Today's business leaders operate in an increasingly harsh environment. Uncertainty in the economy causes paralysis. Quarterly goals drive short-term and shortsighted decisions. Workforce mobility kills loyalty. Iconic products decline as fast as start-ups create new categories. And the pressure to do more with less, combined with the multiplicity of available marketing tools and technology, can be overwhelming.

Now more than ever, brands and the people who lead them need clarity and guidance. The good news is that people have found ways to thrive in harsh environments for millennia. Author Jonathan David Lewis, combining the lessons of group survival dynamics with more than a decade of proprietary research into the factors that cause companies to lose their way, shows leaders how to thrive in unforgiving business environments by learning to:

• Focus on navigating risk instead of trying to measure or reduce it
• Cultivate your brand's will to live by staying positive and asking the most important question: Are you worth it?
• Read the brand signs by observing the market, keeping an eye on performance measures, engaging your team, and listening to your gut
• Develop a concept of "mission" to ensure internal alignment and reduce friction
• Act with urgency rather than waiting for the right circumstance