Leeza Gibbons Fierce Optimism

How did an easygoing, sweet-tempered small town Southern girl keep her edge on success for more than thirty years in Hollywood? How did TV’s most likeable host, with a Daytime Emmy Award and an unofficial master’s degree in drama avoidance to her credit, compete on Celebrity Apprentice without screaming, yelling, or playing dirty; beat cutthroat contenders including Geraldo Rivera; impress the notoriously tough Donald Trump; and take home the title of winner? Leeza Gibbons, the ultimate anti-diva, shares her powerful strategies and the philosophy behind them in FIERCE OPTIMISM: Seven Secrets for Playing Nice and Winning Big (Dey Street Books; On Sale: April 12, 2016; $26.99; Hardcover; ISBN: 9780062432520). In a world marked by bullying, corruption, and all sorts of nastiness, where fear and negativity dominate, Leeza stands out as a beacon of hope for . . . hope itself, backed by accountability, determination, and hard work. “Optimism is undergoing a makeover, and it’s on the way to a new, powerful persona,” Leeza attests. “I didn’t create this movement. I’m not the Pied Piper of Positivity. But I heard it when Donald Trump said, ‘Leeza, you led with kindness…I don’t meet people like you.’ I figured it was time for me to take on the mantle of optimism.” In FIERCE OPTIMISM, Leeza Gibbons lets readers in on guiding principles and consistent practices that have kept her on a steady path to success, without compromising her belief in treating others with dignity and courtesy. Building on the old-fashioned values instilled by her parents and mentors, her fresh brand of optimism leverages the strength that comes from living with integrity, taking responsibility for your own choices and screw-ups, and having a zero-tolerance policy for mean and spiteful behavior. Filled with lessons Leeza has learned from her own life, loves, losses, parenting experiences, career, and true confessions (yes, as Leeza admits, she has had her not-so-nice moments), chapters affirm the power of seven core qualities possessed by fiercely optimistic people and show how to put them into action. They include: • Self-Worth. A new take on self-confidence without hubris; fallibility is human. Developing self-worth includes giving yourself permission fail gracefully and shame-free, and then move on. “The ones who have the audacity to believe they can change are the ones who do,” states Leeza. “No magic, just habits.” • Focus. “There will always be someone richer, prettier, and skinnier, with better hair. Comparing degrades and diminishes your own journey,” Leeza stresses. To succeed, she advocates focusing on your own strengths, striving to work harder than everyone else, and not worrying about the C-R-A-P: Criticism, Resistance, Assholes, and Pressure. • Resilience. From the crushing disappointment of John & Leeza to failed marriages, Leeza has been thrust into perfecting the art of the pivot. Her secret to bouncing back? “An optimistic person behaves in a way that expects good outcomes,” she observes. “Especially when you’re going through challenging or disappointing times, assume that your circumstances are about to turn around.” • Plus, Empathy (the new golden rule), Loyalty (crucial for anyone playing the long game) Forgiveness (the key to living without regrets), and Optimism (with a commitment to not just seeing the glass as half full, but taking ownership for continually refilling that glass). Packed with illuminating anecdotes featuring notables from Madonna and Lady Gaga to Ted Kopple and, of course, the Donald, as well as lesser-known remarkable people, FIERCE OPTIMISM is a book for strong, ambitious women and anyone seeking to enjoy success without sacrificing their humanity. ABOUT LEEZA GIBBONS Leeza Gibbons is an Emmy Award-winning television personality, successful businesswoman, social entrepreneur, and author. From hosting Entertainment Tonight, the daytime talk show Leeza, the PBS news show My Generation, and the TV newsmagazine America Now, she is one of the best known and best loved hosts on the air. Through her New York Times bestseller Take 2: Your Guide to Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings she made the case for playing by your own rules and she used that philosophy to win NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, becoming the second woman ever to earn the title. In 2002, she founded the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, which offers free services for family caregivers thought its signature program, Leeza’s Care Connection. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles and has three children, a dog, and a cat.