The Executive and the Elephant - Hardcover

Praise for The Executive and the Elephant

"Wow, what a book! I started to breeze through it, and I ended up reading and thinking about every chapter.... The Executive and the Elephant touches both my brain and my heart, and the effect is at once humbling and energizing. I'm going to send copies to everyone I care about who is under pressure, working hard, and in a leadership position."
WILLIAM OUCHI, Sanford and Betty Sigoloff Distinguished Professor in Corporate Renewal, UCLA; author of Theory Z

"Outstanding! Dick Daft has shed a whole new light on what it takes to set you apart as an effective leader. If I had read this book earlier in my career, I would have arrived sooner to the chairmanship of Bridgestone Americas."
MARK A. EMKES, retired chairman, CEO, and president, Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

"Filled with practical suggestions and novel insights, The Executive and the Elephant will transform anyone into a more effective leader."
JEFFREY PFEFFER, Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business; author of Power: Why Some People Have It And Others Don't

"For thousands of years we have been programmed to think that leading change means doing things 'to' other people. In this wonderful book, Dick Daft helps us successfully transform ourselves into the leader and person we want to become."
ROBERT E. QUINN, M.E. Tracy Collegiate Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; author of Deep Change and Change the World

"This magnificent book contains a tapestry of wisdom from around the world that shows leaders how to begin serious self-transformation by someone who has been there, done that."
PETER VAILL, senior scholar and emeritus professor of management, Antioch University

"This book is a 'bible' for [leadership] self-development."
RONALD E. RIGGIO, Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology, Claremont McKenna College

"Kings, heads of government, and corporate executives have control over thousands of people and endless resources, but often do not have mastery over themselves. From a distance, larger-than-life leaders may look firmly in control of their businesses and their personal behavior. What about up close? Personal mastery is a difficult thing."
—FROM CHAPTER ONE

LEADERS KNOW WHAT they should be doing, so why aren't they doing it? When a leader knows the preferable behavior, why stick to an old pattern and fail to perform as desired? The answer is that each of us has two selves: one self is thoughtful, circumspect, and rational (the inner executive), and the other self is habit bound, impulsive, and emotion driven (the inner elephant). In this groundbreaking book, leadership expert Richard Daft reveals how leaders can recognize the two parts of themselves and learn to calm down, train, and guide their inner elephant toward the desired successful behavior.

Inner excellence means removing the personal flaw that is holding you back as a leader—such as procrastination, avoiding confrontation, a short attention span, perfectionism, tactless remarks, weak resolve, overreacting, criticizing, chasing the wrong gratifications, or not following though. This important book is filled with lessons for leaders on resolving the inner struggle between impulse and self-discipline, between blind reaction and big picture wisdom.

Dozens of proven exercises will empower you to direct yourself and others more productively. With a little practice, your inner executive will learn to choose correct actions rather than let your unwanted behaviors have their way.

Through compelling real-life coaching examples of dramatic personal changes, along with recent findings in psychology, management, neuroscience, and Eastern spirituality, Richard Daft provides guidance to all of us who want to follow our best intentions when leading ourselves and others.