A leadership planner based on the bestselling A Failure of Nerve. Nearly 25 years after the bestselling A Failure of Nerve first astonished the business world, Edwin H. Friedman's groundbreaking wisdom is back - now in a fresh, agile framework designed with today's leaders in mind. Combining essential excerpts from the beloved original with new and engaging prompts and exercises, A Failure of Nerve in 52 Weeks builds on the success of Friedman's earlier work to provide readers with an insightful year-long resource for leadership planning and development. Concentrating on the core tenets of A Failure of Nerve, this workbook will help readers recognize and reign in their own emotional reactivity, overcome a misplaced addiction to data, and develop a sense of self that will never be overrun by the loudest and least mature voices in the room. Each weekly spread is packed with quotes and exercises to stimulate self-reflection and features a week-long planner page designed with ample space to mark appointments, track goals, and map out one's path to well-differentiated leadership. Whether you are a longtime fan or new to Friedman's work, this versatile planner will provide the structure, guidance, and wisdom to help you grow into the courageous leader you aspire to be.

An invitation and guide for leaders “to cast a courageous and imaginative vision, to lead resiliently, and to be present and steady in times of deep anxiety.” Ed Friedman’s genius was to see the individual in the family in the larger group, bringing the wisdom of his experience as a therapist and rabbi to the field of organizational leadership. A timeless bestseller, A Failure of Nerve still astonishes in this new edition with its relevance and continues to transform the lives of leaders everywhere—business, church, family, schools—as it has for more than 20 years: Offers prescient guide to leadership in the age of “quick fix.” Provides ways to recognize and address organizational dysfunction. Emphasizes “strength over pathology” in these anxious times. “The age that is upon us requires differentiated leadership that is willing to rise above the anxiety of the masses. We need leaders who will have the ‘capacity to understand and deal effectively’ with the hive mind that is us. This is, in Friedman's words, ‘the key to the kingdom.’ I am grateful for this accessible new edition.” ―C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Whether he is interviewing God (“I must be the first since Moses to be allowed into your presence”), preaching on “marriage as music,” or reflecting on a visit to his parents’ grave, Friedman always has the power to surprise us and invite us to change. This collection of Edwin Friedman’s writings, most of them unpublished, reveal a different side of this rabbi, teacher, and leadership coach who caused a revolution in viewing human relationships with Generation to Generation. Organized into life stages, specifically the journey from young adulthood to maturity and death, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? captures Friedman’s signature wit and playfulness as he cuts straight to the heart of human growth and relationships. Throughout his life, Friedman eloquently applied the insights of family therapy to churches and synagogues, organizations and businesses—and, of course, to families themselves. He energized and delighted a wide public in his lifetime and continues to engage us with What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, an essential reader for those seeking life-changing insights.

An acclaimed, influential work now available in paper for the first time, this bestselling book applies the concepts of systemic family therapy to the emotional life of congregations. Edwin H. Friedman shows how the same understanding of family process that can aid clergy in their pastoral role also has important ramifications for negotiating congregational dynamics and functioning as an effective leader. Clergy from diverse denominations, as well as family therapists and counselors, have found that this book directly addresses the dilemmas and crises they encounter daily. It is widely used as a text in courses on pastoral care, leadership, and family systems.

Edwin H. Friedman has woven 24 illustrative tales that offer fresh perspectives on familiar human foibles and reflect the author's humor, pathos, and understanding. Friedman takes on resistance and other "demons" to show that neither insight, nor encouragement, nor intimidation can in themselves motivate an unmotivated person to change. These tales playfully demonstrate that new ideas, new questions, and imagination, more than accepted wisdom, provide each of us with the keys to overcoming stubborn emotional barriers and facilitating real change both in ourselves and others. Thought-provoking discussion questions for each fable are included. See also the downloadable audiobook, Friedman's Fables: Favorites Read by the Author, featuring 15 of the tales narrated in Dr. Friedman's inimitable style.

"Why did I give advice to Eve instead of going directly to Adam? I knew I would never be able to stop the Creator's overall plan, but I thought I might really be able to frustrate it if I could screw up some relationships." So speaks Satan as The First Family Counselor in this new collection of Edwin Friedman's most popular essays, edited by his daughter, Shira Friedman Bogart. Friedman's signature wit and playfulness goes straight to the heart of human relationships from one generation to another.Throughout his life, Friedman eloquently applied the insights of family therapy to churches and synagogues, rectors and rabbis, politicians and teachers, and his humor, sense of paradox, and unique style of storytelling were trademarks of his teaching style.

'I FELT RECOGNISED ON EVERY PAGE, LEARNT SO MANY NEW THINGS, AND LAUGHED SO HARD I CHOKED ON MY WATER. READ THIS!!!' NAOISE DOLAN, AUTHOR OF EXCITING TIMES 'CANDID, WITTY ... A BRAVE BOOK THAT PUTS VULNERABILITY FULLY ON SHOW' INDEPENDENT Obsessive was, still is, my natural state, and I never wondered why. I didn't mind, didn't know that other people could feel at peace. I always felt like a raw nerve, but then, I thought that everyone did. Writer and journalist Marianne Eloise was born obsessive. What that means changes day to day, depending on what her brain latches onto: fixations with certain topics, intrusive violent thoughts, looping phrases. Some obsessions have lasted a lifetime, while others will be intense but only last a week or two. Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking is a culmination of a life spend obsessing, offering a glimpse into Marianne's brain, but also an insight into the lives of others like her. From death to Medusa, to Disneyland to fire, to LA to her dog, the essays explore the intersection of neurodivergence, fixation and disorder, telling the story of one life underpinned and ultimately made whole by obsession.