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Radical Candor

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2017 business leadership book by Kim Malone Scott
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Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
First edition
AuthorKim Scott
LanguageEnglish
GenreBusiness leadership
PublishedMarch 2017
PublisherSt. Martin's Press
Publication placeUSA
ISBN978-1-250-10350-5
Followed byJust Work: Get Sh*t Done Fast & Fair (2021) 

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity is a business leadership book written by former Apple and Google executive Kim Malone Scott. In the book, Scott defines the term radical candor as feedback that incorporates both praise and criticism. Unlike radical transparency or radical honesty, Scott says the management principle of radical candor involves “caring personally while challenging directly.” The book was first published in 2017 by St. Martin's Press. A fully revised and updated version was released in 2019.

Summary

To explain the concept of radical candor, Scott introduces what she calls a compass for candid conversations and defines the following four behaviors that managers fall into when giving feedback.

  • Obnoxious Aggression, also called brutal honesty or front stabbing, is what happens when managers challenge employees directly, but do not show they care about the individuals personally. It includes both insincere praise and unkind criticism.
  • Ruinous Empathy is when managers care for individuals personally, but they fail to challenge employees directly. It includes praise that is not specific and criticism that is sugar-coated and unclear.
  • Manipulative Insincerity, also known as backstabbing or passive-aggressive behavior, is what happens when managers neither care personally nor challenge directly. Their praise is insincere to a person’s face and their criticism is harsh behind a person’s back.
  • Radical Candor is what happens when managers show that they care personally for employees while also challenging them directly with clear, kind feedback that is not aggressive or insincere.

To provide examples of each type of behavior, the book features stories from Scott’s time working and leading teams in Silicon Valley.

Reception

The book is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best seller in the business category.

Fast Company included it on their list of 7 Books To Help You Be A Better Leader In 2020 and Business Insider said it was one of 57 Highly Influential Business And Leadership Books That Can Boost Your Management Skills.

Vice’s Erin Vanderhoof said, “​​Radical Candor is a feminist-adjacent manifesto, though there are obvious limitations” saying that “Scott falls victim to Silicon Valley's myth of inevitable meritocracy in a way that limits her ability to solve any of the really pernicious problems that these companies face.”

References

  1. Zetlin, Minda (May 8, 2017). "Here's Why Bosses at Google Are Not Allowed to Hire, Fire, or Promote Employees". Inc.com. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  2. Zetlin, Minda (April 29, 2017). "What Is It Really Like to Work at Apple and Google? A Former Exec Provides a Rare Inside Look". Inc.com. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  3. ^ DiGiulio, Sarah. "How to get better at giving (and getting) feedback". NBCNews.com.
  4. Bainbridge, Kim; Everson, Lisa (February 13, 2018). "Radical Candor: Why brutal honesty is tech's hottest management trend". NBCNews.com. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  5. "Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition | Kim Scott". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  6. Scott, Kim (2017). Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. St. Martin's Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-250-10350-5.
  7. Scott, Kim (2017). Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. St. Martin's Press. pp. 25–30. ISBN 978-1-250-10350-5.
  8. Scott, Kim (2017). Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. St. Martin's Press. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-1-250-10350-5.
  9. Scott, Kim (2017). Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. St. Martin's Press. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-1-250-10350-5.
  10. Scott, Kim (2017). Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. St. Martin's Press. pp. 22–24. ISBN 978-1-250-10350-5.
  11. "Defining Radical Candor – and How to Do It". Harvard Business Review. 2020-02-18. ISSN 0017-8012. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  12. "Radical Candor — The Surprising Secret to Being a Good Boss". review.firstround.com. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  13. "Business Books - Best Sellers - Books - April 9, 2017 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  14. "Best-Selling Books Week Ended April 16". Wall Street Journal. 2017-04-21. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  15. Mohan, Pavithra (2020-01-08). "7 books to help you be a better leader in 2020". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  16. Leighton, Mara. "57 highly influential business and leadership books that can boost your management skills". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  17. "Women Suck at Being Bosses Just as Much as Men". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
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