Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office: Eight Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk

In this winning success guide, the authors expose “Nice Guy Syndrome,” where the afflicted—overly selfless men and women—give away their power in the workplace and often face frustration and career derailment. While 61% of Americans believe that niceness impedes business success, the authors argue that the condition is correctable, and it is possible to succeed without resorting to aggression or excessive competitiveness. Their “Bill of Rights”—eight rights and corresponding strategies emphasizing self-awareness and setting boundaries—will aid readers in fending off the typical mistakes “nice guys” make: “valuing agreeableness over assertiveness”, overcommitting and prioritizing other people’s needs. Equally valuable are the authors’ demonstration of the roots of self-sabotaging behavior and the revelation that certain “nice guy” behaviors may be less well-intentioned than they seem. Drawing on extensive interviews with 350 business professionals and an assortment of celebrity CEOs, this well-organized and psychologically astute book excels in its presentation of a simple and encouraging message: that “nice” doesn’t have to mean “weak” and that nice guys can make it to the top. (Aug.)