for sale before the event in the Emporium, or may be purchased at the forum. (Also profiled in the book, but unable to attend the forum are Jamie Dimon, former president of Citigroup and now CEO of JPMorgan Chase; David Pottruck, former CEO of Charles Schwab; Jacques Nasser, former CEO and president of Ford Motor Company, and Durk Jager, former CEO of Procter & Gamble.) A reception and book signing will be held after the forum. The panel will take place from 5:15 -6:15 pm, in Owen L. Coon Forum.

Visit the Kellogg School for more information.

Sacramento Book Review

From Reviewer Dominique James

What is it about failure that makes you want to just get over it quickly and forget it? Andrea Redmond and Patricia Crisafulli, in their raw and honest new book, Comebacks: Powerful Lessons from Leaders Who Endured Setbacks and Recaptured Success on Their Terms, tackle this subject in order to find the answer, and more important, how you can profit from it.

You want to be a success. You seek it out, you announce it, and you celebrate it. But when you fail, you don’t want anyone to know about it; or, more accurately, when it goes public and as circumstances unravel, it is human nature to wish it would magically go away, be buried and forgotten. But you know it’s still there, no matter how diligently you sweep it under the rug, and it makes you wince in emotional pain, when all you want to do is to forget.

However, ignoring and forgetting failure may not be the wisest thing to do, according to Redmond and Crisafulli. They assert that the very thing you should be doing is to expose failure, bring it to light, openly look at it, and embrace it. In Comebacks they show that failure, which can happen to anyone, is the springboard for a bigger and more meaningful success.

Read the full review here: http://sacramentobookreview.com/business-investing/comebacks-powerful-lessons-from-leaders-who-endured-setbacks-and-recaptured-success-on-their-terms/

Insight from leaders who experienced major setbacks and redefined success

Comebacks features an all-star cast of ten business leaders who have endured career setbacks—for some a public fall in the midst of extreme media scrutiny—then reassessed and moved ahead with new purpose. Based on revealing interviews, the profiles in the book provide a behind-the-headline glimpse into the lives of seasoned leaders, showing how they drew upon resources, both internal and external, to navigate their way forward and to learn leadership and life lessons that allowed them to redefine success. Together, the ten profiles reveal that all leaders face adversity, but true leaders turn adversity into success–and redefine success through their leadership. High-profile leaders featured include:

• Jamie Dimon, renowned Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase who, at the peak of his career with Citigroup, was fired as president.
• Former HP Chair Patricia Dunn who, after a corporate espionage scandal hit the company, resigned as chairman and then faced felony charges while battling cancer. Completely exonerated, she is now active in philanthropic work.
• Former Baxter International CEO Harry Kraemer who, after 22 years at the pharmaceutical firm, had to step down after the company scaled back its earnings forecasts. He is now a highly regarded business professor at Northwestern University and an executive partner in a private equity firm.
• Former Ford Motor Company CEO Jacques Nasser who, forced to resign from the automaker after devoting years to the company, has recently assumed the prestigious position of Chairman of BHP Billiton, the world’s largest natural resources company.
• Former founder and CEO of JetBlue David Neeleman who, asked to step down after a series of weather-related delays in 2007 caused an uproar among passengers and consumers, has moved on to found a new airline in Brazil.

In turbulent economic times, when careers are derailed by layoffs and leaders are forced to rewrite their professional plans, Comebacks offers introspection that enlightens as well as uplifts. Honest and soul-searching, the stories in Comebacks will resonate with anyone who is experiencing a reversal, is disillusioned by career choices, or is exploring new paths that are better aligned with their values and priorities.

Redmond, a top executive recruiter, and Crisafulli, author of The House of Dimon, show how all leaders face adversity, but true leaders turn adversity into success.

Comebacks is available for pre-order and will be released in April 2010.