The Rabbi and the CEO: The Ten Commandments for 21st Century Leaders

Leadership is in crisis. In the rough seas of a borderless economy, the Internet, and outsourcing in turbulent markets, a seismic shift has changed the game. The days of the Great Man-whether a Churchill or Kennedy, even a Gates or Welch-are numbered. Virtually anyone can lead now. But how do you breed ethical and effective leaders for the twenty-first century? Is leadership a matter of DNA, culture, or coaching? The answer can be found in the 3,000-year-old tradition of Judaism.
Jews are not called the People of the Book by accident. Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalah hold a powerful amalgam of life-and-death leadership stories and astonishingly practical lessons for twenty-first-century managers. In a unique synergy, Dr. Thomas D. Zweifel, former Swiss Consulting Group CEO, Columbia professor, and author of leadership books like "Communicate or Die" and "Culture Clash," teams up with Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin, Jewish leader, mensch, and author of "Letters of Light," to blend the timeless wisdom of the Ten Commandments with a cutting-edge methodology based on 33 years of coaching leaders - a mix of winning tools for lasting success.
Learn:* In Commandment 1, Out of Egypt, how to go beyond your comfort zone; free yourself from limiting mindsets and unleash the potential of others. * In Commandment 2, No Idols, how to build and sustain an authentic vision that is not based on idols or external expectations, but truly your own. * In Commandment 3, Don't Speak In Vain, how to lead through language, how leaders inspire others to act on their vision through effective and compelling conversations - speaking and listening.* In Commandment 4, Keep the Sabbath, how transcendent leaders from Moses to Mandela had the courage to prioritize, say no to demands and circumstances, and take time out to contemplate what truly matters. * In Commandment 5, Respect Father and Mother, how to use appreciation as a key management tool, and see the importance of each person and each detail to the overall strategy. * In Commandment 6, Don't Kill, how to regulate your anger and channel your emotions into productive energy.* In Commandment 7, No Adultery, how your true source of power is not the corner office, not your title, not even your authority, but your integrity; how to walk your talk and tackle ethical dilemmas (right-versus-right decisions).* In Commandment 8, Don't Steal, how to catalyze-- embody, even--the future by the way you give and invest yourself.* In Commandment 9, No False Witness, how the greatest leaders are not afraid to give bad news; how instead of being stopped by adversity, they harness breakdowns into breakthroughs. * Finally, in Commandment 10, Don't Covet, how especially in the twenty-first century, you must put yourself in the shoes of clients, competitors, and even enemies.
"The Rabbi and the CEO" arms you with the tools you need to be an ethical and effective leader--now and in the future. And since these tools have stood the test of time, they are built to last, for managers of all stripes. And you don't have to be Jewish (or even be believers) to appreciate, and apply, these secret teachings. These principles work: They make for the leadership DNA that has led a tiny group (some 0.2 percent of the world population and 2 percent of Americans) to win 17 percent of all Nobels in physiology and medicine, 11 percent in physics, and 10 percent of U.S. senators.
"In an age where anything goes, and unfortunately almost anything does, it's refreshing to rediscover a familiar anchor. The leadership wisdom contained here is timeless, powerful and actionable--just what you'd expect when you combine a Rabbi and a CEO!"--Scott A. Snook Professor of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School
"An insightful "lighthouse" to navigate the dynamic world of leadership and management in the 21st century. --Dr. Martin Cross, CEO, Novartis-Australia