Foreword

I’ve been called an assertive’s assertive. You know the adjectives: forceful, strong, firm, compelling, forthright, direct, straightforward. I thought that I could write this foreword on the strength of my personality alone. Fortunately, as one author’s compliment to another, I read Jeff’s book first and learned a great deal.

Jeff is able to raise to a conscious level what so many of us feel viscerally, but can’t explain. He helps us to articulate our own successes, strengths, and special talents. I always viewed assertiveness as a double-edged sword, which meant that I had to be careful or else the “negatives” would outweigh the positives. Jeff teaches us, however, that there is no negative connotation to assertiveness if we view it correctly and use it appropriately.

He helps us understand—on a conscious level—that assertiveness is central to self-actualizing, self-confident, constructive people. Moreover, Jeff is able to transcend the stereotypical, and help us to become more assertive in a wide variety of environments and encounters. Some of us find it easy to face up to a bureaucrat, but difficult to confront a loved one. For others, the reverse is true. This book helps in all cases.

I’m a consultant, speaker, and author, and I work with some of the finest organizations and most talented, competitive, and dynamic people one could meet. Yet I also have to deal with support people, “backstage” people, passive people, and difficult people. Jeff helps us modulate our approaches so that we can be effective with virtually anyone, simply by being our naturally assertive selves. With Jeff’s help, your professional and personal life will become easier.

The secret to high self-esteem and strong motivation is to adopt specific skills that generate results, continue to use them, continue to be successful, and continue to see ourselves in a positive light. That dynamic becomes both crystal clear and immediately accessible through the techniques and approaches of this book.

Jeff explores areas you simply don’t visit in other works, discussing a variety of other critical but often-overlooked areas. As an entrepreneur, however, what I really enjoy about all of Jeff’s 25 books, and particularly this one, is his unflagging focus on self-confidence, poise, and dignity. He eschews the belligerent and the manipulative, and despises the passive-aggressive. His approach is one of human worth, individual rights, and common sense. And he does this with an economy of language and a flair for pithy examples. What more can one ask for in a self-help book?

I’ve benefited from Jeff’s advice, and I’m a recognized cynic; I wasn’t even paid for this contribution to what will undoubtedly be thousands of additional book sales for him. More power to Jeff, and to you for being wise enough to select his work as a learning tool. Read and enjoy!

Alan Weiss, Ph.D., President
Summit Consulting Group, Inc.
Author, Million Dollar Consulting