Rick Brandon - Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success

Survival of the Savvy Endorsements

Survival of the Savvy is a critically important book for the new era of business! Leaders need to learn how to win in a world that is both ultra-competitive on the business side and ultra-sensitive to issues involving ethics.

MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, COAUTHOR OF THE LEADER OF THE FUTURE

A refreshing view of the importance of corporate politics. Survival of the Savvy isnt about the nonsense of stamping out organizational politics its about facing reality and learning how to manage yourself and your team, from the CEO down.

CAROL BARTZ, CHAIRMAN, CEO, AUTODESK

Ignore corporate politics and you may find yourself sleeping with the fishes. Organization savvy is a topic thats tough to get your arms around, but Survival of the Savvy is tops on my list for its practical and proven approach for navigating through todays rough organizational waters.

DEB HIMSEL, VICE PRESIDENT, ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS, AVON PRODUCTS, INC.

Survival of the Savvy assists CEOs to survey their organizations so that they can build relationship bench strength possessing integrity and ethical management while also building a great company culture committed to top performance and loyalty.

AJIT GIL, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NEKTAR

Seldman and Brandon are just in time. Survival of the Savvy gives us the elite intelligence and powerful tools to ensure personal success and improved business performance during turbulent corporate times. This book is better than an MBA!

DENNIS ZELENY, FORMER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN RESOURCES, E.I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY

This book offers indispensable insight into the positive power of politics in an organization. If you cant hire Brandon or Seldman as a personal coach, this book is the next best thing!

WENDY BLOOM, SENIOR MANAGER, HUMAN CAPITAL AND LEADERSHIP, BEST BUY CO., INC.

You can influence with political wisdom and integrity! Whether youre a CEO, a teacher, or a new employee, you can continually tune your understanding of yourself and of your work environment. Survival of the Savvy is an outstanding tool kit.

JIM KENNEDY, DIRECTOR OF EQUITIES, T. ROWE PRICE ASSOCIATES

Terrific book that captures the upside and downside of politics in an organization. As you read each chapter, the ahas just keep on coming. Brandon and Seldman have written a true winner, full of proven successful techniques that leaders at all levels will want to practice.

DEB CAPOLARELLO, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN RESOURCES, CHIEF TALENT OFFICER, METLIFE

This book delivers a powerful message on leadership. Effective leaders learn early that adapting your leadership style to motivate others is one of the most effective skills any leader can possess. Survival of the Savvy shows any individual how to step beyond the comfort zone to become a better leader, parent, or person.

ERIC FOSS, PRESIDENT, PEPSI BOTTLING GROUP NORTH AMERICA

Survival of the Savvy is invaluable for all business leaders who are seeking to understand the connectivity of emotional intelligence, the application of high-integrity politics in achieving business effectiveness and career success.

RON PARKER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, FRITO-LAY NORTH AMERICA

This book is essential for anyone who has ever tried to play a game without knowing the rules. Survival of the Savvy offers proven practical strategies, techniques, and rules of the game for anyone who wants to be an MVP in the business world.

JEAN M. OTTE, FOUNDER AND CEO, WOMEN UNLIMITED, INC., AND AUTHOR OF CHANGING THE CORPORATE LANDSCAPE: A WOMANS GUIDE TO CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE

Survival of the Savvy describes the political landscape inside of organizations. If you want to deftly navigate the political whitewater in your organization, this is the book for you.

JON PETERS, PRESIDENT, THE INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT STUDIES

This is a book we all could have used when we were twenty-five years old. It provides perspectives that make so much sense and can be readily applied to any workplace small or large, public or private. Survival of the Savvy can improve almost anyones personal effectiveness with no compromise on ethics.

PETE BASSI, CHAIRMAN, YUM RESTAURANTS INTERNATIONAL

Brandon and Seldman, for the first time, have presented practical strategies for using politics in a positive, ethical fashion. If you work in any organization, whether it be a Fortune 500 company, your local PTA, or your AYSO soccer league, this book will provide invaluable insights to enable you to achieve results in a manner which you can be proud of.

JOHN MCELROY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES AND CORPORATE SERVICES, MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

This book has provided me with a systemic understanding of the root cause of company politics and how as a leader one can coach the organization to be mature and effective about managing it. As I have always believed, it takes a politically savvy leader to create an environment that is not excessively political. I just learned a lot from this book on how to become one.

SAM SU, PRESIDENT, GREATER CHINA, YUM GLOBAL RESTAURANTS

In the crowded field of leadership and business books, Brandon and Seldman have written a watershed resource that is vital for leaders and professionals. Finally, a practical resource for understanding and effectively dealing with politics, ethics, deception, and effectively doing the right thing at high levels of performance!

EDWARD BETOF, ED.D., VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER, BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY

Survival of the Savvy is a career-saving survival guide for todays business leaders. Brandon and Seldman have developed a pragmatic tool kit to help managers detect deception and to develop political astuteness in their work envi ronment.

PETER C. SMITH, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER, BURGER KING CORPORATION

An extremely insightful perspective on the political world that lies within corporations. While many executives would like to think that their companies are apolitical, this is just not the case and those executives imperil their careers and their companies. This book is like a pocket coach providing practical insights on how to navigate in the 21st Century Corporation.

MANUEL N. SOUSA, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE ENTERPRISES

Two street-smart psychologists with more than a half centurys combined experience in performance-improvement coaching and training show that you can be hurt by being overly political or by political blind spots and navet. Rather than offer a one size fits all prescription, they help you assess your political style, note your strengths and weaknesses, and then supplement your style with savvy strategies that deliver impact with integrity. Who couldnt use that?

ROBERT H. BOLTON, PH.D., AUTHOR OF PEOPLE SKILLS AND COAUTHOR OF PEOPLE STYLES AT WORK

The challenge of leadership is much more about how to get things done than it is what things should get done. This book teaches you the how and demonstrates that politics and integrity are not mutually exclusive.

MICHAEL FEINER, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

After reading Survival of the Savvy no manager will dare say, Im not political. Instead, managers will embrace the need to understand what motivates individuals, will know how to detect and handle hidden agendas, and will be able to build a high-integrity culture.

PETER D. GIBBONS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN, ICI PAINT

In the post-Enron era, this is a true practical guide for individuals and leadership teams to navigate the rough waters of corporate integrity.

JULIE STAUB, DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES, AUTONATION, INC.