Lead By Example

by Baldoni, John

• ISBN13: 9780814412947
• ISBN10: 0814412947
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-10-08
• Publisher: Amacom Books

Summary

"In Lead by Example, John Baldoni reveals how you can get people to believe in you and work together. An internationally recognized leadership guru, he believes that a great leader does what is right for the team; in other words, supporting, developing, and defending it in good times and bad. With his advice, every leader will give his people a reason to believe in and want to follow him. Here, Baldoni reveals the traits and abilities every leader must have. Filled with examples of visionary leaders who have overcome their shortcomings and achieved greatness, Lead by Example will show you how to build trust, drive results, and win the respect of the people you lead."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

John Baldoni (Ann Arbor, MI) 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 .

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Prologue	p. xiii
Set the Right Example	p. 1
It All Starts with Character	p. 3
Knowing What You Know (and Don't Know)	p. 7
Accountability: The Buck Stops Here	p. 13
Courage: Stand Up for What You Believe	p. 17
Check Your Ego	p. 21
Take a Hard Look in the Mirror	p. 25
Patience, Patience	p. 28
Make Your Presence Felt	p. 31
Act the Part	p. 35
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!	p. 37
Listening for Ideas	p. 42
Developing Questions	p. 47
Giving Feedback	p. 51
Decisiveness: Decide or Not	p. 55
Influence: Getting People on Board	p. 58
Influencing Without Authority	p. 61
Know How to Win	p. 64
Hang Out the Lifelines	p. 68
Manage (and Lead)	p. 71
Managing by Inclusion	p. 75
Manage Around Obstacles	p. 79
Leading Innovation	p. 82
Moving from What to How	p. 86
Delegate (and Execute) for Results	p. 89
Upside-Down Leadership	p. 93
Make It Personal (Sometimes)	p. 97
Sustaining a Winning Culture	p. 101
Handle the Tough Stuff	p. 105
Defusing Tension	p. 107
Engage the Enemy	p. 110
Managing Crises	p. 113
Avoiding the Cross-Purposes Trap	p. 117
Delivering Bad News	p. 121
Persuading the Unpersuaded	p. 124
Handling Defeat	p. 130
Perseverance: Keep Pounding the Rock	p. 133
Resilience: Get Up and Do It Again	p. 136
Adaptability: Everything Changes, Even Leaders	p. 140
Forgive (Not Forget)	p. 144
Avoid the Blame Game	p. 148
Negotiate Position, Not Values	p. 153
Being Tough	p. 158
Letting Off Steam	p. 163
Put the Team First	p. 167
Developing Team Confidence	p. 169
Managing Dissent	p. 173
Recruiting Good People	p. 176
All You Need Is Love	p. 180
Get off the Pedestal	p. 186
Grace: Make It Look Effortless	p. 189
Humility: Get out of the Limelight	p. 193
Remembering the Past	p. 197
Humor: Lighten Up, It's Only Work	p. 201
Epilogue	p. 205
Notes	p. 209
Index	p. 217
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

EXCERPT FROM BOOK:PART ISet the Right ExampleALL 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 LINCOLNIT ALL STARTS WITH CHARACTERWhat 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 CountsInsisting 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 attitudesthey are defined behaviors for which a person is responsible.Hold the right people accountable.When people do something well, we like to reward themat least good companies do. But when people slip up,