The Nimble Company: Amazon Book Reviews

This is a must read for any entrepreneur or business leader. Only once in a great while do words hold tremendous power to invoke significant change. The authors, Dr. David Gruder and Mark S.A. Smith have collaborated to create a foundation for leadership in a world where the rate of change has become so exponential that it calls for an entirely new perspective in leadership. To say that we are in a transformational phase of human evolution would be an understatement, and this set of books sets the path forward in a way never before attempted at such a grand scale. Along with the companion book “The Nimble C-Suite,” this book gives us the tools to open communications across the often divides we find in our business culture and our lives. This will be required reading for all our companies, executives, managers, and staff. I highly recommend it! We will include copies of these books in every HR package, not just for the executives.

— Mark Hewitt, Founder, NuGen Development & The Lydian Foundation

I could not put down The Nimble Company. Mark and David really know what they are talking about. When I finished the book, I had more pages of actionable ideas than any other business book I have read in the last decade. I have ordered a copy for all of our people. Learn from this and implement it. Your success depends on it.

— Frank Candy, Founder and President, American Speakers Bureau Corporation

This guide to agile governance is a must-have for every executive. Organized in crystal-clear, user-friendly format, it shows how blindspots are avoided through inclusiveness. Park your ego at the door and keep this book at your side.

— Douglas Mulhall, Author of Our Molecular Future, former founding CEO of ICTV, and Cofounder of Elastrin Therapeutics.

The Essential Guide to Leading with Confidence through Chronically Chaotic Conditions. Gruder and Smith have written a classic in The Nimble Company. Seems the universe keeps kicking up upheavals, yet some executives will build the market leaders of the future. They will build well-designed strategic and tactical leadership teams despite a tight and disengaged external work culture. They will do excellent long-term strategic planning despite the inherent uncertainty and unpredictability ahead. They will build both high resiliency and high innovations into the core of their company cultures. And one thing they will most certainly have in common is this book as their guide. Together with The Nimble C-Suite, the birth of a new line of essential business guides – great reads that you’ll work from every day! This book is a meaty masterpiece on how businesses must operate to thrive today, why they don’t, and how to fix yours so it does. It includes the full range of concepts and tools for making sense of chaos, extracting conviction from uncertainty, and seizing opportunity out of disruption. Having founded and led a company for over two decades, this is the first book I’ve read that hits execution risk head on and gives me the full range of tools to help my company and others thrive in change. Every one of my clients will have a copy on their desk on Day One. Indispensable!

— Mark DiMassimo, Founder and Creative Chief, DiGo

Important information for business survival.

— Richard Villasana

Eye-opening guidance. As a serial entrepreneur in 2 different industries I found this book very insightful—and liberating in changing my perspective as a small business owner.

— Nimbus22

A must for today’s leaders. If Steve Jobs were still with us he would buy copies for every Apple employee.

— Karyn Buxman, author “Lead with Levity”

A must for business success! If you’re looking for actionable strategies on how to thrive in a changing economy, this is your book!

— Mario (last name not provided)

Timely Topic; Ideal for Leaders. I enjoyed both The Nimble C-Suite and The Nimble Company, and recommend reading them in this order, respectively. Both are ripe with practical wisdom dispensed by seasoned veterans. The prose is clear and compelling. The graphs and quotes are nice complements to the content. I particularly like the chapter summaries, critical thinking questions, and action items. The books should be purchased as a pair. Here’s another thought: I challenge curricula developers at business schools to add both to required reading as these are roadmaps for practical application of material which creates enterprise value.

— John A. Lanier, CEO, Middle Market Methods

Rarely if ever, do you see me “endorsing” anything… but I can’t keep this one hidden. I’ve known Mark S. A. Smith for 25 years. We first met in a professional setting and quickly became fast friends. But even If he were an enemy, I’d have to recommend this work to my closest friends & colleagues. Dynamic interaction with diverse crowds in live settings is my specialty. You have to be Nimble & Agile (There’s a difference!) and you have to prompt, if not align, the social archetypes of those in the audience for a unified result. [The authors have] taken these and other proven principles and applied them to leadership in executive suites & business overall. But the real secret is that this work is directly applicable to any organization (your family included!) I highly recommend this book…. You can’t go wrong! Buy these books today. Lead your people better tomorrow!

