New Book, "Ego, Authority, Failure", Teaches Business Leaders How to Become Better Managers by Using Hostage Negotiations and Empathy Tactics

TYSONS CORNER, Va., Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Swan Group's Expert Trainer & Coach, Derek Gaunt, has released his first book, titled Ego, Authority, Failure: Using Emotional Intelligence Like a Hostage Negotiator to Succeed as a Leader. The book, now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions, was written for business leaders who want actionable techniques to build trust-based influence in order to motivate and inspire their employees.

Ego, Authority, Failure is the second book published by one of Black Swan Group's executives. It augments Black Swan CEO and Founder Chris Voss' book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, which uses high-stakes hostage negotiation tactics to teach strategies that anyone can use to become more persuasive in both their professional and personal lives. In Ego, Authority, Failure, Gaunt builds upon this idea and ups the stakes, catering the book's tactics and strategies specifically toward people in leadership positions.

"In the U.S., well over 90 percent of all hostage incidents end peacefully. That's an incredible statistic," says Voss, a seasoned hostage negotiator turned business trainer, who also wrote the foreword for Gaunt's book. "This book views leadership through the prism of a hostage negotiator and explores how the communications skills employed by negotiators are applicable to leaders, regardless of industry. Derek Gaunt does an excellent job of exposing the reader to the good and bad of leadership. He also expertly applies the skills used by hostage negotiators all over the world to teach leaders who engage in difficult situations on a regular basis."

Gaunt was inspired by a Gallup study which found that 50 percent of resigning employees do so "to get away from their manager." The ones who don't quit become disengaged, creating a negative work environment that costs U.S. companies billions in lost productivity each year. Gaunt's aim in Ego, Authority, Failure is to address this problem by helping leaders understand that technical skills are not enough to be an effective manager. Instead, they need to able to demonstrate "Tactical Empathy"—the ability to understand and appeal to another's needs, feelings, and perspective in a non-judgmental way—in order to create a more productive work environment.

"Writing this book has been a passion project for me," says Gaunt. "In my constant interactions with people from all walks of life, I've seen a need for people to feel more engaged in and passionate about their work, and that comes from feeling more connected to and inspired by their managers and leaders. My book not only teaches leaders to motivate and inspire, but it also provides cautionary tales about the damage ego and authority have on their organizations, along with providing actionable skills to change that."

Ego, Authority, Failure teaches business leaders how to: improve leadership performance by becoming proactive, strategic, and intuitive listeners; establish, maintain, or repair damaged superior-subordinate relationships; manage ego and authority; navigate hard talks, change, and dissension; and increase proficiency in gathering information, influencing, and maintaining the relationships.

Natasha Hawker, managing director of Employee Matters and author of From Hire to Fire & Everything in Between, explains why Gaunt's book is a valuable tool for business managers: "I believe that most managers struggle with the most basic critical skill a manager needs, which is motivating an employee to do what you need them to do, when you need them to do it, while being happy to do it. This skill is absolutely critical for the success of the employee, the manager, and ultimately, the business. Derek Gaunt has used negotiation skills to develop leadership skills in managers to empower them to become exceptional leaders. Building this skill will set you apart from the pack. It's a must-read for all aspiring and current leaders."

Ego, Authority, Failure sells in paperback for $17.99 and is available on Kindle for 99¢ or for free through Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.

About Black Swan Group, Ltd.
Black Swan Group is a dynamic team of negotiation experts with experience that ranges from high-stakes hostage negotiations to boardroom business deals. Using its team's unique skills, acumen, and decades of field experience, Black Swan provides comprehensive negotiation coaching and training seminars for individuals, businesses, and government agencies. For more information, please visit blackswanltd.com.

SOURCE Black Swan Group, Ltd.

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