Leading the Life You Want: Skills for Integrating Work and Life

Citing research that suggests professional success results from living a full, meaningful, and balanced life, Friedman (Total Leadership), founder of the Wharton Leadership Program and the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, identifies six individuals from diverse fields who have found commendable ways to incorporate life’s “four domains” of work/school, home/family, community/society, and body/mind/spirit. The first section of the book features magazine-style profiles of First Lady Michelle Obama, rocker Bruce Springsteen, activist-athlete Julie Foudy, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, humanitarian and former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, and CEO-turned-philanthropist Tom Tierney, along with suggestions for readers on ways to apply the guiding principles exemplified by these role models. The second section consists of 36 exercises designed to help readers achieve a similar balance through authenticity, integrity, and creativity. With a personable writing style that also has an air of formality, Friedman’s accessible book is a significant entry in the work/life-balance category. That said, readers will need to harbor a strong desire for change to implement some of these suggestions: find a quiet spot to draw your goals on artist’s paper with colored markers? [em](Oct.) [/em]