— Bill Kerwood

Great Thinking. You’re there…. You made it… Your company is running… And yet… Niggling in the background… I serendipitously bought these books, The Nimble C-Suite and The Nimble Company, and am glad I did. I am retired from my business, but love to keep abreast of the latest developmental thinking’s about how businesses run and operate. These books gave me new thoughts to think about and will help with the people who consult with me. Great works…Highly recommend!

— Bertram Furman

Every Company Should Read And Embody This Book! This book is hard to put down. I’ve read a few other books on what a good company should look like, but The Nimble Company outshines them all. Not only does it clearly define what a Nimble Company looks like compared to the old ways of doing business, but it also gives very practical steps to take a company from the old static way of doing things into the 21st Century and thrive in the chronically chaotic world.

— Rob Scott

The Nimble C-Suite: Amazon Book Reviews

How Future Market Leaders Engineer Their C-Suites For Maximum Propulsion. In this companion volume to the already classic bestseller, The Nimble Company, Dr. David Gruder and Mark S. A. Smith have achieved the C-Suite Manhattan Project – the design principles and architecture of a C-Suite optimized for growth, purpose, and Nimbility. What’s Nimbility? It’s that rare and powerful combination of high resiliency and high innovation that builds category leaders. It’s the essential corporate character trait for thriving in chronically chaotic conditions, preventing upheavals, and making outsized progress. No founder, C-suite members, investor, board member, or ambitious executive should go another day without buying and reading The Nimble C-Suite. It’s that good, and it’s more than a great read – it’s a blueprint and guide you’ll use every day for a long time to come.

— Mark DiMassimo

You’re there…. You made it… Your company is running… And yet… Niggling in the background… I serendipitously bought these books, The Nimble C-Suite and The Nimble Company, and am glad I did. I am retired from my business, but love to keep abreast of the latest developmental thinking’s about how businesses run and operate. These books gave me new thoughts to think about and will help with the people who consult with me. Great works…Highly recommend!

— Bertram Furman

Every executive should read this book. With the companion book “The Nimble Company” these two books give us the tools we often need to bridge wide gaps in our lines of communication and address the “How To” in setting strategy and operations for your company and, frankly, your life on a day-to-day basis. I highly recommend this book.

— Mark Hewitt

Evolving executive strategies. Every executive wants to be effective, but sometimes old habits get in the way. Dr. Gruder’s book, “The Nimble C-Suite,” lays a path for C-Level executives and company leaders to put fresh eyes to their company or nonprofit to stay current and thrive.

— Richard Villasana

A must read for next level leadership! A powerful exploration into the necessary adjustments in a changing economy that allows executive leaders and teams to thrive!

— Mario (last name not provided)

Ideal for Leaders. I enjoyed both The Nimble C-Suite and The Nimble Company, and recommend reading them in this order, respectively. Both are ripe with practical wisdom dispensed by seasoned veterans. The prose is clear and compelling. The graphs and quotes are nice complements to the content. I particularly like the chapter summaries, critical thinking questions, and action items. The books should be purchased as a pair. Here’s another thought: I challenge curricula developers at business schools to add both to required reading as these are roadmaps for practical application of material which creates enterprise value.

— John A. Lanier, CEO, Middle Market Methods

Buy this book today… Lead your people better tomorrow! Rarely if ever, do you see me “endorsing” anything… but I can’t keep this one hidden. I’ve known Mark S. A. Smith for 25 years. We first met in a professional setting and quickly became fast friends. But even If he were an enemy, I’d have to recommend this work to my closest friends & colleagues. Dynamic interaction with diverse crowds in live settings is my specialty. You have to be Nimble & Agile (There’s a difference!) and you have to prompt, if not align, the social archetypes of those in the audience for a unified result. [The authors have] taken these and other proven principles and applied them to leadership in executive suites & business overall. But the real secret is that this work is directly applicable to any organization (your family included!) I highly recommend this book…. You can’t go wrong!

— Bill Kerwood

A Must Read For Every C-Suite Executive! This book is fantastic! I’ve read a few other books on what a good executive/leader should look like, but The Nimble C-Suite outshines them all. It takes a whole new look at how one leads others and teaches them to be Nimble when it comes to the fast paced world of change that we live in. The first person to work on changing is yourself and The Nimble C-Suite give very practical ways transform one’s self as well as one’s executive team. It’s a must read!

