TOP DRAWER BOOK REVIEW
by
HL Carpenter

Guts!
by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg
278 pages; hardcover; $25
Random House, New York, 2004

Be passionate about what you do, treat people decently, and embody the values you espouse. These seem like common sense notions, at work or at home.

But authors and consultants Kevin and Jackie Freiberg conclude acting this way takes guts, especially in a business world they see as more focused on profits than people.

Whether or not you agree with their definition of courageous leadership, you’ll find in Guts! a lively, upbeat narrative about how managers in some prominent companies create workplaces that foster success. Unfortunately, beyond the energy and enthusiasm, the ideas are typical management fare. The fact that your business depends on people – both inside and outside – should be no shock to anyone.

Still, you may find benefit in Guts!. Reading about techniques practiced in other companies could generate ideas you can adapt for use in your own work. Of course, you might also find that, despite the book’s title, putting them into practice takes more perseverance than nerve.

Review originally published March 2005.