A #1 New York Times bestselling author and leadership expert answers questions from his readers about what it takes to be in charge and make a difference. John Maxwell, America's #1 leadership authority, has mastered the art of asking questions, using them to learn and grow, connect with people, challenge himself, improve his team, and develop better ideas. Questions have literally changed Maxwell's life. In GOOD LEADERS ASK GREAT QUESTIONS, he shows how they can change yours, teaching why questions are so important, what questions you should ask yourself as a leader, and what questions you should be asking your team. Maxwell also opened the floodgates and invited people from around the world to ask him any leadership question. He answers seventy of them--the best of the best--including . . . What are the top skills required to lead people through difficult times? How do I get started in leadership? How do I motivate an unmotivated person? How can I succeed working under poor leadership? When is the right time for a successful leader to move on to a new position? How do you move people into your inner circle? No matter whether you are a seasoned leader at the top of your game or a newcomer wanting to take the first steps into leadership, this book will change the way you look at questions and improve your leadership life.
Many leaders are unaware of the amazing power of questions. Our conversations may be full of requests and demands, but all too often we are not asking for honest and informative answers, and we don’t know how to listen effectively to responses. When leaders start encouraging questions from their teams, however, they begin to see amazing results. Knowing the right questions to ask—and the right way to listen—will give any leader the skills to perform well in any situation, effectively communicate a vision to the team, and achieve lasting success across the organization. Thoroughly revised and updated, Leading with Questions will help you encourage participation and teamwork, foster outside-the-box thinking, empower others, build relationships with customers, solve problems, and more. Michael Marquardt reveals how to determine which questions will lead to solutions to even the most challenging issues. He outlines specific techniques of active listening and follow-up, and helps you understand how questions can improve the way you work with individuals, teams, and organizations. This new edition of Leading with Questions draws on interviews with thirty leaders, including eight whose stories are new to this edition. These interviews tell stories from a range of countries, including Singapore, Guyana, Korea, and Switzerland, and feature case studies from prominent firms such as DuPont, Alcoa, Novartis, and Cargill. A new chapter on problem-solving will help you apply questions to your toughest situations as a leader, and a new “Questions for Reflection” section at the end of each chapter will help you bring Marquardt’s message into all of your work as a leader. Now more than ever, Leading with Questions is the definitive guide for becoming a stronger leader by identifying—and asking—the right questions.
John T. Chain, Jr., rose from a second lieutenantto four-star general and led ournational missile defense program. Mike Harper led ConAgra Foods from$636 million to $20 billion in 20 years andincreased its stocks value 150 times over. Ask Gary Cohen what these remarkable leadershave in common and his answer will bestraightforward: They use questions to generatefresh ideas, inspire committed action, andbuild an army of forward-thinking leaders. In Just Ask Leadership, Cohen steers you awayfrom the all-too-common idea that if youdon’t assert yourself with strong statements,you will not be respected. On the contrary,statistics prove that 95 percent of employeesprefer to be asked questions rather than betold what to do. Involving employees andcolleagues in decision making processesbuilds an environment rich with energy, excitement,and innovative problem solving. Just Ask Leadership outlines not only specificquestions to ask in certain contexts, but alsohow to implement question-based leadershipas a whole. Learn how to Spend more time onlong-term goals—and lesson short-term crises Build a culture of accountability Create unity and trust throughoutyour workforce Steer decision making to the mostappropriate parties Develop rapport while instillingrespect When you ask questions, you show respect—and you are respected in turn. It is thatsimple. A combination of Cohen’s proven expertiseand interviews with nearly 100 highly effectiveleaders, Just Ask Leadership explains howto harness the power of questions to makeyour organization more competitive, moreprofitable, and a better place to work.
This book provides for the reader: - An excellent perspective on the early historical origins and political development of Nigeria. - Solutions to the leadership question Nigeria has been struggling with since independence. - It destroys the myth that leadership is Nigeria's only problem. - It points out the role of responsible followership in building a great nation. - It shows why democracy has not worked in Africa and what needs to be done for it to work. - It points out reasons why strong men (messiahs) cannot solve the problem of Nigeria and African nations. - It makes a case for building strong institutions and systems as the key to eradicating corruption and leadership failure. - It posits that wrong values are at the root of our national problems and challenges both for leaders and followers to imbibe good values. - It enjoins citizens not to abdicate the responsibility of their country to the leaders alone, but must themselves accept the responsibility for their nation. - It also shows examples of proactive Nigerians that are taking responsibility to build a better Nigeria. Tag: Nigeria, Leadership, Nigeria Leadership, Obasanjo, Buhari, Awolowo, Abiola, Adiagbon, Murtala Muhammed, Sunday Adelaja, National Transformation, Visionary Leader, Giants of Africa, Nigerians, Great Nation, Discover your Purpose.
Through rich analysis of the main characters in "The Death of a Salesman, The Secret Sharer, The Last Tycoon," and other stories, Badaracco addresses complex issues leaders face, such as the soundness of their vision, their readiness to take on responsibility, the depth of their compassion, and their ability to manage success.
