Return on Character

2016 Axiom Business Book Gold Award in LEADERSHIP

“A great sales book . . . With thoughtful, clear, and engaging examples, Cespedes provides a framework for diagnosing and managing the core levers for effective selling in any organization.” — Sales Pro Insider

“It’s rare to find a business book, let alone one on leadership, that is well researched, well documented, well written, convincing, credible, and imbued with a voice that one grows to both trust and admire” — strategy+business magazine

“The book is filled with compelling case studies …. You'll walk away with new ideas for improving employee morale, engaging customers and earning their loyalty, and gaining respect for your organization from your community.” — TD magazine (Association for Talent Development)

“In business, nice guys finish first. Yes, really” — Fortune

“Every entrepreneur needs to understand the importance of character and leadership is to their growth and success, as well as their ability to attract investors. The return on character in business is well worth the investment.” — Forbes

“Does having excellent character contribute positively and sustainably to the bottom line? Unsurprisingly, the answer is in the affirmative but Kiel also presents a wide body of hard evidence for this proposition...The work involved in exploring your own nature and ways to overcome problems can be difficult and painful but is ultimately worth it.” — Irish Times

ADVANCE PRAISE for Return on Character:

Irvine Hockaday, former President and CEO, Hallmark Cards—
“This book breaks new ground. Its central finding: organizations led by a CEO and executive team of high character will, on average, produce a materially higher ROA than other organizations. Readers will find the results convincing and the suggestions for how to attain that kind of leadership quite valuable.”

Shane S. Dikolli, Associate Dean for Faculty Engagement, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University—
“This book is an extraordinary source of insight about how the personal characteristics of leaders translate into significant economic consequences for the organizations they lead. The examples are concrete, the chapter takeaways are penetrating, and the guidance for becoming a ‘Virtuoso leader’ is essential reading for anyone with leadership aspirations or responsibilities.”

Yvonne K. Franzese, Chief Human Resources Officer, Allianz of America—
“Fred Kiel's breakthrough research demonstrates that character is a leadership differentiator that resonates with employees and has a positive impact on business results. His findings clearly illustrate that greatness need not be achieved at the expense of virtuosity, and that the self-focused CEO will always be part of our history but does not need to be part of our future.”

David Kenny, Chairman and CEO, The Weather Company—
“Fred Kiel provides inspiration for both current and future leaders to live and act on their values and to empower their organizations to do the same. A great contribution to the study of leadership.”

David G. Bradley, owner and Chairman, Atlantic Media—
“Fred Kiel, the global dean of CEO coaches—in the masterpiece of his career—argues two truths gleaned from his practice and scholarship: 1) High personal character in corporate leadership yields far higher ROI and ROA for the company; and 2) Growth in character is a matter of choice and discipline and, as such, available to us all. Thirty years of clinical practice built into a playbook for leaders and their teams.”

Fred Kiel, PhD, is a founding partner of the leadership development and strategic analytics firm KRW International and a pioneer in the field of executive coaching. For more than thirty years, he has helped Fortune 500 CEOs and senior executives build organizational effectiveness through leadership excellence and mission alignment. His rigorous data gathering and customized development process provide executives with transformative feedback.

To learn more, visit returnoncharacter.com

Does the character of our leaders matter?

You may think this question was answered long ago. Countless business authors and analysts have assured us that great leadership demands great character. Time and again, we’ve seen that truth play out, as once-thriving organizations falter and fail under the guidance of leaders behaving badly. Why, then, do so many executives remain skeptical about the true value of leadership character? A winning strategy and a sound business model are what really matter, they argue; character is just the icing on the cake.

What’s been missing from this debate is hard evidence: data that shows not only that leadership character matters for organizational success, but how it matters; and concrete evidence that it leads to better business results. Now, in this groundbreaking book, respected leadership researcher, adviser, and author Fred Kiel offers that evidence—solid data that demonstrates the connection between character, leadership excellence, and organizational results.

After seven years of rigorous research based on a landmark study of more than 100 CEOs and over 8,000 of their employees’ observations, Kiel’s findings show that leaders of strong character achieved up to five times the ROA for their organizations as did leaders of weak character.

Return on Character goes on to reveal:

• How leadership character is formed, how it creates value, and how that value spreads throughout the organization
• How low-character leaders undermine the success of even the best business plans
• How leaders at any level can develop the habits of strong character and “unlearn” the habits of poor character

The book also provides a character-building methodology—step-by-step advice and techniques for assessing your own character habits and improving your performance and that of your organization.
Return on Character provides the blueprint for building your own leadership character and creating a character-driven organization that achieves superior business results.