Fierce Leadership

Doubt. Susan Scott’s new book is titled, Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today, and follows her popular Fierce Conversations. I found Scott’s writing and approach refreshing and entertaining, but not particularly insightful. Her recommended practices are rooted in candid and authentic behavior and communication. On every page, she spells out with clarity and specificity what leaders should do and how we should act. I kept asking myself, what is her advice based on? Where does all her certainty come from? When will I find a glimmer of doubt in her approach? I finished the book finding lots of specifics that some leaders may find useful. My gnawing doubt on finishing the book is that while Scott has succeeded in creating her unique brand of advice-giving consulting, those leaders who employ her better be prepared for all the ways in which her approach may be inappropriate for a particular situation. Fierce Leadership is packed with buzzwords, common sense approaches that could have come from the Farmers Almanac, and Scott’s own quirky new-age methods that might in equal doses help or hurt an organization and its effectiveness. Any leader interesting in keeping current on what kind of advice is being offered might find some items of interest in Fierce Leadership. Unless your interest in this subject is strong, I recommend taking a pass on this book.

Rating: One-star (Read only if your interest is strong)
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