You were a high-potential individual contributor. Your skills were valued. You received great performance reviews, a few raises, and promotion into management. Then things soured. The road to the top became a glass ceiling. Others passed you by. You worried about your job security. You are not alone. You are a sergeant major, and you are struggling to understand why your good efforts don't lead to equally good outcomes.

In The Sergeant Major Syndrome, authors Roy Jacques and Mary Hobson seek to help you to understand and deal with these dynamics. Written by a former organizational sergeant major and a manager of sergeant majors, The Sergeant Major Syndrome is both a diagnostic tool and an action plan. It helps you understand what a sergeant major is, and it outlines a plan for strategizing what you can do about being (or not being) a sergeant major. Jacques and Hobson describe what the sergeant major can do to thrive in the tribal organization and how he or she can be valued at the project level. It also provides advice on advancing into the officer corps. Stop pressing your face against the glass ceiling and find the stairs.