“Brandon and Seldman, two clever writers, give a lifeline to anyone treading water or trying synchronized swimming in the corporate shark tank… They fill their book with practical, tactical tips to help protect their readers’ assets.” Harvey Mackay, author of Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
“Survival of the Savvy is a critically important book for the new era of business! Leaders need to learn how to win in a world that is both ultra-competitive on the business side and ultra-sensitive to issues involving ethics.” Marshall Goldsmith, coauthor of The Leader of the Future
“… the definitive book on political savvy.” Robert Eichinger, coauthor of The Career Architect and FYI: For Your Improvement published by Lominger Ltd Inc.
“Seldman and Brandon have years of experience coaching and training at companies like PepsiCo to help executives navigate the complexities and ambiguities of organizational politics with integrity and positive impact. Their practical tips on reading political styles, building a network and exercising verbal discipline are invaluable.” Michael D. White, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo International
“Survival of the Savvy provides CEO’s, business leaders and their teams with vital new insights and essential skills. The authors set the bar at a new height in describing how to effectively understand and influence others and how to ensure a values based and high performance work culture.” Edward Ludwig, Chairman, CEO and President, Becton, Dickinson and Company
“Brandon and Seldman tap into the nervous system of corporations and offer fascinating straight talk about a tacit business taboo – their writing is engaging, entertaining, and easy to relate to.” Deborah Harrington, National Training Director, Citibank North America
“A refreshing view of the importance of corporate politics. Survival of the Savvy isn’t about the nonsense of stamping out organizational politics – it’s about facing reality and learning how to manage yourself and your team, from the CEO down.” Carol Bartz, Chairman, CEO, Autodesk, Inc.
“Seldman and Brandon are just in time. Survival of the Savvy gives us the elite intelligence and powerful tools to ensure personal success and improved business performance during turbulent corporate times. This book is better than an MBA!” – Dennis Zeleny, Former Senior Vice President Human Resources, E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company
“Survival of the Savvy assists CEOs to survey their organizations so that they can build relationship bench strength possessing integrity and ethical management while also building a great company culture committed to top performance and loyalty.” President and Chief Executive Officer, Nektar Therapeutics
“Ignore corporate politics and you may find yourself sleeping with the fishes. Organization savvy is a topic that’s tough to get your arms around but Survival of the Savvy is tops on my list for its practical and proven approach for navigating through today’s rough organizational waters.” Deb Himsel, Vice President, Organization Effectiveness, Avon Products, Inc.
“This book offers indispensable insight into the positive power of politics in an organization. If you can’t hire Brandon or Seldman as a personal coach, this book is the next best thing!” Wendy Bloom, Senior Manager, Human Capital and Leadership, Best Buy Co., Inc.
“You can influence with political wisdom and integrity! Whether you’re a CEO, a teacher or a new employee, you can continually tune your understanding of yourself and of your work environment. Survival of the Savvy is an outstanding toolkit.” Jim Kennedy, Director of Equities, T. Rowe Price Associates
“Terrific book that captures the upside and downside of politics in an organization. As you read each chapter, the ‘aha’s’ just keep on coming. Brandon and Seldman have written a true winner full of proven successful techniques that leaders at all levels will want to practice.” Deb Capolarello, Senior Vice President Human Resources, Chief Talent Officer, MetLife
“This book delivers a powerful message on leadership. Effective leaders learn early that adapting your leadership style to motivate others is one of the most effective skills any leader can possess. Survival of the Savvy shows any individual how to step beyond their comfort zone to become a better leader, parent, or person.” Eric Foss, President, Pepsi Bottling Group North America
“Survival of the Savvy is invaluable for all business leaders who are seeking to understand the connectivity of emotional intelligence, the application of “high integrity” politics in achieving business effectiveness and career success.” Ron Parker, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Frito-Lay North America
“For years their workshop has been a most requested and successful leadership program. Now funneling their workshop into “edu-training” book form, Brandon and Seldman skillfully help leaders understand the unwritten norms for success and career development in times of growth, cultural and organizational change.” Laurie LeRoy, Senior Vice President, Director, Development and Training
