50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results
Author:
John Baldoni
ISBN:
9780814412947
Format:
Hardback
Price:
$21.95
Buying in Bulk?
We have very competitive discounts starting at 5 copies, as well as personal service, for bulk orders.
Simply contact our Special Sales Department . Call 800-250-5308 or
212-903-8420 and ask for Special Sales. You can also email: SpecSlsWeb@amanet.org
Get people to follow your lead by giving them a reason to believe in you.
Leadershipnow.com / The Best Leadership Books of 2008
Taking over the top job, whether it's the CEO of a company or the
manager of a department, is never easy. When done the right way, it
results in inspired leadership; when done the wrong way, it can lead to
disaster. To be effective, the people in charge must give their team a
reason to believe in their talents and their ability to get people to
work together. Great leadership requires decisiveness, authority,
conviction, compassion, and, most important, the ability to set the
right example. It would seem easy, but it takes a lifetime of trying to
put it into practice. In Lead by Example , recognized leadership
guru John Baldoni reveals the traits and abilities leaders need to know
to inspire others to follow them. Readers will learn how to:
listen for ideas • manage around obstacles • defuse tension • check
their egos • stand up for what they believe in • manage crises • develop
team confidence • recruit good people • deliver bad news • handle defeat
• engage their enemies
Filled with examples of visionary leaders who have overcome their
shortcomings and achieved greatness, Lead by Example will show
readers how to build trust, drive results, and win the respect of the
people they lead.
About the Author
John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership
consultant, speaker, and author of seven books, including Great
Communication Secrets of Great Leaders. In 2007, he was named one of the
"30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus? by Leadership Gurus
International. John's leadership writings have appeared in
BusinessWeek.com, FastCompany.com, and Harvard Business Publishing. He
has been featured or quoted in many publications, including the New York
Times, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, and Investor's Business Daily.
Visit him at www.johnbaldoni.com.
Back to Top
HEADLINE:LEAD BY EXAMPLE:HEADLINE:
SUBHEAD:50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results:SUBHEAD:
In February of 2007, the popular and customer-friendly airline JetBlue
faced what seemed like an overwhelming crisis. A winter storm wreaked
havoc on the East Coast and caused the cancellation of half of the
airline's scheduled flights and stranded an airliner full of passengers
on the runway for more than eight hours. Overnight, it seemed as though
JetBlue's impeccable reputation had been tarnished. However, instead of
accepting defeat, or absolving the airline of blame, founder and CEO
Jeff Neeleman took the public stage and apologized for JetBlue's
shortcomings. He took personal responsibility for what had happened and
offered compensation to all customers who had been affected. His
humility and willingness to take charge in the face of the airline's
mistakes were both examples of what it takes to be a great leader.
Taking over the top job, whether it's the CEO of a company or the
manager of a department, is never easy. Great leadership requires
decisiveness, authority, conviction, compassion, and, most important,
the ability to set the right example. It would seem easy, but it takes a
lifetime of trying to put it into practice.
John Baldoni is a renowned leadership communications consultant who
works with Fortune 500 companies as well as nonprofits including the
University of Michigan. In LEAD BY EXAMPLE : 50 Ways Great Leaders
Inspire Results (AMACOM 2008) he reveals the traits and abilities
leaders need to know to inspire others to follow them. He believes that
a great leader does what is right for the team; in other words,
supporting, developing, and defending them, in the good times and the
bad. With his advice, readers will learn how to inspire their employees
by earning their trust and becoming better listeners, and most
importantly, learning to lighten up. By setting the right example,
acting the part, and learning to deal with the tough stuff, every leader
will give his people a reason to believe in and want to follow him.
Readers will learn how to:
listen for ideas • manage around obstacles • defuse tension • check
their egos • stand up for what they believe in • manage crises • develop
team confidence • recruit good people • deliver bad news • handle defeat
• engage their enemies
Filled with examples of visionary leaders who have overcome their
shortcomings and achieved greatness, Lead by Example provides insights
into what leaders need to do to inspire others by building trust and
achieving lasting results, and giving their people a reason to believe.
About the Author:
John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership consultant,
speaker, and author of six books, including Great Communication Secrets
of Great Leaders. He was named one of the "30 Most Influential
Leadership Gurus? for 2007 by www.LeadershipGurus.net. He has been
featured or quoted in many publications, including USA Today, Chicago
Tribune, and Investor's Business Daily. He is a frequent keynote and
workshop speaker, writes a monthly column entitled "On Leadership? for
CIO.com, a weekly blog about leadership for Fast Company, and
contributes regular columns for HR.com. He also maintains a popular
website at www.johnbaldoni.com.
