Workplace Warrior: People Skills for the No-Bullshit Executive
Jordan Goldrich with Walter Meyer
Green Leaf Publishing (October 2019)

How the most effective leaders balance candor with empathy

In this book written with Walter Meyer, Jordan Goldrich offers advice to what he characterizes as the “No Bull-Bullshit Executive” (NBSE). He focuses on four types: Warrior, Scientist, Abrasive, and Bully. Details are best revealed in the narrative — in context, within a frame of reference — but one key point requires no spoiler alert: being an NBSE and having highly developed emotional intelligence are not mutually exclusive.

These few are among the dozens of key points that caught my eye:

o “If you are, in fact, abrasive rather than tough, then, like me, you are creating unintended negative consequences for yourself and others. The good news is you do not have to remake your personality. In fact, your drive, your focus on results, and your no-bullshit attitude are tremendously valuable to your organization, your coworkers, your friends, and your family.” (Page 9)

o Treating people respectfully “simply means identifying performance gaps, communicating expectations and consequences, and following through in a respectful. or, ideally, a compassionate one. Anything less than warrior behavior (i.e. principled and steadfast but humane] can — and likely will — create an unintended negative impact on results.” (22)

o “As Arnold H. Glasgow wrote, ‘A good leader takes a litte more than his [or her] share of the blame, a little less than his [or her] share of the credit.’ In the book Good to Great, [Jim Collins] found that great leaders went even further and took little of the credit and all of the blame.” (35)

o “Studies have shown that people who are willing to apologize and admit mistakes are not [begin italics] not [end italics] viewed as weak; they are actually perceived in a better light..This includes demonstrating courage, integrity, and humility rather than blaming others when they contributed to or even caused the problem.” (60)

o “In summary, great inspirational leadership is rooted in who you are and what you stand for. Most leaders do not know what these are for them. If you want to be an inspirational, effective leader, developing your personal mission, core purpose or [begin italics] why [end italics] should be considered the least you can do.” (109)

My guess (only a guess) is that executives in greatest need of Jordan Goldrich’s advice are least likely to read the book or even to acknowledge their need. It may be of at least some benefit to those who associate with NBSEs, especially in their workplace or elsewhere in the business world.

More supervisors need to become warriors and one of their most important obligations is to help develop warriors among those entrusted to their care. That is Jordan Goldrich’s mission in life, one he views as a privilege.