Leadership Rules E-Book

Chris Widener

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 129

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

An inspiring business fable that champions leadership for the Everyman From bestselling author Chris Widener comes a compelling new story showing what you give and get when you lead. The story follows down-cast protagonist Mike Keller who, recently separated from his wife and demoted at work, must relocate to a rural factory-town in Texas. There, Mike encounters the deep-rooted traditions of Texas high school football, and in the process learns everything business school didn't teach him about leadership from the most influential man in town-the local high school football coach. * Highlights the Four Rules of Leadership: You Get What You Expect, You Get What You Model, You Get What You Reward, and You Get What You Work For * Advises readers, in an accessible teaching style, on how to tailor the Rules to their own circumstances * Includes reflection questions as a tool to guide readers in enriching their work life, family relationships, and social interactions Leadership Rules is an engaging, refreshing tale that imparts leadership lessons easily applied to both work life and your interpersonal relationships.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Introduction

Part One: The story

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Part Two: The Lessons

Leadership Rule Number One

Following the Rule

My Favorite Quotes about Expectations

Leadership Rule Number Two

Following the Rule

My Favorite Quotes on Being an Example

Leadership Rule Number Three

Following the Rule

My Favorite Quotes on the Power of Reward

Leadership Rule Number Four

Following the Rule

My Favorite Quotes on Hard Work

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Praise for Leadership Rules

“Once again Chris Widener provides the reader a fascinating story. The reader will savor time-tested principles of leadership by example. This is a must-read in the arsenal of any aspiring leader!”

—David Humphrey, president, ILD Global

“I love books that have business stories with meaningful takeaways. They’re fun to read yet provide actions that help improve me and my business. Chris Widener’s Leadership Rules is a simple read with simple, practical rules that will help you become a better leader of people.”

—Tony Alessandra, author, The NEW Art of Managing People and The Platinum Rule

“Fundamental principles captured in a warm-hearted story line. Quickly digested. Harder to apply. Recommended for those who intend to create cultures of personal responsibility and winners in business and life.”

—Dianna Booher, author, The Voices of Authority and Booher’s Rules of Business Grammar

To Lisa, Christopher, Hannah, Rebekah, and Sarah

Thanks for your patience in letting me practice and hone my leadership skills as I lead our family. I love you all very much!

Copyright © 2011 by Chris Widener. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Widener, Chris.

Leadership rules: how to become the leader you want to be / Chris Widener.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-470-91472-4 (hardback); ISBN 978-0-470-93167-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-0-470-93169-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-0-470-93170-7 (ebk)

1. Leadership. I. Title.

HD57.7.W523 2010

658.4'092—dc22

2010036006

INTRODUCTION

Every time I start writing a new book, I am reminded of Solomon’s words: Of the writing of books, there is no end. I ask myself if there is really a purpose for writing the book that I am about to write. If there isn’t, I don’t.

Ultimately, I write a book because I want to help people learn something or be reminded of something. I love the old line from G. K. Chesterton that says that people need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed. This is where I spend most of my time: Reminding people. Most of the time I am not saying something new; rather I am reminding my readers of something they have probably heard already. My goal is to remind them, often in a fresh way through a unique story, of the truths that govern successful living.

Simplicity is the key to success. Success isn’t brain surgery. As I write a book about leadership, I am even more convinced than ever that leadership is simple. It is hard, but it is simple.

Leadership Rules is about the simplicity of leadership. If you want to lead people, if you want to influence people and move them toward a common goal—whether it is a family, a business, or a football team—a few simple rules will form the foundation for that leadership.

One last thought. I use the word rules very specifically. It is human nature to want the easy answer, the silver bullet. We don’t want the rule, we want the law. The problem is that with human behavior, which leadership is completely beholden to, there is no one way. There are no laws that govern human behavior. Neither I nor anyone else can tell you that if you do thus and so, it will work all the time. That just isn’t so. Human behavior is extraordinarily complex.

And there’s the rub. It is complex, and it is simple. If you have a group of a thousand people that you lead, you have tens of thousands of variables that are taking place in their lives that shape them and the way they will respond to your leadership. It is entirely impossible to fully meet the problem of complexity as you attempt to lead. Yet the good news is that there are a few simple rules that, if followed, will meet the needs of most of the people, most of the time.

In the following pages, I hope to remind you of some simple truths that will take you a long way in working with people and becoming a great leader. They will not work all of the time: people will fail, and even those closest to you will disappoint you from time to time. But if you implement these leadership rules you will become a better leader. You will gain a deeper influence in the lives of more people. And that will take you—and them—much further down the road of success.