What enables some talented people to rise to the top and live their full ambitions at work and in life, while others stop short? In 2008, Joanna Barsh launched and sponsored Tthe Centered Leadership Project at McKinsey and & Company to answer that very question. In the process, they uncovered what distinguishes leaders who are successful from those who achieve true greatness. They called it Centered Leadership because these leaders find their balance in the midst of chaos and lead from their most resourceful self to unleash the potential of others. In the business bestseller, How Remarkable Women Lead , Barsh described Centered Leadership’ s five capabilities and the research that underpins it. Here, with colleague Johanne Lavoie, she 30-year McKinsey veteran Joanna Barsh provides a practical, actionable field guide for implementation. Since 2008, Barsh, Lavoie and others at McKinsey have travelled the globe giving seminars, leading programs, workshops, and keynotes helping men and women to build these capabilities . In Centered Leadership , Barsh and Lavoie will guide you through the Centered Leadership program. You’ ll find the interactive tools, exercises, and practices that have helped the men and women in Centered Leadership programs gain the skills, courage and confidence to unleash their potential and that of those around them. And, along the way, you’ ll read inspiring stories of men and women leaders who demonstrate the power of these skills in action. Those early in their careers will learn how to use these skills to explore their passions and accelerate their professional development. Those forming families will be able to use them to reconcile manage work and life to get the most out of both. And those who have already achieved success will be able use these practices to reach their next leadership horizon. No matter what stage you are currently at in your career, or what level of leadership you aspire to, this book will equip you with the tools to unlock your own Centered Leader and achieve more positive impact at work and outside it.

Powerful, unvarnished advice for growing through the work challenges all aspiring leaders face

The business world is full of catchphrases: follow your passion, think positive, be authentic, suck it up, take risks, network. All are well-intentioned, but let’s be honest–this inch-deep advice just isn’t very helpful. How do real people succeed in the real world of work? That’s the question bestselling author Joanna Barsh sets out to answer–not by asking motivational gurus or well-established CEOs, but by diving into the trenches with today’s boldest, brightest up-and-coming leaders.

Distilling the stories of important work challenges from more than 200 rising leaders in 120 companies, this hands-on guide helps you grow through the challenges you face–not despite of them. You’ll learn how to

Handle rising pressure and recover from colossal mistakes,Bounce back from poor performance reviews and use them to up your game,Get people on board with you and your mission,Deal with office villains like a superhero,Take uncomfortable risks and dare to challenge,Grow when everything is falling apart around you, andKnow when it’s time to find another position.

Packed with raw experiences and on-the-job coping strategies from a rich diversity of voices–immigrants and first-generation Americans; blacks, Hispanics, and Asians; Ivy League alums and high school grads; and parents, some of whom are single–from all industries, this book offers the kind of nuts-and-bolts, real-world insights you won’t find anywhere else. Using these proven strategies, you can accelerate your growth with every new challenge. Best of all, you’ll be able to take the lead in your own career and build a future that works for you.

This is how ordinary people turn challenges into extraordinary opportunities for action–and how you can Grow Wherever You Work.

Based on five years of proprietary research, How Remarkable Women Lead speaks to you as no other book has, with its hopeful outlook and unique ideas about success. It’s the new “right stuff” of leadership, raising provocative issues such as whether feminine leadership traits (for women and men) are better suited for our fast-changing, hyper-competitive, and increasingly complex world.In this book, McKinsey Company consultants Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston establish the links between joy, happiness, and distinctive performance with the groundbreaking model of Centered Leadership.The book’s personal stories and related insights show you the magic that happens when you put the five elements of Centered Leadership-meaning, framing, connecting, engaging, and energizing, to work. They include:How Alondra de la Parra built on her strengths and passions to infuse her life with meaning and make her way in the male-dominated world of orchestra conductingHow Andrea Jung, the CEO of Avon, avoided a downward spiral when the company turned down by “firing herself” on Friday and re-emerging on Monday as the “new” turnaround CEOHow Ruth Porat’s sponsors at Morgan Stanley not only helped her grow but were also her ballast for coping with difficult personal and professional timesHow Eileen Naughton recovered after losing her dream job, landing on her feet at Google and open to a new leadership opportunityHow Julie Coates of Woolworth’s Australia makes energy key to her professional success, with reserves for her “second shift” as wife and motherHow Remarkable Women Lead is both profoundly moving and actionable. No matter who you are, this book will help you attain a practical plan for breaking through at both work and in life.