We are living in a time of mounting political segregation that threatens to tear us apart as a unified society. The result is that we are becoming increasingly tribal, and the narratives of life that we get exposed to on a daily basis have become echo chambers in which we hear our beliefs reinforced and others' beliefs demonized.

At the core of tribalism exists a paradox: as humans, we are hardwired with the need to belong, which ends up making us deeply connected with some yet deeply divided from others. When these tribes are formed out of fear of the “other,” on topics such as race, immigration status, religion, or partisan politics, we resort to an “us versus them” attitude. Especially in the digital age, when we are all interconnected in one way or another, these tensions seep into our daily lives and we become secluded with our self-identified tribes. Global diversity and inclusion expert Howard J. Ross, with JonRobert Tartaglione, explores how our human need to belong is the driving force behind the increasing division of our world.

Drawing upon decades of leadership experience, Ross probes the depth of tribalism, examines the role of social media in exacerbating it, and offers tactics for how to combat it. Filled with tested practices for opening safe and honest dialogue in the workplace and challenges to confront our own tendencies to bond with those who are like us, Our Search for Belonging is a powerful statement of hope in a disquieting time.

Greatness Redefined for the 21st Century

Today's business climate is defined by speed, social technologies, and people's expectations of “values” besides value. As a result, leaders have to create an outstanding culture for all, no matter who they are or what they do for the organization. This groundbreaking book, from the creators of the gold-standard Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, shows how it's done. Through inspiring stories and compelling research, the authors demonstrate that great places to work for all benefit the individuals working there and contribute to a better global society—even as they outperform in the stock market and grow revenue three times faster than less-inclusive rivals. This is a call to lead so that organizations develop every ounce of human potential.

The Courage Way
Leading and Living with Integrity

Leadership can be exhausting, lonely, frustrating, disappointing, and downright discouraging. You have to make good decisions while balancing inevitable tensions and knowing when to take risks. You need to keep your values in sight regardless of the pressures around you and stay calm in the storms that arise. At its core, leadership is a daily, ongoing practice, a journey toward becoming your best self and inviting others to do the same. And at the heart of this daily practice is courage.

And that's where The Courage Way comes in. It's a guide to leadership that names and explores this important resource and shows leaders how to access and draw upon courage in all that they do. It has its roots in the work of Parker J. Palmer, who in fifty years of teaching, speaking, and writing has explored the human spirit—what he has called “the inner landscape”—and its role in life and leadership.

Shelly Francis identifies key ingredients needed to cultivate courage, the most fundamental being trust—in ourselves and in each other. She describes the Center for Courage & Renewal's Circle of Trust approach, centered around eleven “touchstones,” poetic and practical operating guidelines for holding the meaningful conversations of inner work and trust building. Each chapter features true stories of how leaders in all kinds of settings have overcome challenges and strengthened their organizations through touchstones like “Extend invitation, not demand,” “No fixing, saving, advising, or correcting,” and “When the going gets rough, turn to wonder.”

This graceful and inspiring book is a guide to courageous leadership and a journey of self-discovery—the two are inextricable. As Francis writes, “Courage is not only in you—it is you. In your moments of courage, that's when you meet your true self.”

Discover the Purpose Advantage!

Customers, employees, and investors are no longer satisfied with companies providing good products, good prospects, and good profits—they want them to do some social good, too. These “purpose-driven” companies do better on nearly every traditional metric: greater customer loyalty, higher retention, more innovation, and a healthier bottom line. But a nice mission statement and donations to charity won't make your company stand out. Using scores of real-world examples and practical exercises, John Izzo and Jeff Vanderwielen help leaders find a truly authentic purpose, one that is a natural fit for them and their organization. They describe concrete actions leaders can take to ensure that employees own it, customers and recruits connect with it, and every corporate action and activity reflects it.

The Business of Government is your guide to a new breed of business planning that meshes private sector strategies with a methodology designed exclusively for the public sector. No other strategic planning guide offers this hands-on, public sector focus. The Business of Government provides guidance, tools, and real-world examples you can use right away to analyze where you stand and what specific steps are needed to take you to the "managing for results" platform that is the centerpiece of the Results Act of 1993 and your springboard to a whole new level of performance. It explains how to initiate, manage, measure and sustain a remarkable transformation - an approach proven to produce a dramatic impact on public policy and service to the citizen. Plus, the book includes model documents ready to adapt for your own program, including an actual business plan, sample financials, and sample performance report. Learn how to define and deliver a new era of results as you: Dramatically improve critical thinking and innovation Develop a business strategy proven to work in government Overcome implementation obstacles - including "old culture" Align support organizations Establish a senior management council Oversee strategy implementation teams Write annual performance reports explaining your results Profit from expert advice on applying today's best "smart government" tools, including these: 1.Strategies: Transformational leadership strategies that address change-resistance, skills gaps and other challenges. 2.Gap analysis methodology: A proven model for assessing how your organization may have drifted from mission and how to get back on track. 3.Tactics: Specific technology, human resource, and process solutions for adjusting and invigorating your programs. Case studies: Real-world "lessons learned" to help you apply the most successful solutions

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Today's Best Procurement Practices

"Acquisition Management is a great book for those in the government acquisition business. It is complete and well documented. I was especially impressed with the format which makes it valuable for training people new to the acquisition field and as a reference to those with more experience."
Brig. Gen. James C. Dever, Jr.
USAF (Ret.)
Formerly, DCS Contracting and Manufacturing, Air Force Systems Command

Whether you're a contractor or government personnel, one thing is for sure: The federal procurement process is undergoing a major overhaul. And, to be successful, you must master a host of new methods, rules, and requirements. New from Management Concepts, Acquisition Management is the first step-by-step guide to the government's new strategies and methods for procurement.

This new, streamlined acquisition process adopts the best practices of the business world to boost cost-efficiency and reduce the time from contract development to delivery. Acquisition Management prepares you fully to understand and apply these new acquisition techniques, teaching you how to manage contract risk and work more effectively as a member of a multi-functional team.

Key Features
• Reviews acquisition principles to help you develop a basis for decision-making
• Gives you step-by-step guidance for every phase of the process, from solicitation to closeout
• Places the procurement process in a risk management context to help you troubleshoot problems and ensure success
• Outlines the roles and tasks of major players in the process to help you work more effectively as part of the contracting team
• Presents pertinent information from the FAR at each applicable point in the acquisition process