Glass Jaw: A Manifesto for Defending Fragile Reputations in an Age of Instant Scandal

Description

In boxing terms, a tough-looking fighter who can't take a punch is said to have a 'glass jaw,' and so it is these days with targets of controversy. Down the rabbit hole of scandal, the weak are strong, the strong are weak. GLASS JAW is a manifesto for these times, written by crisis management warhorse Eric Dezenhall who has spent three decades inside of some of the most intense controversies in recent memory. In the digital age of 24/7 news, information is easily acquired and quickly spread, and this has changed the fundamental nature of controversy, rendering once mighty organisation and individuals powerless against scandal. Think Toyota, Susan G. Komen, Tiger Woods, Paula Deen, Penn State and Joe Paterno, BP, the Duke Lacrosse players, Lance Armstrong, Manti Te'o and Anthony Weiner. Here Dezenhall defines this new reality where information moves at the speed of light and reputations are tarnished ever faster. In GLASS JAW, he analyses controversy and scandal from the perspective of the truth-telling crisis management veteran to demystify the paper tiger 'spin' industry, offering lessons learned, crucial corrective measures, and counter-intuitive insights, such as: - How there really is no getting ahead of a bad story - The art of public apology - Why a crisis is not an opportunity and Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea is the I Ching of crisis management (because the old man survived and nothing more) - The problem with 'getting it all out there' and The Nixon Fallacy: if only he had just said 'I screwed up,' the whole thing would have gone away - not a chance - Why are you the enemy: the self sabotage of technology, cameras, tweets and emails.

Eric Dezenhall is the founder and CEO of Dezenhall Resources, Ltd., one of the nation's leading crisis management firms. He is also a published author of fiction and nonfiction books, a frequent media commentator, and a sought-after speaker. Eric has written numerous articles written on damage control in publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New Republic, Daily Beast, Daily Caller, Ethical Corporation and Huffington Post. He co-produced a documentary on organized crime for the Discovery Channel and appears as an organized crime historian in forums including the History Channel. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife and two children.

During my 30 years of helping people navigate the risks of public life, Eric Dezenhall has emerged as the most effective warrior and teacher. GLASS JAW offers the highest-resolution image of controversy in the new millennium, showing who wins, and how--who loses, and why.--Gavin de Becker, New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Fear From Silicon Valley to the factories of the 'old' economy, marketplace power has never been more precarious. Eric Dezenhall's GLASS JAW is to damage control what Taleb's Black Swan is to economics-a jeremiad on how the seemingly powerful are increasingly at the mercy of the seemingly powerless. This book is the field guide anyone in a position of responsibility will want in the foxhole with them when their reputation is on the line.--Deborah Perry Piscione, New York Times bestselling author of Secrets of Silicon Valley: What Everyone Else Can Learn from the Innovation Capital of the World I highly recommend Eric Dezenhall's GLASS JAW for anyone interested in reputational risk management in an age where no one is safe from scandal. GLASS JAW is like a wise cornerman teaching you how to take a public punch. No crisis is ever the same, but Dezenhall's book, rich with amusing examples and cautionary tales, will help you recognize if it's better to fight than to throw in the towel.--Ian Bremmer, president, Eurasia Group, and author of Every Nation for Itself Lots of practical advice.--The Economist This is not a book of morality but pragmatism...[Dezenhall] effectively shows how dramatically things have changed, from a partisan perspective that maintains, 'social media promotes warfare, ' and that, as with guerrilla warfare, 'David has become Goliath, and Goliath has become David.'--Kirkus Review Today, one product defect, one offensive remark-combined with the power of instantaneous worldwide social networking-can bring down the mightiest giant. GLASS JAW analyzes how scandals spiral out of control and details the hard work required to regain a lost reputation. Dezenhall's cautionary tales are fascinating-and should serve as a stern warning to anyone with a reputation to lose.--Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive With GLASS JAW, Eric Dezenhall once again offers fascinating and timely insights into the gladiatorial arena of modern crisis management. Like an Amazing Randi of communications, he debunks anyone claiming to perform PR magic as a fraud. Instead, he offers realistic strategies tempered by hard truths. We've been studying human behavior and how good and bad people react under great stress for quite some time, but we always learn something valuable from Eric.--Former FBI Special Agent John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, bestselling authors of Mindhunter, The Anatomy of Motive, and Law & Disorder