Are you a leader struggling to do better . . . to be better?

We all have in common the universal struggle to improve. Which is not just knowing your worst tendencies; it’s also learning how to manage them. And that means grappling with yourself.

The engaging narratives in Grappling make the challenging work of self-improvement easier. Leadership consultant and author Robert E. Kaplan has written parables based on real people who represent a variety of leader archetypes. You will witness these leaders at work and at home—with their basic character in play, for good or ill—as they strive to improve. Whether you identify most with the combustible manager, the leader who had a painful childhood, the executive struggling with feedback, the general manager who takes too much responsibility, the successor to a founder, or any another leader in these pages—Grappling will impart these valuable lessons:

• Blind spots get in the way, and they’re not easily removed.

• There is no better way to improve than to truly internalize your strengths.

• Fundamental change is possible.

• How to make good use of a professional.

If, like many of us, you want to—or have to—change in some way but find yourself stuck, Grappling makes the self-improvement quest relatable, inspirational, and within your reach.