Back to Top
HEADLINE:Top Fifteen Things Leaders Need to Know to Inspire
Results:HEADLINE
1. Demonstrate character. It forms the foundation of everything a
leader says and does.
2. Be accountable for your actions and responsible for the actions of
others.
3. Check your ego at the door (and keep it there).
4. Promote resilience. There is no shame in getting knocked down; it's
getting back up that matters.
5. Get in the habit of asking questions but do not expect easy answers.
Make it safe for people to ask you questions, too.
6. Manage around obstacles. The path to fulfilled goals is seldom
straight.
7. Management is the discipline of detail. Leadership is the art of
thinking beyond details in order to make things better.
8. Drive innovation by encouraging everyone on the team to think and
act creatively. Good ideas can come from anyone at anytime.
9. Encourage dissent about issues but promote civility around people.
10. Create a winning culture so that people feel confident about
themselves and their work.
11. Change always happens. Learn to anticipate, embrace and adapt to it
and teach others to do the same.
12. Teach others "the how?… then get out of the way and let people do
their jobs.
13. Honor tradition but seek to do things that benefit people today and
for tomorrow.
14. Get off the pedestal. Leadership is less about who you are than
what you do!
15. Lighten up. Take the work (but not yourself) seriously!
Adapted from LEAD BY EXAMPLE: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results
(AMACOM 2008) by John Baldoni.
Back to Top
HEADLINE:About John Baldoni:HEADLINE
John Baldoni is a much-in demand keynote speaker on leadership to
corporate, professional, military, and university audiences. Named one
of the world's top 30 influential gurus by Leadership Gurus
International in 2007, Baldoni wrote LEAD BY EXAMPLE: 50 Ways
Great Leaders Inspire Results LEAD BY EXAMPLE LEAD
BY EXAMPLE
Back to Top
"…your bookshelves may already be stuffed with books on leadership, make
room for Lead by Example.?
T & D magazine
"…the man, who was named one of the '30 Most Influential Leadership
Gurus' …can inspire results.?
Entrepreneur.com
"…a source of inspiration…about relating to staff or suggest ways you
might drive innovation.?
CIO magazine
"…excellent and practical book that addresses areas that leaders need…to
be the kind of person that people will… follow.?
Leadershipnow.com
"…provides insights on everything from managing crises, defusing
tensions, earning employee trust…even how leaders can lighten up.?
Managesmarter.com
"...its lessons are universal and well worth studying."
Financial Executive magazine
"…a fantastic handbook for anyone who is responsible for getting their
organizations through these tough economic times… should be on every
manager's bookshelf for ready reference.?
Graziadio Business Report
"..removes the intricacies of leadership and offers easily
understandable ways leaders can inspire results... gets to the heart of
what makes a leader effective.? -- Execunet's CareerSmart Advisor
Newsletter
Back to Top
Baldoni's insights are easy to understand and absolutely on target for
the requirements of a modern-day leader.?
— Jim Moore, former Chief Learning Officer, BellSouth, Nortel, and Sun
Microsystems
"John Baldoni has a distinct ability to peel away the complexities of
leadership and deliver truly practical advice. His deeply useful ideas
will resonate with managers at all organizational levels.?
— Paul Michelman, Director of Content, Harvard Business Digital, Harvard
Business Publishing
"A new book by John Baldoni is an event, and this one may be the best of
all. It's packed with content (principles and stories) written so that
the lessons are incredibly easy to absorb and remember. It will be a
classic.?
— David Maister, preeminent authority on the management of professional
service firms and author, First Among Equals and Trusted Advisor
"Lead by Example takes a unique approach to leadership. While most books
on leadership focus on the 'me' aspect of leadership—how can I be a
great leader— Lead by Example offers pragmatic, actionable advice that
pinpoints the real power source of great leaders, namely the people that
are inspired to 'follow' them. Lead by Example will quickly become a
must read.?
— Gary Beach, Publisher Emeritus, CIO Magazine
"In a world plagued by headlines of leadership missteps, here's a book
that speaks to how effective leaders are getting it right.?
— Nick Nissley, Ed.D., Executive Director,
The Banff Centre, Leadership Development, Banff, Canada
Back to Top
EXCERPT FROM BOOK:
PART I
Set the Right Example
ALL EYES ARE ON THE LEADER. But they are not watching his lips, they are
watching his feet. That is, leaders are judged not by what they say, but
what they do. Example is fundamental to getting people to believe in who
you are and what you stand for.
