MEDIA RELEASE

Tebunah Press announces the publication of Leader Killers: How to Identify and Deal with Antagonists in Your Organization by Kenneth C. Haugk, Ph.D.

Haugk defines an antagonist in this way:

Antagonists are individuals who, on the basis of nonsubstantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity.

Haugk draws upon his own experiences as a clinical psychologist, Lutheran pastor, and executive director of Stephen Ministries-a leadership training organization- plus research with thousands of people in a variety of businesses and other organizations, to provide powerful, practical assistance to leaders who are facing an antagonist's challenges.

"Antagonists are not just misguided individuals," Haugk asserts. "Their tenaciously destructive behavior sets them apart from those involved in normal, healthy conflict."

Leader Killers presents clear, realistic strategies for identifying antagonists, dealing with their behaviors, and safeguarding organizations from attack by:

Recognizing the signs of an antagonist-the red flags, tactics, and typical behaviors
Knowing what drives an antagonist-characteristic personality traits and psychological patterns
Differentiating between healthy and unhealthy conflict-identifying constructive conflict that builds up an organization and destructive conflict that tears it down
Dealing directly with antagonists-realistic strategies for handling antagonists in a variety of situations
Keeping the damage from spreading-protecting your organization, your colleagues, your family, and yourself
Creating and maintaining an anti-antagonist environment-building organizational defenses and a culture that prevents the growth of antagonism
Preparing others to manage antagonism successfully-educating leaders and others about the threat from antagonists and how to address that threat as a unified team

Dealing with antagonists is a bottom-line issue. By preventing antagonists from disrupting your organization, you will enhance staff productivity, decrease turnover, and save money. Leader Killers shows you how to achieve these results.

For more information about Leader Killers, log on to www.leaderkillers.com or contact Jeanette Rudder at 314/428-2600.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kenneth C. Haugk received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Washington University and an M.Div. from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society of Consulting Psychology, and the Society of Psychologists in Management. He has practiced as a clinical psychologist and has taught psychology and leadership courses at several universities, as well as continuing education seminars through Washington University.

He is founder and Executive Director of Stephen Ministries, an organization that trains leaders to train others to provide one-to-one caregiving or to lead small groups. Since 1975, the organization has trained over 50,000 in its one-week leadership courses

Dr. Haugk has written numerous books and professional articles on leadership, antagonism, caregiving, assertiveness, critical thinking, experimental design, psychological testing, and community mental health. A frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter on dealing with antagonists and other leadership topics, he has spoken extensively to business groups, health professionals, church groups, and not-for-profit executives.