Firing Back

In this summary you will learn

• Why CEOs and leaders have more trouble dealing with career setbacks than the average person
• How some CEOs have resurrected their careers after highly publicized, humiliating professional disasters
• Why you should face up to and fight personal attacks
• What attitudes and ideas can help you bounce back from defeat

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Why you should read Firing Back

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “There are no second acts in American lives.” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward disagree. They chronicle the lives of famous CEOs and other leaders who suffered enormous setbacks – disgrace, humiliation, even criminal conviction – and yet bounced back and rebuilt their careers. Despite the sometimes convoluted writing style, getAbstract believes that anyone who reads this book will be inspired by the tales of these tough-minded leaders. Knocked from the ring, counted out by everyone, they refused to quit. Instead, they got back up and won the fight. You may have to read between the lines to see what isn’t there: a sense of regret over the misdeeds that, in some cases, led to these firings and downfalls in the first place. Yet the lessons remain worthwhile: Sooner or later, life knocks everyone down. The trick is to not stay sprawled out for the count. This energizing book will teach you how to pull yourself up from the mat.

About the Authors

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a senior associate dean at Yale University’s School of Management, has written numerous books on leadership. Andrew Ward serves on the faculty at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.