Tempered Radicals: How People Use Difference to Inspire Change at Work - Hardcover

People who hope to "fit in without selling out" operate on a fault line, says Meyerson. While contributing to their companies' success, they support agendas that are often at odds with the dominant culture. This can involve their social identities, such as race, gender, or sexual orientation, or their philosophical values and beliefs, such as a concern for social justice, environmental sustainability, or family-friendly working conditions. They are not radicals in the sense that they want to enact a marked departure from the traditional, but tempered radicals in that they both challenge and uphold the status quo, working "within systems, not against them." Seeking to map the space between conformity and extreme radicalism, Meyerson conducted in-depth interviews with almost 200 people in three very different organizations (though both interviewees and companies were given pseudonyms, the companies are easily identifiable). The result is an insightful look at the way these people effect change, including the varieties of ways to stay true to oneself (through psychological, self-expressive, and behind-the-scenes resistance), how to leverage small wins, and how to organize collective action. There's also a lengthy chapter on the difficulties these tempered radicals face, from the psychological stress of constantly straddling a duality to the incremental lures of co-optation. Having taught in MBA programs at both the University of Michigan and Stanford University, Meyerson is an accomplished business professor; this book shows her to be a methodical researcher, sensitive interpreter of results, and well-organized and fluid writer, as well. Tempered Radicals is sure to be a beacon of inspiration for those wanting to make a difference from within and an inspiration to those who might have assumed that changing one's environment means changing one's job. --S. Ketchum

Some of the people I’ve written this book for may not immediately see themselves as “tempered radicals.” But almost fifteen years of research shows that when people act on values or views that depart from the organizational norm, they catalyze learning and change– whether they intend to or not.

I wrote Tempered Radicals for people who navigate everyday the competing pulls between their own values and those of the surrounding culture. My hope is that the stories and strategies in this book will help people who identify with this tension feel less alone and more empowered to use their differences as powerful levers of leadership, learning, and positive change in their organizations. For years, I’ve been inspired by these quiet, everyday acts of leadership that make a difference.