The "How-Not-To" Leadership Book
There is a paradox in leadership: we can only succeed by knowing failure. Every accomplished leader knows there are minefields of failures that need to be navigated in order to succeed. Wouldn’t it be great to have the insights to help you prevent avoidable mistakes? Unfortunately, in business talking about mistakes can be taboo, and, at a certain level, learning from failure is not an option. In The Wisdom of Failure, Weinzimmer and McConoughey speak frankly about the things that are difficult to talk 
about—the unvarnished truths necessary to become a successful leader. Based on a groundbreaking 7-year study of almost 1000 managers across 21 industries and exclusive interviews with CEOs at a wide range of organizations including Caterpillar, Priceline.com and Allstate, the book uncovers the strategies that aspiring leaders need in order to avoid the three most damning leadership mistakes: unbalanced orchestration, “drama” management, and personality issues.
Learning from the mistakes of others is a necessary part of the journey of effective leadership. Weinzimmer and McConoughey offer an indispensable guide to learning these powerful lessons—without paying the price of failure.
What are others saying about this book? According to some of the world’s most recognized thought leaders on the topic of effective leadership, including Marshall Goldsmith, Jim Kouzes, Amy Edmonson, Larry Weber, and more, they are saying The Wisdom of Failure is “a definitive piece of work,” “an instant business classic” “an essential read,” “a must read for aspiring, new and seasoned leaders,” and “The Wisdom of Failure is an epiphany.”
Laurence G. Weinzimmer (Peoria, IL),
is an internationally recognized thought leader in strategy and leadership. He is the Caterpillar Inc. Professor of Strategic Management at Bradley University and works with numerous Fortune 100 companies--including GM, Goodyear, 3M, Caterpillar, Pennzoil, and Coors--and many medium-sized companies on issues relating to strategy, culture and leadership. He has been featured on numerous business talk shows including FNN, CNN, ABC and recently on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. He is the author national bestseller Fast Growth: How to Attain It, How to Sustain It (Kaplan Business, 2001).