Books about leadership abound, often generalizing from a heroic leader s own experiences or reflecting the latest incremental advances in scholarly theorizing. Rethinking Leadership is different in that Ladkin questions the key questions of leadership thinking and thus arrives at a radically different conception of leadership. It is a welcome conception that recognizes the embodied, sensual, felt nature of leadership as an ongoing process involving leaders and followers within a particular context. For the complex and challenging times we live in, we need complex and challenging conceptions of leadership and Donna Ladkin has given us an excellent starting place. Steve Taylor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, US Beautifully written, insightful and novel, this book departs nicely from mainstream views on leadership and can be strongly recommended to anyone wanting a new look on the complexities, meanings and dynamics of leadership and workplace relations. Mats Alvesson, Lund University, Sweden Donna Ladkin s inspiring and informed book breaks new ground in leadership studies. Writing lucidly, warmly and accessibly, Ladkin makes philosophy to bear on some key themes of leadership. Picking up concepts from philosophy s all time greats, she enriches the existing leadership discourse powerfully. Questions of charisma , vision , indeed the nature of leadership itself, are cast in fresh settings, and they become alive. Skilfully avoiding becoming overtly abstract, with a keen eye to examples, Donna Ladkin delivers a delightful, elevating and original contribution to the rethinking of leadership. Esa Saarinen, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland Adopting a post-positivist phenomenological perspective inspired by the writings of Husserl and Heidegger among others, Donna Ladkin crafts a series of philosophical questions that prompt the reader to deconstruct and reposition many habitually held views of leaders and leadership. Through her deep questioning, Ladkin reminds us that wisdom the virtue of practical circumspection is central to the ethical and aesthetic moment of leading. Rethinking Leadership is a refreshing and much-needed re-evaluation of the field, which should be read by anyone with a serious interest in the subject. Peter Case, University of the West of England, UK Writing anything new about leadership might seem like a difficult task these days. Writing anything new and interesting about leadership might seem beyond most of us. Writing anything new, interesting and provocative about leadership is restricted to only a few very talented scholars. Ladkin is one of these very talented scholars she has done all three in a groundbreaking review of the nature of leadership and the questions we should be asking about this phenomenon. Keith Grint, University of Warwick, UK A must-read for serious leadership studies scholars, Rethinking Leadership offers a radical reconceptualisation of leadership as a contextually embedded, physically embodied phenomenon. The book arrives at original and surprising answers to perennial questions such as What is leadership? and How do leaders lead change? , by addressing them from a philosophical, rather than psychological or sociological standpoint. Beautifully written, Ladkin makes complex ideas accessible by illustrating them with practical examples drawn from her wide experience as a leadership academic and management consultant across a range of commercial, political and not-for-profit organisations. A fresh voice amongst the crowded field of leadership studies, Rethinking Leadership delivers not just new answers, but an entirely new way of thinking about leadership and its role in contemporary society.
Harvard Business School professor and business leader Robert Kaplan presents a process for asking the big questions that will enable you to diagnose problems, change course if necessary, and advance your career.
True North shows how anyone who follows their internal compass can become an authentic leader. This leadership tour de force is based on research and first-person interviews with 125 of today’s top leaders—with some surprising results. In this important book, acclaimed former Medtronic CEO Bill George and coauthor Peter Sims share the wisdom of these outstanding leaders and describe how you can develop as an authentic leader. True North presents a concrete and comprehensive program for leadership success and shows how to create your own Personal Leadership Development Plan centered on five key areas: Knowing your authentic self Defining your values and leadership principles Understanding your motivations Building your support team Staying grounded by integrating all aspects of your life True North offers an opportunity for anyone to transform their leadership path and become the authentic leader they were born to be. Personal, original, and illuminating stories from Warren Bennis, Sir Adrian Cadbury, George Shultz (former U.S. secretary of state), Charles Schwab, John Whitehead (Cochairman, Goldman Sachs), Anne Mulcahy (CEO, Xerox), Howard Schultz (CEO, Starbucks), Dan Vasella (CEO, Novartis), John Brennan (Chairman, Vanguard), Carol Tome (CFO, Home Depot), Donna Dubinsky (CEO/cofounder, Palm), Alan Horn (President, Warner Brothers), Ann Moore (CEO, Time, Inc.) and many others illustrate the transitions that shape the type of leaders who will thrive in the 21st century. Bill George (Cambridge, MA) has spent over 30 years in executive leadership positions at Litton, Honeywell, and Medtronic. As CEO of Medtronic, he built the company into the world’s leading medical technology company as its market capitalization increased from $1.1 billion to $60 billion. Since 2004, he has been a professor at the Harvard Business School. His 2004 book Authentic Leadership (0-7879-7528-1) was a BusinessWeek bestseller. Peter Sims (San Francisco, CA) established “Leadership Perspectives,” a course on leadership development at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and cofounded the London office of Summit Partners, a leading investment firm. Their Web site is www.truenorthleaders.com.
