Synopses & Reviews
This is a book for 21st Century leaders. The authors are offering approaches to reduce stress and to promote satisfaction at a time when this seems impossible for most people struggling to make sense of the workplace and its demands:
76% of managers want to spend more time with their families
50% say they feel too mentally and physically exhausted to do anything but work or sleep
30% say their lives are out of control
one in five say they are too stressed to enjoy their lives at all
Many of the leadership skills (such as emotional intelligence, weak signal management, mental agility) that are key to success in today's corporate world are not taught in business schools, are rarely discussed by business academics, nor are they recognised within corporations as they recruit, promote and train their staff. Business conversation is all about the war for talent - and yet the solutions presented are all "outside-in" (i.e. what the corporation needs to do to ensure people stay, to "make" their values align, to retain them) rather than "inside-out" (i.e. alignment of individual's sense of purpose with how they spend their time, the fit of their skills to the demands of their job, and so on).
Alpha Leadership seeks to redress these imbalances.
The book is constructed around a new and simple model of leadership. The authors call this, 'Alpha leadership', which consists of three main axes: Anticipate, Align and Act. They have derived this model from their extensive experience of leadership development in the US and Europe, during a period of rapid adaptation to the digital economy. The authors argument is that traditional approaches to leadership, leadership as it is taught in the business schools and the criteria assigned to it by corporate promotion and appraisal systems, focus exclusively on 'action', and take little or no account of the crucial importance of anticipation and alignment. This is of increased concern since the skills most likely to generate success for leaders in today's networked, knowledge-based and unpredictable business environment are precisely those most often ignored.
This emphasis on action without its preliminaries of anticipation and alignment is also a paradox, since without effective anticipation and alignment, action is likely to be inefficient, ineffective, and unsustainable. The book is aimed at an "inside-out" view of leadership: starting with the individual and his/her sense of purpose and values, rather than the more typical approach to leadership writing which adopts an "outside-in" view, holding up models and examples of other leaders to emulate with little or no clue of how to go about doing so, or indeed whether or not this would be an appropriate model in the reader's specific context.
Alpha Leadership is designed as a pragmatic "how to" book, derived from the authors experience of one-to-one executive coaching - with tools, approaches and frameworks to support leaders in progressing in their careers, while also maintaining a sense of balance and purpose in their lives. Each chapter starts with a "parable" or story - a very readable analogy from completely different fields of study that is used to shed light on the issues and problems facing leaders in the business environment. The authors then move to a section on "sense making" (avoiding blue sky theorising in favour of practical, down-to-earth interpretation and real life business examples). Finally the authors include relevant tools/frameworks to help the readers apply what they have read in their every day business lives.
Review
"..full of useful advice and insights..." (Long Range Planning, No.35, 2002)
"…this one had me hooked…I stopped reviewing it and started reading it for pleasure…" (EDGE, Autumn 2002)
"…this one provides the means of moving from admiration to emulation without suggesting imitation. The suggestion is that existing and would-be leaders should use the hints and methods contained here to decide on their own approach…" (The Independent, 7 December 2002)
"…This ‘how to’ book has arisen from the authors’ extensive experience of leadership development in the US and Europe…" (Management Abstracts)
"…had me hooked…the lessons of the book are as applicable to team leaders as they are to corporate leaders.…" (Edge, December 2002)
Synopsis
Ein pragmatischer Leitfaden zu mehr Ausgewogenheit zwischen Arbeiten und Leben.
Alpha Leaders stellt ein neues und einfaches F hrungsmodell vor, das auf den drei Haupts ulen Vorausberechnen, Orientieren und Handeln basiert.
Jedes Kapitel beginnt mit einer Parabel, die die Fragen und Probleme von F hrungskr ften in der modernen Unternehmensumgebung n her beleuchtet.
Vermittelt werden die notwendigen Tools und Methoden, mit denen die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse in die Praxis umgesetzt werden k nnen.
Geschrieben von einem erfahrenen Expertenteam.
Synopsis
How can you be a successful leader, reduce stress and promote happiness at a time when most people are struggling to make sense of the workplace, the changing economy and a changing world?
This 'how to' book has arisen from the authors' extensive experience of leadership development in the US and Europe. Their research shows that the successful leader excels in three separate but related dimensions:
* Anticipate: detecting and responding to 'weak signals' to 'get ahead of the curve'
* Align: achieving congruence in your own values and desires and those of others
* Act: making things happen
Tools and frameworks are provided so that the reader can apply what they have read to their own business situation.
Each chapter is self-sufficient, with its own set of principles illustrated by stories and anecdotes, and its own set of tools designed to help you implement the principles.
Synopsis
"Alpha Leadership should be read by anyone seriously interested in understanding more about the leadership process. It breaks out of the pack of "me-too" leadership books with intriguing applications from across the spectrum of social and behavioral sciences. The authors provide fresh perspectives and insights into the process of leadership and becoming a more effective leader. Examples are exciting and intriguing and the applications descriptively practical." -- Barry Z. Posner PhD, internationally recognized expert in leadership and leadership development, Dean of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, USA and author of The Leadership Challenge.
"Walk into the Leadership section of any bookshop and you get bombarded by a whole host of different ideas, strategies, and style manuals; most making academic and unrealistic promises for the "leader in the street". For a budding leader, it's not only confusing, but frustrating having your skills and aspirations benchmarked against people like Branson and Welch. Alpha Leadership really is different. It's more of a handbook than a straight read - you get as much from dipping into chapters that take your fancy, as from reading it start to finish. This is stuff you can use - key points are framed in a story that's easy to relate to; which helps you to see that, actually, some of the mindset and style of being a good leader is already lying dormant within you. All you have to do is give it a bit of thought to set your homegrown leadership potential free." --David Thompson, Vice President, Equity Learning & Development Manager, Investment Management, Merrill Lynch.
"A wonderful 'guide for the perplexed'. Explains how to persevere in shifting situations and fulfil your original purpose by different means - splendidly anecdotal and down-to-earth." -- Charles Hampden-Turner, The Judge Institute of Management Studies, University of Cambridge. Co-author of Riding the Waves of Culture.
About the Author
ANNE DEERING has 17 years' experience as a management consultant with A.T. Kearney, working with senior executives to resolve complex business problems. A.T. Kearney is a global management consultancy with 4,000 employees worldwide. She is co-author of The Difference Engine.
ROBERT DILTS has a global reputation as a leading behavioural skills trainer and business consultant. He has authored several works including Neuro-Linguistic Programming Vol. 1 (with Grinder, Bandler and DeLozier), accepted as the standard text in the field of NLP.
JULIAN RUSSELL is the Managing Director of PPD Consulting, a coaching a development firm for senior executives. He has over 20 years' experience as a personal development and leadership coach. Julian is the author of Spreading Personal Growth in Society.
Table of Contents
PART I: ANTICIPATE.
Detecting Weak Signals.
Developing Mental Agility.
Freeing Up Resources.
PART II: ALIGN.
Leading through embodiment.
Task through Relationship.
Creating Cultures that can Act.
PART III: ACT.
80:20 Leadership.
Ready, Fire, Aim.
Dogged Pursuit (and knowing when to stop).
Conclusion.
Alpha Leaders Website.
Biographies.