Retail Price: $26.95 LS Price: $18.32 You Save: $8.63 (32%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Format: Hardcover, 272pp. ISBN: 9781591843139 Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover Pub. Date: March 4, 2010 Average Customer Review:

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An astute diagnosis of one of the biggest problems in business

Denial is the unconscious determination that a certain reality is too terrible to contemplate, so therefore it cannot be true. We see it everywhere, from the alcoholic who swears he's just a social drinker to the president who declares "mission accomplished" when it isn't. In the business world, countless companies get stuck in denial while their challenges escalate into crises.

Harvard Business School professor Richard S. Tedlow tackles two essential questions: Why do sane, smart leaders often refuse to accept the facts that threaten their companies and careers? And how do we find the courage to resist denial when facing new trends, changing markets, and tough new competitors?

Tedlow looks at numerous examples of organiza­tions crippled by denial, including Ford in the era of the Model T and Coca-Cola with its abortive attempt to change its formula. He also explores other companies, such as Intel, Johnson & Johnson, and DuPont, that avoided catastrophe by dealing with harsh realities head-on.

Tedlow identifies the leadership skills that are essential to spotting the early signs of denial and taking the actions required to overcome it.

Richard S. Tedlow is the Class of 1949 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His previous books include Andy Grove (one of BusinessWeek's ten best books of 2006), Giants of Enterprise (one of BusinessWeek's ten best books of 2001), and The Watson Dynasty. He has written articles for The Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and many other publications.

Giants of Enterprise: Seven Business Innovators and the Empires They Built