Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better — Live at SXSW

Radical Candor author and co-founder Kim Scott is announcing the launch of her new book,?Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better ?(St. Martin’s Griffin | May 7, 2024 | $19)?at SXSW on March 9 at 11:30 a.m. Kim will be?sharing the stage ?with Wesley Faulkner , who co-hosts the?Radical Respect ?podcast with her. Together they will outline the key ideas in the book.

Add the SXSW Radical Respect event to your schedule >>

What is Radical Respect?

The word respect has two very different meanings. The first has to do with admiration for someone’s abilities, qualities, or achievements. That kind of admiration has to be earned. But that’s not what Kim Scott is talking about in Radical Respect.

The definition of respect she uses is a regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions of others. This kind of respect is something we owe to everyone; it is not something that needs to be “earned.”

The kind of respect that is the birthright of every human being is crucial to a healthy culture. We don’t have to respect a person’s opinion on a particular topic—we can disagree, vehemently.

We don’t have to respect a particular action a person took—we can still disapprove and hold them accountable.?

But we do have to respect that person as a human being if we want to be able to work together productively while also leaving space to disagree and hold each other accountable when necessary.?

“This book tackles serious issues with clarity and humor to highlight smart steps that we can all take to combat discrimination and promote fairness.”?— Adam Grant , #1?New York Times?bestselling author of?Think Again?and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

This kind of respect is radical because it’s rare. Radical Respect happens in workplaces that do two things at the same time:

1. Optimize for collaboration, not coercion.
2. Honor individuality, don’t demand conformity.

Following the success of her revolutionary?New York Times?and?Wall Street Journal?bestseller,?Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity , Scott’s latest work promises to revolutionize how individuals navigate workplace interactions and foster environments of mutual respect.

Radical Respect?is not only the prequel to?Radical Candor,?it’s?a radical (much shorter) rewrite of Scott’s 2021 book,?Just Work,?focusing on the practical, tactical things that each of us can do to create the kind of workplace we long for.

“Kim Scott does it again! There are so many books about loving your work—but so few about how to love the people you work with. This beautifully written, wise and practical guide shows us how both are possible.?Radical Respect?is for anyone who has wondered whether it is possible to create a workplace that supports both belonging and individuality.”?— Angela Duckworth ,?New York Times?bestselling author of?Grit

Drawing from her extensive experience and candid anecdotes from her career, Scott presents a simple yet powerful framework designed to identify and address obstacles to collaboration and respect in professional settings.

“Organizations that prioritize collaboration and honor individuality are more successful and foster a sense of fulfillment and joy among their members,” says Scott. “Radical Respect?equips readers with the tools they need to build such environments and unleash their full potential.”

Whether you’re a team leader, a seasoned professional, or someone just starting their career, Radical Respect is an essential resource for anyone looking to foster a culture of mutual respect and collaboration in the workplace.

"Radical Respect left me optimistic that we can create just workplaces. Kim Scott carefully explains how bias, prejudice and bullying undermine all organizations—even those with the best of intentions—and provides an actionable system for countering each. Her acknowledgment that none of us—herself included—are free of this behavior marks an important starting point for a difficult but necessary conversation.”?— Henry Louis Gates , Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, Harvard University