A NATIONAL BESTSELLER Embrace your agency lead change and fly free—in the business of life
and the life of business—with kindness (plus a little math) In kindergarten James Rhee
received a toy red helicopter in gratitude for a simple act of generosity—sharing his lunch.
Decades later the lesson from that small gift led him to develop a human-centered framework
for business and personal achievement that helped him overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles
and find unprecedented success. “ red helicopter is a transformative experience . James Rhee's
story is a must read for anyone of any age who wishes to think act and lead with balance
agility and wisdom ." —Jay Shetty Rhee was a high school teacher turned private equity
investor when he unexpectedly took the helm of Ashley Stewart an iconic company predominantly
employing and serving Black women. Inspired by the values his dying Korean immigrant parents
instilled in him he knew that a radically different—yet familiar—approach was required to lead
this twice-bankrupt company from certain liquidation to true transcendence. Is it possible to
be successful and kind? To lead with precision and compassion? To honor who we are in all areas
of our lives? The entire world bet against him and Ashley but Rhee trusted his instincts to
identify measure and leverage the intangible goodwill at the company’s core a decision which
ultimately multiplied its fortunes several times over. Anyone can combine the clarity and
imagination we had as children with fundamental business metrics. Anyone can apply this
refreshingly intuitive approach to lead change at work and at home. While eloquently sharing
a story of personal and professional success red helicopter presents a comforting yet bold
solution to the dissatisfaction and worry we all feel in a chaotic and sometimes terrifying
world. The insights and knowledge that Rhee imparts have been accumulated over decades of
investing and leading at the highest levels of business. Drawing on this experience he
encourages us to trust the wisdom deep inside each of us so we can learn how to: Create and
measure “goodwill ” the ultimate collective good Discover agency and the truth about kindness
it entails Identify the invisible obstacles standing in your way Lead transformational change
through small scalable acts Construct an accurate “balance sheet” of our assets and
liabilities Reorient our lives organizations and the world to reflect the best in us Are you
looking for a sustainable balance between life money and joy? For yourself and others?
Imagine a clear path forward told as a deeply felt human story. A poignant and uplifting
celebration of humanity red helicopter—a parable for our times is a tale of struggle and
triumph compelling for its honesty and relatability as much as for the instructions we can all
use to balance the books of our lives. red helicopter—a parable for our times features
approximately 20 original illustrations by Korean artist Heyon Cho.
