Seven Disciplines of A Leader

Seven Disciplines of A Leader is a comprehensive manual for building better leaders. Author and executive coach Jeff Wolf is a respected authority on leadership, and his strategies and inspiration have fostered dramatic growth in some of the nation's top companies. In this book, he shares the secrets of great leadership to help readers align professional development and exemplify these traits themselves. Each of the Disciplines is valuable on its own, but together they add up to more than a sum of their parts, and work synergistically to propel leaders to higher and higher effectiveness and companies to better and better business. From initiative, to planning, to community service, readers will gain deep insight into what separates the good from the great, and how organizations can nurture these qualities in their employees with leadership potential.

A good leader gets results, but a great leader inspires every single member of the team to reach their utmost potential every single time. A great leader makes everyone shine, and provides the vision, the tools, and the support people need to do their very best work. This book describes how it's done, and how greatness can be learned.

• Discover the traits that make leaders great
• Align leadership development training to maximize potential
• Foster the right attitudes and behaviors for better outcomes
• Build a culture of sustainable success that permeates the organization

Individual achievement is great, but fostering a culture of achievement sends business into the future on an upward trajectory. It's more than just a single inspired employee; it's about recognizing the signs of potential leadership and nurturing them to fruition throughout the organization. Seven Disciplines of A Leader is the field guide to great leadership.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: What Makes Certain Leaders Highly Effective? xi

I The Nature of Highly Effective Leadership 1

1 Welcome to Leadership: Nature of the Job 3

2 Who Said It Would Be Easy?: Scope of the Leader’s Job 14

3 Principles of Effective Leadership: Essence of the Leader’s Job 24

4 Disciplines and Practices of Highly Effective Leaders 34

II Seven Disciplines 45

5 Discipline 1: Initiative and Influence: Seize the Reins and Set an Example for Others 47

6 Discipline 2: Vision, Strategy, and Alignment: The Progression from Plans to Accomplishments Marks a True Leader 59

7 Discipline 3: Priorities, Planning, and Execution: Execution Cannot Succeed without the Team’s Acceptance and Endorsement 75

8 Discipline 4: Social/Emotional/Political Intelligence: The Tribulations of Leadership and Their Remedies 91

9 Discipline 5: Reciprocation, Collaboration, and Service 104

10 Discipline 6: Love and Leverage: There is No Substitute for Passion about Work 113

11 Discipline 7: Renewal and Sustainability: Those Who Practice Renewal and Sustainability Avoid Common Pitfalls 125

III Eleven Practices of Highly Effective Leaders 133

12 Practice 1: Hire People Like a Casting Director 135

13 Practice 2: Never Stop Developing People 147

14 Practice 3: Understand the Value of Coaching 165

15 Practice 4: Motivate and Inspire People 174

16 Practice 5: Master Communication 180

17 Practice 6: Build an Optimal Team 200

18 Practice 7: Deliver Excellence and Satisfy Customers 216

19 Practice 8: Balance Your Work and Personal Life: It Will Help You Find the Right Perspective 228

20 Practice 9: Nurture New Leaders and Retain High Performers 239

21 Practice 10: Lead Desired Change 248

22 Practice 11: Manage a Multigenerational Workforce 258

About the Author 273

Index 275

JEFF WOLF is recognized as one of the top executive coaches in the country and is a dynamic and engaging speaker. A highly sought-after business consultant, his strategic focus in solving corporate and human issues has earned him continuing raves from global firms.

Leadership Excellence magazine named him one of America's Top 100 Thought Lead- ers for his accomplishments in leadership development, managerial effectiveness, and organizational productivity.

He is currently president of Wolf Management Consultants, LLC, one of the most comprehensive consulting, coaching and training firms in the world. The firm specializes in helping people, teams, and organizations achieve maximum effectiveness.

Throughout the years, he has been a recognized authority on leadership, and his principles, strategies, and inspiration have influenced dramatic growth and changes in countless organizations.

