Rules and Tools for Leaders : A down to Earth Guide to Effective Management

by Smith, Perry M.

• ISBN13: 9780399527869
• ISBN10: 0399527869
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-02
• Publisher: Perigee Trade

Summary

Rules & Tools for Leadershas guided hundreds of thousands of leaders exactly how to create and maintain growth and profitability. From hiring, firing and promoting to responding to major corporate crises, from day-to-day encounters to long-range strategic planning, Perry covers virtually every aspect of leadership and provides the means to get the job done-and done well. Along with a thorough understanding of group dynamics, business models, and ethical practices, Rules & Tools for Leadersalso features invaluable checklists and guidelines-providing everyday tools to put the tried-and-true rules into effect.

Author Biography

Major General Perry M. Smith, USAF Retired, is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and earned a Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University. An internationally known speaker and media commentator, he has conducted seminars on leadership, strategic planning, and ethics for hundreds of organizations, including Harvard's Kennedy School, Emory University, Microsoft, Tiffany & Company, Time Warner, and Texas Instruments. He is a military analyst for CBS radio and CBS television.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	xi
Foreword	xiii
Preface	xvii
Introduction	xxi
Part I: Leadership	1	(134)
Leading
Thirty Fundamentals to Remember	3	(26)
Taking Over
The Vital Nature of the Transition	29	(16)
Setting Standards
Personal and Institutional Integrity	45	(8)
Creating A Strategic Vision
The Role of Planning	53	(16)
Establishing Prirorities
The Mission, the Mission, the Mission	69	(10)
Making the Big Decisions
Seven Useful Checks	79	(10)
Decentralizing and Getting Feedback
A Twin Dilemma	89	(8)
Leading International Organizations
Cultural Complexities and National Antagonisms	97	(6)
Leading During Crises and Change
Keeping Cool and Flexible	103	(10)
Dealing With the Downside
Failures, Rumors, Criticisms, and Stepping Down	113	(14)
Handling the Media
The Challenge and the Opportunity	127	(8)
Part II: The People and the Organization	135	(84)
Working for the Big Boss
The Trials and Opportunities of the Subordinate Leader	137	(12)
Hiring
Putting the Right People in the Right Jobs in the Right Way	149	(12)
Understanding Your Team Members
Effective Tools for Enlightened Leadership	161	(10)
Taking Care of Your People
Mentoring, not Cronyism	171	(10)
Counseling Associates
The Value of One-on-Ones	181	(14)
Complimenting Creatively
Say Thank You in Many Ways	195	(8)
Teaching and Reading
Leadership Essentials	203	(6)
Firing
The Role of the Leader	209	(10)
Part III: Personal and Professional Growth and Education	219	(58)
Looking at Yourself
The Importance of Introspection	221	(30)
Reaching Outward and Upward
Build Bridges and Braintrusts	251	(6)
Scheduling Your Time
Discipline Yourself and Your Calendar	257	(10)
Wrapping it Up
Put It All Together	267	(10)
Suggested Reading	277	(6)
Leadership Education Programs	283	(6)
Index	289	(6)
About the Author	295