LESSON 1
"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is
what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.?
—ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IT ALL STARTS WITH CHARACTER
What you do when you think no one is watching may be the best definition
of character. Character defines who you are and forms the basis for your
leadership. Without it, leadership is impossible; with it, leadership
can flourish.
Character is ingrained within us. It is taught to us by our parents,
teachers, and coaches; we learn from them. Leaders demonstrate character
by insisting on values, abiding by principles, and upholding both in
their daily lives. Employees look to managers not only for guidance, but
for example. Insisting on good character means everyone must model that
behavior. Sure, it's easy to say, but it can be hard to implement in the
real world. Good character may get you hired, but it is what you do with
your character that matters.
So much of what we admire about our leaders comes down to their
character. It is not their degree of affability that matters, as does
the degree of respect. People of character command respect because they
have earned it. One of the salient features of Level 5 leaders, as
depicted in Jim Collins's book, Good to Great, is their ability to put
the organization first. Employees like that; it means that someone is
thinking about the big picture as well as their role in it. Every
organization is peopled with men and women who put others first. It is a
matter of identifying them and putting them in positions where they can
succeed, and in the process help others to succeed. That action breeds
organizational character.
Character Counts
Insisting on good character means everyone must model that behavior.
Good character may get you hired, but it is what you do with your
character that matters. Employees caught up in scandals at corrupt
companies may have been wholly innocent but many paid for the crimes of
their superiors either through layoffs, loss of pension, or loss of
personal reputation. If a manager cuts corners, for example, fudging an
expense report, employees will take note. Pretty soon, a climate of
"everyone does it? creeps in, and the organization loses not only
integrity, but credibility inside and outside.
Define responsibility . Never assume that people know what their
responsibilities are; tell them and then ask them to define such
responsibilities in their own words. Responsibility for achieving
objectives may be clear, but managers need to check whether employees
know the code of conduct that defines civility and rights in the
workplace but also they need to insist on behaviors conducive to good
order. That means, managers can ask for, and insist upon, courtesy,
cooperation, and collaboration as part of the job. Never accept the bad
attitude, and never call it that term. When a person is out of line,
define the behavior, such as acting surly, being uncooperative, or
failing to work with others. Those are not attitudes—they are defined
behaviors for which a person is responsible.
Hold the right people accountable. When people do something well,
we like to reward them—at least good companies do. But when people slip
up, accountability sometimes defers to the low person on the totem pole.
For example, at Abu Ghraib prison camp, it was the noncommissioned
officers and enlisted personnel who were punished first. Senior officers
with line authority for the prison system, with the exception of
Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, were not initially held accountable.
That sets a bad precedent, not only with our troops but for other
nations looking at our military judicial system. It threatens to
undermine the exceptional work the Army has done in investigating
wrongdoing and owning up to the problem. (It must be noted that a few
more senior officers were later charged with either tolerating the
culture of abuse or covering it up.)
Insist on actions, not words. Every organization professes to be
ethical; even organized crime has some rules. But, as the adage goes, it
is not what you say that matters, it is what you do. Take, for instance,
the superstar performer who always makes the numbers and scores the big
wins. If that person behaves as a jerk toward others, all too often
managers will turn a blind eye. After all, they say, let's cut him some
slack. What the superstar gets away with would never be tolerated by
lesser performers. Eventually, the superstar's gains become short?lived
because the workplace becomes so fouled by his negligent behaviors that
good people find a way out, leaving only marginal players behind. Pretty
soon the whole department stinks, and eventually sinks. There may be
justice in that demise, but at what cost? Good people leave, performance
plummets, and the organization suffers losses in reputation, revenue,
and investor confidence. It would be better to pull the flagrant
superstar aside with a warning to correct negative behavior supported by
behavioral coaching or else face termination. When employees see
superstars let go because they are abusive, it sends a strong signal
that the company values ethics over dollars and cents.
Put people in tough situations . If you want people to grow and
develop, you give them tough assignments. An extreme example is the U.S.
Navy Seals. Their training is physically and mentally exhausting;
candidates who want to qualify are pushed to the breaking point. It is
certainly not for everyone, but if you want to develop a cadre of troops
who can jump out helicopters at night in hostile territory to chase bad
guys, you want people who are steeled to adversity. From a management
perspective, grooming people for leadership means giving them
opportunities to develop their skills, not in classrooms, but in real
work situations. Then watch what they do and how they do. In addition to
looking for results, examine how they worked with their team. Did they
work with people or in spite of them? You want leaders who can bring
people together for common cause. That, again, is character.
