“My brain lights up when I come across a book that asks an inconvenient question we’d all prefer to ignore, like that proverbial elephant in the room. Wiersma casts a spotlight on that elephant and brilliantly shoves inconvenient truths down our throats that all of us-leaders, professionals, everyone-had better swallow. One of the few Must Reads of the Year!”
—Warren Bennis, the dean of leadership gurus (Forbes), Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, and author of the recently published Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership
“Simply put, Bill Wiersma is a genius. His new book, The Power of Professionalism, is revolutionary—one that will provide a much-needed renaissance of professional ideals, that speaks to the mind-sets that made America great, and that will continue to inspire us to future greatness. Thought-provoking, brilliantly stunning, The Power of Professionalism is crucial medicine, whether it be for a Fortune 500 company, a hard-charging entrepreneurial start-up, or for a passionate nonprofit. Please read this book--your professional life depends on learning and living these strategies.”
—Kathy Ireland, CEO/Chief Designer, kathy ireland WorldWide
”The most compelling business books aren’t the ones that just convey knowledge or advocate doing certain things. As important as those are, the most compelling business books encourage readers to be something. The Power of Professionalism is destined to change the way people think about professionals and, more important, to change the way professionals view themselves.”
—Bill Roper, President Roper Capital, former CEO at VeriSign, former CFO at SAIC
”The Power of Professionalism is a tour de force. Bill Wiersma has written a masterwork of nonfiction rarely seen today. It is smart, profound, and challenging. It will provoke you, engage you, and change you. It will make you think deeply about how you work, how you relate, and how you live. It will compel you to elevate your standards, raise your hopes, and lift your sights. There hasn’t been book with this kind of intensity and power in years…maybe decades. You really must read it and put it into practice.”
—Jim Kouzes, award-winning coauthor of the bestselling, The Leadership Challenge, and the Dean’s Executive Professor of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
“When initially asked to review this book, my natural inclination was to decline—based on my comically busy workload. However, after reading the preface and early chapters, I was hooked. This topic couldn’t be more important to America’s future. The book is a great read, the ideas are fresh and insightful, the authors are the best in their fields. This is essential reading for professionals and for those who employ them.”
—Steve Kerr, Executive Director of the Jack Welch Management Institute and former Chief Learning Officer at both General Electric and Goldman Sachs.
“The Power of Professionalism captures a fundamental truth of life, not just business. This book takes a seemingly Victorian subject—professionalism—and shoehorns its relevance into the heart of our twenty-first century problems. Wiersma’s tome is masterful; his timing superb.”
—Thomas Moran, Chairman, President, and CEO of Mutual of America Life Insurance and Chairman of Concern Worldwide (U.S.), an international humanitarian relief organization that operates in twenty-nine of the poorest countries of the world
“For those concerned about the moral grounding of leaders in organizations, this book provides the ultimate tuning fork for professionals. As Wiersma makes clear, professionalism is neither a title nor a tactic we follow. Rather, it’s about discipline and standards. In this masterful restatement of professional ideals, Wiersma recaptures timeless wisdom that which is often lost in today’s culture of unhealthy competition, shortcuts, and winner-take-all mentality.”
—Carolyn Woo, Dean of the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame, regent at the University of Portland, and board member of Aon and NiSource
“Wow! Now that’s a word that you rarely hear people use in describing a business book. But wow perfectly describes this masterful treatise on a subject—professionalism—that seemingly didn’t need one. Few authors could have done justice to this topic in quite the way Wiersma has, with his penetrating insights, meticulous research, and wonderful storytelling ability. For each of us, this book marks the beginning of the journey in becoming a truly better professional.”
—Beverly Kaye, Founder/CEO, Career Systems International. Bev is an internationally recognized expert in talent management, career development as well as being the co-author of the classic Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em.
“Absolutely compelling! One of the finest business books I’ve ever read. This is one of the few select books on leadership--because of its breadth and depth--that should be a permanent addition to every professional’s library. The Power of Professionalism is a ‘10’ in every regard!”
—Lewis L. “Lee” Bird III, Managing Partner of Bridgetown Capital Partners, former Group President at Nike Inc., former COO at Gap, and former CFO at Old Navy
“Someone once remarked that Peter Drucker practiced ‘the scholarship of common sense.’ The same can be said of Bill Wiersma. The Power of Professionalism is a terrific road map for doing things right while doing the right things.”
—Rick Wartzman, Executive Director of the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University and columnist for Bloomberg Businessweek
“I’ve read hundreds of the best business books and had thought-provoking conversations on management and leadership with thousands of CEOs, but I was astounded to realize after reading The Power of Professionalism that no one had previously addressed this all-important topic. Never again will people question what it means to be a professional. For those who want to grow as individuals and as leaders, you can’t help but be elevated in your thinking and be inspired by what’s possible after reading this ground-breaking book.”
—Paul Witkay, Founder & CEO, Alliance of Chief Executives
“Whether by design, inattention, or ignorance there’s too much counterfeit professionalism being practiced today. In an age of declining standards The Power of Professionalism shows us true North. This important book should be required reading in every MBA program!”
—Marc Effron, President, The Talent Strategy Group, founder of the world’s largest organization for talent management professionals. Marc’s trend-setting book, One Page Talent Management, with coauthor Miriam Ort, was recently published by Harvard Business Press
“Revolutionary and highly persuasive. Bill Wiersma has solved one of the great conundrums of our time: why an era so focused on the training, development, and identification of leaders has produced so few who are sustainably successful. Wiersma’s insight— his Big Aha— is that the central role of professionalism has not been fully appreciated, let alone understood well. The Power of Professionalism gives all of us a new frame for thinking about how we work and who we are at work. How powerful and transformational is that?”
—Sally Helgesen, author, The Female Vision, The Web of Inclusion, Thriving in 24/7, and The Female Advantage
“We are living and working today in the most competitive time of our lives. This powerful, practical book shows you how to develop the ‘winning edge’ that will enable you to survive and thrive no matter what happens.”
—Brian Tracy, internationally renowned authority on personal and business success with more than forty years in the field and author of more than forty books, including the recently published, Now, Build a Great Business, with co-author Mark Thompson
“With a constant focus on trust and personal standards, this book stands out as must-read material for anyone striving to be an improved professional in the workplace.”
—Gary Keller, New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, Cofounder and Chairman of Keller Williams Reality
“Professionalism is fundamental to a leader’s ability to build a valuable company. Before now, no book has so thoughtfully illuminated the components that make up this important concept. Wiersma’s seven mind-sets will prove both useful and actionable for everyone from the shop floor to the executive suite.”
—Geoff Smart, CEO of ghSMART, a management assessment, coaching, and executive learning firm for CEO’s and investors, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Who: The A Method for Hiring
“Here’s a fresh and valuable insight especially for leaders and managers on the power of what it really means to be a professional. Wiersma has done it again, providing yet another Big AHA!”
—James O’Toole, Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and an internationally recognized authority on corporate culture and leadership and the author of fourteen books, including the classic Leading Change
“As someone who has spent my professional lifetime educating managers at a business school, I have always believed that management can be a noble profession. Invariably it is noble when trusted professionals are involved. This book makes explicit what a professional mind-set is really all about and why it’s a prerequisite to being considered a trusted professional. Yes, there are profound ideas here. Yet more important, the book holds great promise in raising standards, ones that are characteristic of the most noble managers in my acquaintance.”
—Allan Cohen, Edward A. Madden Distinguished Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College and coauthor of Influence Without Authority and Power Up
Book Q & A
The Author