— Rob Scott

Cutting edge solutions. After a comprehensive overview of the mega shifts that have occurred and the impacts on the all areas of leadership, these authors offer solid ideas and strategies to contemplate and act upon. Remarkably fresh and inciteful.

— David Corbin

The New IQ: Amazon Book Reviews

Bold, earnest and heartfelt…

— Roshan R. Billimoria, Former Chair, UN Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations

Leaders need an integrity check-up and Dr. Gruder is just the man to do it. His simple yet powerful integrity model provides a much-needed shot in the arm.

–Ken Blanchard, Co-author of Leading at a Higher Level

This is the book that can spearhead a massive transformation in our individual, relational and societal integrity and wholeness.

— Constance Wells, Senior Vice-President, Walt Disney Studios

If you only read one book this year about your own development as a truly three-dimensional human being, this is the one!

— George J. Pratt, Ph.D., Chairman, Psychology, Scripps Memorial Hospital

A profound roadmap for healing the blocks to living a life of joy and integrity.

— Margaret Paul, Ph.D., Author of Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You? and Inner Bonding

The book of the decade!

— Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., Founding President, American Holistic Medical Association

This book makes an excellent case for the impact that one’s personal integrity has on one’s ability to be a successful leader in business and in life. Although I understand the author’s intention to highlight what displaces us living in integrity, the book bogs down a little about a quarter of the way in with explanations on how our past survival plans get us stuck in operating without integrity. However, it is worth reading past this complex part of the book as it does get clearer further on. He goes to a lot of effort to giving people hands on tools they can use to make a difference in their own and others lives.

— Carolyn P. Dean

You may have done a lot of self-development work but still not be clear about your true direction. Wherever you are on your journey, I am confident in saying you’ll find your next step in here, and not only will it benefit you, it’ll benefit humanity in some way. It’s a reference for life.

— Kim (no last name given)

Good book. I would recommend.

— Ian (no last name given)

This is an essential topic. I purchased this book because I know the author, Dr. David Gruder – but regardless, I was delighted. This is an essential topic and a very enlightening read. Everybody should consider this information strongly – Integrity Quotient, in my opinion, is more important than traditional IQ.

— Coop (no last name given)

Integrity Intelligence: It’s More Important Than You Might Think. The New IQ is a self- improvement book about the importance of individual integrity and maintaining balance among the different core drives that are present in every one of us, for greater personal fulfillment and better relationships. When most people hear the word integrity, they think about honesty and genuineness- the dictionary definition of integrity. This definition is fine, and the New IQ doesn’t dispute its importance. But what this book is concerned with is something a little different. The concept of “Integrity Intelligence” described in this book involves more than mere honesty. It is a concept that stresses the importance of the three dimensional self and the three important core values (authenticity, connection, and impact) which need to be balanced in order for integrity to manifest itself. The New IQ is a self- help guide of a different sort and I found its approach more genuine and sensible than many other self- help guides I have skimmed through over the years. Many self- help guides spend too much time talking about a surface concept without digging deeply enough into the root causes of behavior and the necessary actions for self- improvement. Worse, many of these self- help guides over- simplify the situation. A good example is the self- help books that emphasize positive thinking. There is nothing wrong with thinking positively and most agree that positive thinking is better than its opposite. But simply telling someone to “be positive” is not enough. It takes more than that, and the New IQ is one book that offers more. Not only does it explain itself thoroughly, it also offers diagnosis of the problems/reasons why people fall out of integrity and what needs to be done to get the different dimensions back in alignment. Keeping the three dimensional self and the three core drives in equal or nearly equal alignment is the main goal of The New IQ and the author feels it is critically important to the individual and those around him/her to strive for balance among the three core drives.
These three drives of authenticity, connection, and impact are all equally important, but they can lead to many problems for an individual when one of the three core drives dominates one’s life/personality. Like the book stresses over and over again, the key to achieving high integrity is to find the right balance between all three of these drives. Those who take one of them too far will fall out of integrity, and this will most certainly have a negative impact on their mental health and personal relationships. What I like best about the New IQ is that it takes a potentially complex subject and breaks it down into parts that are easy to understand, while still presenting itself in an intelligent, professional manner. Many authors of self- help books communicate like their audience has a third- grade education, but the New IQ keeps things on an intelligent level while also making sense out of everything. The book accomplishes this through the use of diagrams, examples from actual people, self- assessments, and years of professional experience on the part of the author. The New IQ points out that integrity issues are commonplace among all peoples in all walks of life in all parts of the world, but he also points out that improvements in integrity intelligence are possible regardless of the situation or the hand that life has dealt. Overall, The New IQ is a very good self- help guide about integrity intelligence and the importance of finding balance. Optimal integrity intelligence is desirable for many reasons, and it almost always leads to greater individual satisfaction, better personal and business relationships, and better involvement for the good in one’s local community and the global community. The New IQ sets the stage for this development, with clear examples that illustrate the root causes of integrity issues and what needs to be done to eliminate them; making the individual a better person and the world a better place.

