In this book, sub-titled Responsible Leadership in an Unforgiving World, Joseph L Badaracco, professor of business ethics at Harvard Business School, says leaders today are surrounded by what he calls "the new invisible hand" – powerful, pervasive markets that touch and shape almost everything.
Thus, understanding the inevitability and importance of struggle is critical and leaders must go a step further to create “the good struggle” to meet their goals at work and in life.
Badaracco describes the relentless challenges of being a leader today and explains why we face them, shows why they are here to stay and offers practical guidance for men and women who want to lead successfully and responsibly under these conditions.
The book argues that responsible leadership and the good struggle is a long effort demanding perseverance and courage to make good on commitments in an uncertain and forgiving world.
The author draws on the experiences and reflections of entrepreneurs, from which he draws hope. Leaders, he says, find causes and challenges that demand and merit their best efforts, test their competence and characters and help them lead a life that they truly value.