The Fearless Executive

Rating:
Summary: Fear...the great Motivator. Downs nails it.
Review: Alan Downs is a management psychologist turned author/consultant. From a purely practical standpoint, Mr. Downs has done it right in that he establishes his intellectual base (earning a Ph.D) prior to "coaching" others (as an author/consultant). His background as a psychologist is the conceptual foundation of this book however, his experience in the business world makes this book germane to anyone in the business world.

Mr. Downs posits that fear is the hurdle to achieving success and describes for the reader the concept of fear..."a generalized, ambiguous feeling of impending demise (or doom)." Many, if not most, are in touch with this statement and the corresponding emotion. After all, fear (along with greed) is the great motivator. Mr. Downs describes the path to freedom of fear as "Trust your talents. Follow your passion. Silence the fear." This forms the basis for Mr. Downs' argument that fear chokes the executive from realizing his/her potential.

In the first two chapters, Mr. Downs identifies the barriers to creative and intellectual success as well as providing the reader with a good explanation and understanding of the clinical and practical sides of fear. At the end of the second chapter, the reader is presented with a "Fear Susceptibility Inventory," a survey that assists the reader in identifying "potential" areas of fear. After taking and grading the survey, the reader is presented with seven separate fears, discussed in detail in the ensuing chapters:

Fear of Inadequacy
Fear of Rejection
Fear of Scarcity
Fear of Reality
Fear of the Unknown
Fear of Authority
Fear of Aging

While there exist many other fears or peripheral subsets, these seven fears compose the limited universe of emotional angst faced by most executives at one point or another. Identifying, understanding and perservering against the incredible dark side of fear is Mr. Downs' objective in these chapters. He does an excellent job of explaining these fears, provides practical application and examples, and plausible solutions to each. Mr. Downs speaks to the reader, not above the reader as so many psychologists can. While this is not a cure-all or end-all book on the subject, its message is poignant.

My only gripe: the last 100 pages of this book could have been consolidated dramatically. This does not suggest substantial degradation to the message or content. However, one wonders if Mr. Downs was attempting to provide the reader with more theory than necessary. This is the only reason I've given this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars.

This book provides motivation and insight into the daily rigors facing the executive. If one applies these principles and suggestions, I can't help but think that, at the very least, one will find the daily problems more understandable and solvable. Mr. Downs suggests (and I agree) that if one can push through their fear and identify their true passion(s), life becomes more productive and enjoyable. A nice combination to strive for.

Rating:
Summary: Fear Exposed
Review: Finally, an insightful book that exposes the insidious and debilitating effects of fear on the individual and in the workplace. Rather than following the old, worn-out paradigm that fear is a sign of weakness and should be denied or not addressed, this book makes it clear that fear is a natural part of all of us and rather than pretending it isn't there, it's far better to address the causes of the fear and move into it, rather than hiding from it. In that way true and lasting change is possible and the old patterns of personal and corporate behavior can finally change for the better. Only through recognizing the paralyzing and potentially destructive patterns that fear causes can an individual or "corporate citizen" realize their full potential. This book is an invaluable guide out of those behaviors. Not only useful for "executives" but for all participants in the business community. Should be required reading especially in organizations dealing with high risk decision making.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect Timing
Review: I picked up The Fearless Executive just as I was launching a new venture with 2 partners. We were all taking a huge risk, leaving stable jobs with steady incomes to start a new business. Naturally we were excited but nervous. For the last couple of months, when we feel discouraged we have a meeting and read portions of this book out loud to each other. It has helped us face our fears and insecurities. Slowly but surely, we are watching our business take off and we are grateful for the encouragement we have received from this book. Downs' writing style is intriguing and easy to read, but best of all, the truths he espouses WORK! This is a MUST READ for anyone thinking about taking a risk! If you have a dream to fulfill, this book will help you find the courage to see it become reality!

Rating:
Summary: Much more than I expected
Review: I picked up this book on the recommendantion of several friends who told me that the book had helped them to gain important insights into their career trajectories. Those of my friends who read the book told me that the book really focussed them on the strengths of their careers, as well as the places where their professional lives were lacking. A couple of my friends told me that after reading the book, they felt empowered to take positive action at work that was already transforming the way they functioned in the workplace.

Needless to say, I had high expectations when I began the book. All my expectations were met and exceeded! Most importantly, this book is not only a roadmap to success in the workplace -- it is also a roadmap to success in life. As I read the book, I was repeatedly struck by the impression that the keys to professional success, as discussed by the author, are also the keys to success in family, relationship, and even my pasttimes.

The book provided me with significant material for reflection: How can I identify and work with my weaknesses? How can I foster my strengths and turn them to my best advantage? What are the personal patterns that hamper my progress, and what are the patterns that help me? The "Fearless Executive" addressed all these questions (and more) in a way that was approachable, intelligible, and easily digestable.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is looking for a thoughtful discussion on maximizing success in life -- whether in the workplace or in the household. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Best "business" book I ever read
Review: Insightful, truthful, practical and from the heart. It's really a book about life masquerading as a business book. It's about confronting and moving beyond your own fears to reach your full potential. It also has great career insights -- my favorite? Figure out what you really love to do in your career and then do everything that you can to make sure you do only that thing. Simple but true...

Rating:
Summary: Creates a game plan for readers
Review: The Fearless Executive devotes equal time to helping readers rediscover and trust their talents and passions.

Rating:
Summary: A Solid Effort!
Review: To help you become a better leader as an executive, Alan Downs teaches you how to get through your fears and trust your own talents. He focuses on how to gain the confidence to be yourself. After that, your goal should be to bring passion to whatever you do. While many of these ideas will be familiar to readers of self-help literature, Downs does a good job of adding a unique spin with his examples of classic and present-day stories that illustrate long-held fears. He organizes his material in an effective, easy-to-read way and suggests that overcoming fears is only a step on the road to self-confidence. This leaves the reader with plenty to chew on, marking this book as a better than average self-help guide and earning it a recommendation in this category from us [...].


Rating:
Summary: Who would have thought!
Review: What an interesting concept: A Frightened Executive. It seems impossible at first brush. Aren't executives the high and mighty of the corporate structure, the exalted to whom lesser souls look for guidance? Well, yes, maybe. But they're also human and this is where Alan Downs gets into fresh territory. Fear, he says, isn't something to be embarrassed about (it sounds downright "uncorporate", doesn't it?), but something to deal with. And once the fear, whatever it might be, is dealt with, the executive is suddenly freed of nagging concerns that have actually held him back in the past. Three cheers for Alan Downs, the corporate observer who is unafraid to write about fear.