When No-Bullshit Executive Personalities Hinder Performance

Many executives who are valuable leaders in their organizations often don’t understand why they’re not advancing in their careers at the pace or level they believe they deserve given their commitment to their imperatives. Any high-performing leader (the No-Bullshit Executive, according to author Jordan Goldrich) who has ever been identified as abrasive or even a bully will find an ally in this must-read book. These executives (termed workplace warriors by the author) make a unique and critical contribution to the success of their companies or organizations, and their warrior spirit is especially crucial in the current VUCA environment (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity).

While acknowledging their unique contributions, the author encourages no-bullshit executives to lift their warrior spirit to the level of our country’s greatest warriors–the Navy SEALs and the rest of the United States Special Operations community–to find the skills they need to excel.

Some of Goldrich’s advice takes the form of his clever tagline: The Least You Can Do. If the abrasive executives are only interested in doing The Least You Can Do to protect themselves in a politically correct world, they will find what they need. If, on the other hand, executives want to do The Least You Can Do in the sense that of the right thing to do, they will find resources to take their leadership to a higher level. Appendices and checklists fill out the advice to help the best become even better.