— Bryan Carey, Vine Voice

This is the hand book for life we were all looking for! David Gruder, has written the book of the decade, if not the century for navigating through our personal lives, our relationships and relating to the world at large. The way he breaks down the basics of what we take for granted and puts it into perspective in a user friendly (Macintosh way) is priceless! I’ve entered into a new relationship that is about 5 months old. I gave this book to her and she and I are going through the book one chapter at a time. Wow, what a difference in our communications after only 5 chapters. We now see how we unconsciously violate our own as well as each others integrity. I can see this is going to make a major difference in my navigation through life, not to mention my new relationship. I also own a successful business in San Diego. I’m giving my employees all a copy of this wonderful book. I can see with daily practice that our communications skills with each other will dynamically change as well as we relate to our customers. Our politicians should be mandated to read this as a requirement before they are aloud to represent us. If only that could be true! I read on average 18 to 20 books per year for the past 20 years, this is one of the top 10 I’ve ever read. It’s a must read, for anyone who wants a more happy, peaceful and successful life.

— Dana Ansell

Lots of books claim they have the solution for changing your life. But how many actually provide you with a complete roadmap for success that can guide you throughout your entire adulthood? Dr. David Gruder’s latest book, The New IQ, shows how anyone can achieve lasting success, fulfillment and happiness through learning how to live in what he calls “3D integrity.” Dr. Gruder’s captivating writing style, revealing stories and step-by-step clarity reveal how, by embodying 3D integrity we not only can live our best possible life but how in doing this we become an inspiration to our families our co-workers and our communities. This book isn’t a quick happiness fix like so many books today. It’s a nuts-and-bolts journey of learning how to honestly value, and finally make really good use of, all of our past and current life experiences to create the most fabulous relationships with those in our personal and business lives. It provides us with the skills we need to develop so we can connect deliciously with the ones we love through living our life in the ways that most deeply serve our own soul. Having been trained by Dr. Gruder, I was able to experience the profound and far-reaching results that come from an Integrity Makeover. Through his excellent self-assessments I discovered how wide my gap was between where I was and living my best life possible. Using his easily customized roadmap I was able to easily identify where I was so I could make the best possible choices about what to focus on next and how to get the most from my efforts. My Integrity Makeover provided me with a customized path to get there and the tools to succeed. My own successes included getting the upper hand on an inner critic that has beaten me up my whole life and learning how to set impeccable boundaries so that I can collaborate with others far more effectively but without giving up me. Dr. Gruder’s book The New IQ, and its companion The New IQ Integrity Makeover Workbook. now make his process available to everyone. We ALL have the ability to be vital, self-empowered and action-oriented human beings. The New IQ book and workbook show us how to turn our ability into success like no other resources I have ever used.

