Essential Leadership Skills Revealed
589732
Great insights into what it means to be a leader in the increasingly complex and ambiguous world we live in.  An easy read that provides a bevy of information on how to succeed through embracing complexity and ambiguity, and how the management of opposition and confrontation are essential skills for any leader.  Challenges our instinct to demonstrate competency through simplification of complex often contradictory circumstances.
3651130
If you want to be a better leader, get this book!  I knew after reading the introduction and 1st chapter of "The Well-Balanced Leader" that I was going to like this easy-to-understand book and find it highly informative.  This is more than just another book on leadership psychology.  In this book, Ron Roberts provides a way to assess where one's leadership level is now and how to move it to a higher scale.  Key business topics of empowerment, feedback, ethics, motivation, knowledge sharing and continuous learning are presented as great leadership essentials.

The book comes with a mini-assessment and scoring sheet to determine a starting point for leadership measurement.  Within each chapter are guiding principles for leadership that are well worth posting in meeting rooms.  Plus personalized affirmations are scattered throughout that would make great office bulletin board reminders as a management compass.  It also includes games, exercises, and activities to be done individually, in pairs, or with a group in order to help with growth planning, strategy development, and moving forward in the learning process.  All chapters include short thought-provoking cases studies or examples and quotes from successful business leaders.  I read a lot of business books and this is one book I found full of great material and really hard to put down!
2945154
I enjoyed reading this new book on.leadership by leadership guru John Maxwell. Easy to read with great examples. This book is well researched and well written. Excellent exercises at the end of each chapter. I recommend this book without qualifications for anyone who wants to be a leader.
714384
New York Society Library

This is an interesting review of leadership qualities, especially apt for me personally since I am now getting involved in working with not-for-profit entities after a long period of caregiving and then downsizing our several properties.

His checklist that appeared in "The New York Times" today was particularly useful. These are all qualities I used to employ and a refresher in a new role is very helpful.

1. SELF-AWARENESS

Realistic self-confidence: You understand your own strengths and limitations; you operate from competence and know when to rely on someone else on the team.

Emotional insight: You understand your feelings. Being aware of what makes you angry, for instance, can help you manage that anger.

2. SELF-MANAGEMENT

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Resilience: You stay calm under pressure and recover quickly from upsets. You don't brood or panic. In a crisis, people look to the leader for reassurance; if the leader is calm, they can be, too.

Emotional balance: You keep any distressful feelings in check  instead of blowing up at people, you let them know whats wrong and what the solution is.

Self-motivation: You keep moving toward distant goals despite setbacks.

3. EMPATHY

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Recent Comments

shoelace
 11 hours ago
When I see a great leader, I notice how they respond to bad news, criticism or negative results. They expect it will happen and acknowledge...

Bruce
 14 hours ago
I have been in business for 30+ years. I have an MBA, and have worked for a number of successful companies. During that time I have come...

drollere
 14 hours ago
nicely done -- wise in form and content.

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Cognitive and emotional empathy: Because you understand other perspectives, you can put things in ways colleagues comprehend. And you welcome their questions, just to be sure. Cognitive empathy, along with reading another persons feelings accurately, makes for effective communication.

Good listening: You pay full attention to the other person and take time to understand what they are saying, without talking over them or hijacking the agenda.

4. RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

Compelling communication: You put your points in persuasive, clear ways so that people are motivated as well as clear about expectations.

Team playing: People feel relaxed working with you. One sign: They laugh easily around you.

Robert C. Ross
April 2015
799573
The bottom line  leadership is earned and not granted,  - one of many tweetable moments in Many Parts. One Body  Healthier leaders, Healthier Teams, A Healthier YOU. Rubi Ho provides leaders, organizational development practitioners, human resources professionals and people eager to learn about organizational health a blueprint on factors to consider for operational excellence. He masterfully leverages his experience and insight to give us just what the doctor ordered  a prescription for what to know, understand and do as it relates to strategic leadership.

I was immediately able to implement suggestions and dog ear pages to share with friends and colleagues. In the book, Rubi discusses executive presence and the importance of having it in the workplace  its just one strategic levers professionals can use to move the business forward, influence outcome and achieve the business result. The quick read, will have you compelled to learn and implement more and be a strong leader. Like a good physician, Rubi doesnt just place a bandage over leadership flaws, he exposes them and provides tactics and tools to heal and ultimately achieve optimal health.