He may be reached at www.wolfmotivation.com

KEN SHELTON is CEO of Authentic Leadership and founding editor/publisher of Leadership Excellence magazine. He collaborated with Stephen R. Covey on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and is editor/ publisher of 128 other books on personal and leadership development.

An organization's fate is determined by the quality of its leadership. Good leaders can take a faltering business and turn it into an innovative powerhouse. By the same token, mediocre leaders can run even world-class brands into the ground. We've seen enough examples of both scenarios to know that they really happen, but, despite an avalanche of business books, many leaders still don't understand how to emulate the success stories and avoid the cautionary tales. Seven Disciplines of a Leader is a different kind of leadership book, thanks to one crucial point: author Jeff Wolf has the hands-on experience necessary to know what works and what doesn't.

Global firms have been able to remain on top because their executives, managers, and supervisors have developed the leadership skills that make businesses succeed. Jeff Wolf has provided leadership coaching for these global business leaders, and the Seven Disciplines and Eleven Practices in this book come from his direct experience. True leadership excellence is tested during economic downturns and times of strategic change, and the real-world examples in Seven Disciplines of a Leader show how to apply the same methods that have brought successful companies through the difficult last decade.

Transformative leaders did not get to where they are today just by reading books. They worked to put the knowledge they gained into practice every day. In Seven Disciplines of a Leader, each chapter ends with a takeaway section that includes a thought-provoking exercise to help readers actualize what they've learned. The Seven Disciplines—including Initiative and Influence, Social/Emotional/Political Intelligence, and Renewal and Sustainability—extend through every level of an organization, and even into personal life. For leaders who are serious about honing their skills and companies that want to bring out the leadership potential in employees, Seven Disciplines of a Leader provides an invaluable big-picture perspective.

Jeff Wolf has seen outstanding leadership successes and just as many cautionary tales. These examples, drawn from real companies will show you what excellent leadership looks like on a daily basis. With advice from the trenches, Seven Disciplines of a Leader provides the practical perspective that so many theoretical business books lack. Read this book to learn not only what great leaders do, but also how they do it.

An organization's fate is determined by the quality of its leadership. Good leaders can take a faltering business and turn it into an innovative powerhouse. By the same token, mediocre leaders can run even world-class brands into the ground. We've seen enough examples of both scenarios to know that they really happen, but, despite an avalanche of business books, many leaders still don't understand how to emulate the success stories and avoid the cautionary tales. Seven Disciplines of a Leader is a different kind of leadership book, thanks to one crucial point: author Jeff Wolf has the hands-on experience necessary to know what works and what doesn't.

Global firms have been able to remain on top because their executives, managers, and supervisors have developed the leadership skills that make businesses succeed. Jeff Wolf has provided leadership coaching for these global business leaders, and the Seven Disciplines and Eleven Practices in this book come from his direct experience. True leadership excellence is tested during economic downturns and times of strategic change, and the real-world examples in Seven Disciplines of a Leader show how to apply the same methods that have brought successful companies through the difficult last decade.

Transformative leaders did not get to where they are today just by reading books. They worked to put the knowledge they gained into practice every day. In Seven Disciplines of a Leader, each chapter ends with a takeaway section that includes a thought-provoking exercise to help readers actualize what they've learned. The Seven Disciplines—including Initiative and Influence, Social/Emotional/Political Intelligence, and Renewal and Sustainability—extend through every level of an organization, and even into personal life. For leaders who are serious about honing their skills and companies that want to bring out the leadership potential in employees, Seven Disciplines of a Leader provides an invaluable big-picture perspective.

Jeff Wolf has seen outstanding leadership successes and just as many cautionary tales. These examples, drawn from real companies will show you what excellent leadership looks like on a daily basis. With advice from the trenches, Seven Disciplines of a Leader provides the practical perspective that so many theoretical business books lack. Read this book to learn not only what great leaders do, but also how they do it.