“This book is essential for anyone who has ever tried to play a game without knowing the rules. Survival of the Savvy offers proven practical strategies, techniques and rules of the game for anyone who wants to be an MVP in the business world.” Jean M. Otte, Founder and CEO, WOMEN Unlimited, Inc., and author of Changing the Corporate Landscape: A Woman’s Guide to Cultivating Leadership Excellence
“Survival of the Savvy describes the political landscape inside of organizations. If you want to deftly navigate the political whitewater in your organization this is the book for you.” Jon Peters, President, The Institute for Management Studies
“This is a book we all could have used when we were 25 years old. It provides perspectives that make so much sense, and can be readily applied to any workplace – small or large, public or private. Survival of the Savvy can improve almost anyone’s personal effectiveness with no compromise on ethics.” – Pete Bassi, Chairman, Yum Restaurants International
“Brandon and Seldman, for the first time, have presented practical strategies for using politics in a positive, ethical fashion. If you work in any organization, whether it be a Fortune 500 company, your local PTA, or your AYSO soccer league, this book will provide invaluable insights to enable you to achieve results in a manner which you can be proud of.” – John McElroy, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
“This book has provided me with a systemic understanding of the root cause of company politics and how as a leader one can coach the organization to be mature and effective about managing it. As I have always believed, it takes a politically savvy leader to create an environment that is not excessively political. I just learned a lot from this book on how to become one.” – Sam Su, President, Greater China, YUM Global Restaurants
“In the crowded field of leadership and business books, Brandon and Seldman have written a watershed resource that is vital for leaders and professionals. Finally, a practical resource for understanding and effectively dealing with politics, ethics, deception and effectively “doing the right thing” at high levels of performance!” – Edward Betof Ed.D. ,Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, Becton, Dickinson and Company
“Survival of the Savvy is a career-saving ‘survival guide’ for today’s business leaders. Brandon and Seldman have developed a pragmatic toolkit to help managers detect deception and to develop political astuteness in their work environment.” – Peter C. Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Burger King Corporation
“An extremely insightful perspective on the political world that lies within corporations. While many executives would like to think that their companies are apolitical, this is just not the case and those executives imperil their careers and their companies. This book is like a pocket coach providing practical insights on how to navigate in the 21st Century Corporation.” – Mannie Sousa, Vice President Human Resources, Saks Fifth Avenue
“Two street-smart psychologists with more than a half century’s combined experience in performance improvement coaching and training show that you can be hurt by being overly political or by political blind spots and naivete. Rather than offer a “one size fits all” prescription, they help you assess your political style, note your strengths and weaknesses, and then supplement your style with savvy strategies that deliver impact with integrity. Who couldn’t use that?” – Robert H. Bolton, Ph.D., author of People Skills and People Styles at Work
“The challenge of leadership is much more about HOW to get things done than it is WHAT things should get done. This book teaches you the HOW and demonstrates that politics and integrity are not mutually exclusive.” – Michael Feiner, Professor, Columbia Graduate School of Business
“After reading Survival of the Savvy no manager will dare say, ‘I’m not political.’ Instead they will embrace the need to understand what motivates individuals, will know how to detect and handle hidden agendas and will be able to build a high-integrity culture.” – Peter D. Gibbons, Executive Vice President Supply Chain, ICI Paint
“In the post Enron-era, this is a true practical guide for individuals and leadership teams to navigate the rough waters of corporate integrity.” – Julie Staub, AutoNation, Inc., Director, Human Resources
“All of us know the conflict and pain that comes from grappling with negative organizational politics and power struggles. This incredibly practical and lucid book tackles the inner games of corporate politics in a way that brings candor, balance, integrity, hope and strength to any wounded warrior. The section on defusing saboteurs demonstrates grace honesty under pressure and forgiveness without copping out from tough choices leaders have to make.” – Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., Founder of International Center for Attitudinal Healing
“Who couldn’t use tips for being more savvy at work? An important resource for anyone who wants to get ahead today.” – Bob Rosner, author of Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide and internationally syndicated Working Wounded columnist