— Jamieson Johnson

Top Notch Self-Help Advice. Seldom do we find a self-help book that claws away misconceptions the way Dr. David Gruder’s book does. In his new tome, The New IQ: How Integrity Intelligence Serves You, Your Relationships, and Our World, the human condition is laid bare, before our eyes. Ever wonder why we have trouble reaching a relaxed maturity? Dr. Gruder tells us it is because we fail to discard our Childhood Survival Plan. That prevents us from becoming well-rounded adults, by integrating our three core drives–Authenticity, Connection and Impact. When these three are out of balance, Dr. Gruder teaches us, we cannot live a life that is balanced and fulfilling. In easy to access prose, Dr. Gruder lays bare the essence of the human condition. He teaches us how we can become whole, happy and well integrated within ourselves, our family, and our community. Every note in Dr. Gruder’s book rings true. It is the result of over thirty-five years of experience dealing with the problems we all face, every day of our lives. There is not a single wasted page, not even a wasted sentence in Dr. Gruder’s book. Readers who have embarked on a crusade to make themselves into the people they have always wished to be will find a handy primer here. Dr. Gruder’s advice harks back to the Socratic dictum: Know thyself… It echoes the famous Navajo word, Hozho… Walk in balance, walk in beauty. The New IQ: How Integrity Intelligence Serves You, Your Relationships, and Our World is the must read book of the year.

— Vin Smith, The Midnight Bookworm

Great new information. The New IQ will make you think, challenge you to grow and create new possibilities for productivity and enjoying your life more. While it’s comprehensive, the author gives step-by-step, easy to follow flow of information. I definitely recommend it.

— Diane Levine

Dr. Gruder has hit the nail square on the head. Dr. Gruder has certainly captured the need of our time in this era of fallen moral and ethical leadership in our government and businesses. He has identified the cause as a loss of integrity in our three core drives; personal, relational and societal. His book gives a call for all of us to upgrade our integity and to fulfill our lives personally, in our relationships and in impacting our society. He outlines a practical pathway for removing what holds us back from actualizing our individual greatness. He then describes the skills we can develop to move into greater authenticity and more fulfilling relationships. And he demonstrates the connection between personal growth and high caliber leadership and positively effecting our society. No matter what has happened in your life, Dr. Gruder shows you how to harvest it to make your life greater. No life experience is wasted. He has also eliminated resource overwhelm by developing a library of resources to help you in each step of the process. Dr. Gruder’s book and workbook are a must for anyone who wants to realize their full life significance and move into their power.

— June Timberlake

Integrity Needed Now. This is the best self-help book I have read all year – and it has been a year filled with books, therapy & learning. I am a life coach and know several therapists – we are all using this book now – for ourselves & others. Well written, self explanatory and solutions to become better individuals – adults, so to speak and get over our stuff & get on with the business of living authentically and with integrity.

— K. V. Gittlin

I just read some of the other reviews and I am choosing to be short and sweet in my review. David’s book is wonderful. A great springboard to looking inside, understanding how I have functioned up ’till now and how to go forward. I highly recommend it and when the time is right, I believe it will assist you as it has me. In a nutshell… the book rocks and it has helped me.

— Chris Cuffari

Sensible Self-Help: Amazon Book Reviews

Reads like a “What Color Is Your Parachute?” for the emotional life. This is not a read-what-you-like, feel-good book but a working journey toward healing. Sign your personal contract and begin your “weekly healing plan” and “long-term healing plan.” Completing the substantive exercises in each chapter may save you some time unearthing problems. The first two sections show how one is wounded in childhood and how such wounds affect adult lives. (“We live our lives out at the level of our wounds, not our wishes.”) Sections 3 and 4 explain the “seven stages of personal healing” in detail. Besides the index there is a glossary and brief bibliographies and healing activities. Among the plethora of self-help books, this one stands out. Recommended for public libraries and counseling collections.

— Susan Burdick, MLS, Reading, Pa. Copyright 1996, Reed Business Information, Inc.

This encyclopedia of self-help sequences, routes and choices provides invaluable details on everything from books and tapes to self-help groups and competing therapies, providing consumers with the information to power a general path to good health. From stages of healing to characteristics of patterns encouraging change, this provides a ‘road map’ embracing the entire spectrum of healing routines.

— Midwest Book Review

This is an amazing and profound book. I found it in a used bookstore. I was reading the first chapters out loud to my partner and it was so great, I then bought another copy so we can both read it together. It had an immediate impact on us both.

— Mudita Carr

Very helpful and very well written.

— Sandra Hartle

This beautifully written book is a truly powerful guide in helping you discover where you are in your healing journey and where you are headed. I have recommended it to hundreds of my clients and they all love it. There is not a moment of boredom in this book – it is so clear it almost reads like a gripping novel. I highly recommend this book to both beginners and people who are far along on their healing journey.

— Margaret Paul, PhD

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