Working Scared: Blueprints for Employees and Leaders to Succeed During Turbulent Times

Transform workplace uncertainty into career confidence with proven strategies that work for both employees and organizations

In Working Scared: Blueprints for Employees and Leaders to Succeed During Turbulent Times, authors Stanley B. Silverman, Kenneth N. Wexley, and David H. Wexley deliver a comprehensive roadmap for navigating today's volatile work environment. Drawing on decades of consulting experience across organizations ranging from small companies to Fortune 500 corporations, combined with extensive research and executive coaching credentials that establish them as leading authorities on workplace dynamics, the authors directly address eight primary sources of job insecurity plaguing the modern workforce. They discuss AI transformation, arrogant leadership, hybrid work challenges, economic turmoil, and more, providing dual-perspective solutions that empower both individual employees seeking career advancement and leaders working to optimize team effectiveness.

The book systematically examines each workplace challenge through a structured framework that combines data-driven analysis with real-world case studies, revealing how successful employees and leaders have navigated similar situations. Avoiding boilerplate, generalized advice, the authors identify ten overarching Keys for Success that create resilience and adaptability in the face of organizational uncertainty. Each chapter delivers actionable strategies grounded in practical experience, moving readers from reactive anxiety to proactive confidence in their professional lives.

You’ll find:

An original, dual-perspective approach: Unique strategies tailored specifically for both employees and leaders facing the same workplace challenges

Eight critical workplace scenarios: Comprehensive coverage of an AI organizational transformation, difficult leadership, team dynamics, hybrid work, restructuring, mergers, economic instability, and personal well-being

Ten universal success principles: Overarching keys for success that apply across all workplace uncertainties and organizational changes

Real-world case studies: Practical examples from the authors’ experience with diverse industries and organizational levels, from front-line workers to C-suite executives

Evidence-based solutions: Strategies validated through extensive consulting work and research across small companies to global organizations

An essential resource for all employees, including mid-career professionals, emerging leaders, and managers navigating workplace uncertainty or leading teams through organizational change, Working Scared is also the perfect guide for HR professionals, executive coaches, and business consultants required to solve problems for both individual workers and organizations.

STANLEY B. SILVERMAN is Dean and Professor Emeritus at The University of Akron and President of Human Resource Decisions, Inc.

KENNETH N. WEXLEY, PHD, is founder and CEO of Wexley Consulting, an internationally known consulting firm.

DAVID H. WEXLEY is President of Wexley Consulting, spe­cializing in organizational development and management consulting.