Reward good actions. One of the best places to see where good
deeds are rewarded is on high school or collegiate sports teams. Look at
who the players have elected as their captains. The players are not
always the most talented athletes, but they are the most
outward-directed. They are the ones who lead by example. Specifically,
you will find them first to practice, last to leave. What they are doing
at practice is essential to team unity. Often, they are tutoring fellow
players in the art of the game, or more often, in the art of getting
along with a coach, a teacher, or a fellow player. They are team leaders
respected by their teammates. Managers may find such employees on their
own teams. When they do, they are wise to put them in positions where
their example can influence others. Better yet, good managers promote
such people into positions of higher responsibility so their positive
actions can have even greater impact.
Send the scoundrels packing. People who make managerial mistakes
need education and coaching; folks who knowingly make ethical breeches
should be sent packing right away. That sends a clear message that such
behavior is never tolerated. If you let it slide—or at least, do not
exact consequences in the form of demanding amends, bad things will
continue to happen until something really bad occurs.
Why Character Matters
Character is a virtue, however, and if it does not show up on the bottom
line, it nonetheless provides the basis for sustainability. If you
manage for the short term, how you treat employees or corporate assets
is less important. But if you operate for the long term, the caliber of
the people you recruit, retain, and reward says much about the character
of your organization. These are the men and women who will make the
decisions that will develop products and services that offer value to
customers who want to buy and shareholders who want to own. Character
then does matter. Revealing it is essential to your future.
Back to Top
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Prologue xiii
PART I: SET THE RIGHT EXAMPLE 1
LESSON 1: It All Starts with Character 3
LESSON 2: Knowing What You Know (and Don't Know) 7
LESSON 3: Accountability: The Buck Stops Here 13
LESSON 4: Courage: Stand Up for What You Believe 17
LESSON 5: Check Your Ego 21
LESSON 6: Take a Hard Look in the Mirror 25
LESSON 7: Patience, Patience 28
LESSON 8: Make Your Presence Felt 31
PART II:
ACT THE PART 35
LESSON 9: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! 37
LESSON 10: Listening for Ideas 42
LESSON 11: Developing Questions 47
LESSON 12: Giving Feedback 51
LESSON 13: Decisiveness: Decide or Not 55
LESSON 14: Influence: Getting People on Board 58
LESSON 15: Influencing Without Authority 61
LESSON 16: Know How to Win 64
LESSON 17: Hang Out the Lifelines 68
LESSON 18: Manage (and Lead) 71
LESSON 19: Managing by Inclusion 75
LESSON 20: Manage Around Obstacles 79
LESSON 21: Leading Innovation 82
LESSON 22: Moving from What to How 86
LESSON 23: Delegate (and Execute) for Results 89
LESSON 24: Upside-Down Leadership 93
LESSON 25: Make It Personal (Sometimes) 97
LESSON 26: Sustaining a Winning Culture 101
PART III:
HANDLE THE TOUGH STUFF 105
LESSON 27: Defusing Tension 107
LESSON 28: Engage the Enemy 110
LESSON 29: Managing Crises 113
LESSON 30: Avoiding the Cross-Purposes Trap 117
LESSON 31: Delivering Bad News 121
LESSON 32: Persuading the Unpersuaded 124
LESSON 33: Handling Defeat 130
LESSON 34: Perseverance: Keep Pounding the Rock 133
LESSON 35: Resilience: Get Up and Do It Again 136
LESSON 36: Adaptability: Everything Changes, Even Leaders 140
LESSON 37: Forgive (Not Forget) 144
LESSON 38: Avoid the Blame Game 148
LESSON 39: Negotiate Position, Not Values 153
LESSON 40: Being Tough 158
LESSON 41: Letting Off Steam 163
PART IV:
PUT THE TEAM FIRST 167
LESSON 42: Developing Team Confidence 169
LESSON 43: Managing Dissent 173
LESSON 44: Recruiting Good People 176
LESSON 45: All You Need Is Love 180
LESSON 46: Get off the Pedestal 186
LESSON 47: Grace: Make It Look Effortless 189
LESSON 48: Humility: Get out of the Limelight 193
LESSON 49: Remembering the Past 197
LESSON 50: Humor: Lighten Up, It's Only Work 201
Epilogue 205
Notes 209
Index 217
Back to Top