Great job, Rubi. Now can we have a workshop?
1306073
The author has years of experience and he has has summarised it into a very valuable and readable book. There is no single answer to developing leadership skills but this book and ideas it sets out will contribute greatly to the the thinking of anyone who aspires to, or currently fulfils, a leadership role.
4837105
Bob Murray uses simple speak to help us all learn from his leadership insight.  His lessons are applicable to every day work and personal life and stand the test of time.  I heartily recommend this book for anyone looking to understand how to build on their leadership ability - starting with what's already inside :)  This is definitely a book I'll be sharing with my network of business professionals.
4569941
Knowing the boundaries as a leader is an essential key to guiding others to the ultimate goal to achievement. This book gives excellent insight to these areas
4216618
At the outset, Avolio asserts that leadership is both made and born; a person's beliefs about leadership can, however, become self-fulfilling and self-limiting. Learning and leading must go hand in hand for a person to achieve his/her full leadership potential. Thankfully, this author believes that the development of authentic leadership is more profound than a listing of do's and don'ts; he is true to his ambition. In each chapter Avolio discusses one main concept that makes up an overall model of leadership development with the aim of conveying a new model for the reader. The context of the model is each person's life stream-events that shape their views, used to lead others. The key elements are 1) a person's self and possible self (perspective of self), 2) perspective of others, 3) using feedback to adjust behavior, 4) mistakes and trust, and 5) the merging of leadership and technology. Avolio then looks at the state-of-art of leadership development today, examines strategic leadership development, and presents a model that predicts performance and can be used for development.  The final chapter provides supporting research for each preceding chapter. The hallmark of this book is its in-depth treatment of the subject. It is loaded with rich content. This is a masterful work on an complex subject.
383436
"Leaders are not born they are made". We are always talking about how to be a leader and how to work with team. Leadership is critical in nowadays life. This book provides us different solutions to make leadership effective. It not only provides the tip of how to be a leader, but also have Dr. Odom personal experience to help us to understand. The language in the book is easy to understand. I find one of the most important thing for leader is to create a safe and winning culture. As I learn in the class, leader work with people and lead the project. All organizational problems are people problem. Following with that, Dr. Odom mentioned that show up the same way every day, which respects your fellows. Think thrice, question twice, act once I find it useful for my personal life. Action taken can be one second but effect may not. As a newcoming for professional life, bad impression may hang over for a while in a company. I need to get used to behave after thinking.  He or she is a bad solider who doesnt dreaming of being a general I am highly recommend this book for new officers as well as managers.
4841302
Whats a leader whos serious about becoming a great leader to do? One could get lost amidst the clutter of atomized competencies, confusing and contradictory models of leadership, endless clusters of management practices . . . and a blizzard of buzzwords. Where can one find simple yet profound advice that one can use to improve? Look no further than Michael Becks book Eliciting Excellence: Bringing Out the Best in People.

Michal has charted the territory of leadership with close ups on three primary destination: 1) how we act (self), 2) how we interact (team) and 3) how we guide (organization).  Like the best of travel guides, he unpacks each of these destinations clearly describing the  territory, illustrated each with vignettes that bring them to life and a very useful list of What to do to put the ideas into practice.

He is good at picking the common sense things that matter most; he is also good at calling out nonsense. An example is when he points out that a numerical goal is not a strategy and, by itself, a blunt tool to bring out the best in people.

Leaders at all levels will find good advice in this book.  But I am particularly impressed with the value of the book for first time managers.  If you are one of these managers, rather than spending time reading dozens of books, blogs and enticing secrets of leadershipread , study and apply the lessons in this book.  You will  be well on your way to being a good, and eventually, with lots of practice and course corrections, a great leader.
1755301
This book presents an amazing opportunity for leaders to gain self-awareness and take control of their leadership personas.  The book guides and directs leaders to understand the importance of maximizing both perceptions and actions to become outstanding leaders in their organizations.
1323587
This text offers readers a self-assessment and an interpretation of how leaders can provoke change through leadership. The methods are very valuable and useful. This book provides a great overview not only into leadership but also problem solving skills. The information provided will take anyone to the next level.
3256106
I was fortunate enough to get to read this book before it's release, but even more, I was fortunate enough to have witnessed the amazing leadership skills Nick developed during his time serving our country. Seeing him transfer those leadership skills into the world of business has not only been fun to watch, but I have learned so much from him as well. In full disclosure, I'm Nick's mom, but that doesn't change how much I have gained from reading this book.

The lessons taught in this book are valuable for young and old, military and civilian, experienced and those just getting started. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a continuous learner and who wants to develop their leadership skills.
4371192
Having read countless books on leadership it is difficult not to be immune to the academic recounts and blurb that are often found to be lacking! In contrast I found Inspiring Leadership to be totally refreshing and an absolute must read for all leaders. From the first few moving pages, the author opens the doors to many personal stories and experiences. Presenting an intelligent examination of various acts of leadership he exposes the great and the inadequate, providing us with real depth and sharp insights to encourage learning. The author presents the '8 Leadership components' framework with useful exercises to stimulate thinking in order to challenge our ingrained beliefs about ourselves and our behaviours to define purpose and take action for greater success. In an age where inspiration, service and ethics are fundamental to 21st Century leadership this powerful and pragmatic framework provides the catalyst for personal, team and organisational shifts. Exceptional!
1671486
Just as the title describes, Ultimate Leadership, 10 Rules for Success is a no-nonsense, straight forward guide that relies heavily on that elusive leadership quality that many leaders simply ignore: common sense.  Chris writes in an honest, easy to read style that provides specific examples of leadership pitfalls and how to avoid them.  Beginning with emotional intelligence and ending with mentorship, the book provides you with the tools you need to deal with almost any leadership situation.  As an Air Force veteran and current cyber security program manager that leads a large and diverse team of security professionals, I've read countless leadership books and considered myself a pretty good leader.  Boy was I wrong!  Cebolleros book taught me that as a leader its ok to make mistakes - true leadership is a learned art.  His fail faster (and smarter), learn and improve methodology is a constant throughout the book.  A must read if you are serious about becoming a better leader and mentor.
1078376
Over the years Ive come to respect and benefit from Hughs innate ability to coach individuals to be transformational leaders and for their organizations to be transformed as well. His present book is a roadmap for anyone who not only wants to be a transformational leader, but one with a passion for leading people and organizations to unparalleled success.