Unnatural leadership : going against intuition and experience to develop ten new leadership instincts / David L. Dotlich, Peter C. Cairo ; foreword by Stephen H. Rhinesmith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dotlich, David L. (David Landreth), 1950-

Contributor:

Cairo, Peter C., 1948-

Series:

Jossey-Bass business & management series

The Jossey-Bass business & management series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Leadership.

Physical Description:

xviii, 268 pages ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

San Francisco : Jossey-Bass, [2002]

Summary:

In a Complicated, Insecure, and Constantly changing world, how do effective leaders in high-performing companies continue to succeed? Are they fearless heroes who have all the right answers -- transforming businesses, making fast decisions, and inspiring everyone no matter how complex the situation? Or are they "real people" who work hard to trust others, acknowledge their own flaws, and challenge conventional thinking? Are leaders who win followers and get things done heroic figures? Or do they actually possess characteristics and practice skills that fall outside the comfort zone of executives steeped in traditional leadership methods?

Written by David Dotlich and Peter Cairo -- two of the country's top executive coaches and educators -- Unnatural Leadership debunks the common notion of the natural leader as a flawless figure. The book describes the truth about being a real leader in a business environment turned upside down by e-commerce, diversity, security concerns, globalization, and matrix structures. Drawing on personal experience working with successful leaders in top-tier companies throughout the world, Dotlich and Cairo identify a style of leadership used by those who succeed in complicated business and people situations, a style that maximizes a leader's strengths and acknowledges weaknesses.

Using a variety of tools and techniques based on their proven Action Learning workshops and Action Coaching methods, the authors reveal how to transition from the traditional natural leadership role and develop successful, effective unnatural leadership traits. They recommend simple, practical methods that effective leaders use to get things done, motivate and lead, and deal with their own weaknesses and impulses.

Each chapter contains a wealth of tips and techniques to help implement and develop the skills needed to become a new kind of leader. Dotlich and Cairo challenge conventional wisdom about leadership such as "be in control" and "hide your flaws." Instead, they identify ten "unnatural acts" that effective leaders regularly commit and are, in fact, the best response to an "irrational, chaotic, and unpredictable universe." These include: Refuse to be a prisoner of experience. Expose your vulnerabilities. Create teams that create discomfort. Trust others before they earn it. Coach and teach rather than lead and inspire.

Unnatural Leadership is a realistic and truthful road map that provides a practical manual for anyone who longs to be both authentic and effective.

Contents:

pt. 1. The importance of unnatural leadership

Ten unnatural acts : exercise, assessing your unnatural leadership

Adapting to an increasingly unnatural environment : exercise, breaking the rules of natural leadership

Resistance factors : exercise, assessing your resistance to unnatural leadership

pt. 2. Personal challenges for the unnatural leader

Refuse to be a prisoner of experience : exercise, refuse to be a prisoner of experience

Expose your vulnerabilities : exercise, exposing your vulnerabilities

Acknowledge the shadow side : exercise, acknowledging your shadow side

Develop a right-versus-right decision-making mentality : exercise, a tool for developing an unnatural decision-making mentality

pt. 3. Leading teams as an unnatural leader

Create teams that create discomfort : exercise, create teams that create discomfort

Trust others before they earn it : exercise, trusting others before they earn it

Coach and teach rather than lead and inspire : exercise, coaching and teaching rather than leading and inspiring

pt. 4. Leading the organization as an unnatural leader

Connect instead of create : exercise, connecting instead of creating

Give up some control : exercise, giving up some control

Challenge the conventional wisdom : exercise, challenging the conventional wisdom

Giving yourself unnatural options.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-255) and index.

ISBN:

078795618X

OCLC:

48055466