Getting a Grip on Leadership
By Robyn Pearce and LaVonn Steiner
Managers and aspiring leaders crave for a system; with this book you'll have it in your hands.
This leadership system works. You'll find it very easy and quick to find help in whatever area you're currently challenged by, using the comprehensive index and the key point lists at the end of each chapter and section.
There are four essential commonsense components of leadership: four questions to answer. Since leadership basic principles are tranportable, this book applies to managers, individuals, and volunteers in non-profit organizations.
Part 1: Foundation – Who are you? To lead others, first know yourself.
- Let’s get it right from the beginning – who are you and what’s your purpose?
- What do you stand for? (or not stand for!)
- History is a great teacher
- The place of power
- Here I come, world – I’m good at this!
Part 2: Vision and Strategy – Where are you and your organization going? Create a plan.
- All planning is not the same – learn to think strategically
- 12 steps in strategic planning
- Strategic planning for life
Part 3: Climate – What’s it like to work here? How to build a positive workplace.
- The individual in the workplace
- Communication is King!
- How the leader impacts the climate
- Feedback, criticism and appraisals
- How to deal with conflict
- How to get the message not only delivered, but also understood
Part 4: Synergy – How to work well together
- What are my team’s wants, needs and strengths
- How do I get the best out of them?
- Into the future – leaders who can lead through change
From Chapter 10 Communication is King!
(Just one example to wet your appetite)
Great leaders create a great climate. They not only understand how to enhance and build their people’s self-esteem (and we’ll share more tips on how in Chapter 11), but they’re also great communicators. They maintain an atmosphere of open communication where colleagues are informed about key issues, listened to, and invited to share their opinions. Great leaders weave both art and science into their communication.
The art of communicating with employees involves mutual respect and openness. A primary function for leaders is to create an expectation of safe, honest two-way communication.
LaVonn’s story
Wilma Snow comes to mind when I think of a positive work climate and a brilliant communicator. In my first job after high school, I worked as an on-the-job-trained laboratory technician in a major clinic. Wilma was our laboratory manager and training instructor. She’d had polio as a child and stood less than five feet tall. But as a leader, Wilma towered. Her patience was remarkable. Her energy, encouragement and clear expectations created a work climate where people learned, worked hard, and had fun. Communication was open and honest. We could ask her questions. We felt appreciated. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Wilma was proud of each of us. She was manager, mentor, and friend. Her encouragement and support of me continued long after I left the clinic.
Wilma's communication skills:
- She maintained an atmosphere of respect and open communication.
- Employees were informed about key issues.
- She not only kept employees up-to-date on what was happening in the clinic, she told them why.
- They were relaxed about asking questions.
- They were regularly invited to offer opinions, to which she listened with respect.
- When she listened, there was a special energy in the way she listened; employees walked away feeling that what they had to say was important.
How do you communicate?
Broadly speaking, there are three possible styles - equal, competitive or passive. (The study of transactional analysis, and the book ‘You’re OK, I’m OK’ by Thomas Harris will give you an expansion of this way of looking at communication). As you study the following descriptions, think how you speak to the different people in your life. You’ll find the method you choose for each person holds up a mirror to the way you see yourself in relation to that person.
An equal communicator sees him or herself as equivalent to the other person.
Equal communication is:
- Descriptive
- Thoughtful
- Respectful
- Problem-solving
- Goal-oriented
- Honest
A competitive communicator sees him or herself as superior, and the other person as inferior.
Competitive communication is:
- Judging
- Ordering
- Warning
- Threatening
- Preaching
- Criticizing
- Blaming
A passive communicator sees him or herself as inferior, and the other person as superior. Passive communicating is indirect and manipulative. Hinting, guilt trips, indirect verbal put-downs or back-biting are used to quietly sway others to their way of thinking. It’s hard to know what passive people are thinking and feeling.
Passive communication is:
- Accommodating
- Pushing your own feelings down
- Ignoring situations
- Manipulating
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Reviews
"This book should be required reading for everyone. I found it clear, practical, and easy to read. Its exploration and development aspects give readers guidance on actual implementation. The section on strategic planning with tracking tools is the best I have seen. Congratulations on a well-written book."
Linda Knodel, Senior Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer
Magnet Hospital St. Alexius Medical Center
“Congratulations to you and your colleague on a practical, yet inspiring publication. Your four fundamentals for effective leadership say it all.”
Sister Thomas Welder, President
University of Mary
"LaVonn Steiner and Robyn Pearce have written a blueprint for success that's perfect for today's on-the-move business executive - and those who hope to be! Behavior profiling to foster team-building, leadership lessons to drive productivity, a "lead from the front" directive - it's all in there!"
Pamela A. Schmidt, Vice President
SIA Marketing
“I purchased your book 8 days ago at the Bismarck Barnes & Noble. I just finished it, and wanted to let you know that I found the book very useful, and intend to refer it many times in the future. The many concepts and ideas in the book will certainly help me to become a better manager.”
Steve Wangler, Senior Vice President
Bank Center First
“The easy part is knowing that as a leader I can and must do better. The "doing" is the hard part. Getting a Grip on Leadership provides engaging, practical, and well-structured leadership insights that have greatly improved my journey.”
Chris Young, CEO
The Rainmaker Group
“I thought your first book was fantastic, but this is even better, if that's possible. It's so practical and easy to apply. You've written it in such an inviting way that I want to do the exercises (which I don't always find true for books of this kind), and they're really easy to do. It's valuable to have such a complex subject broken down into a very practical four-step process. Well done.”
Jane Butler
executive coach and speaker
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