book

Leadership Conversations: Challenging High Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders

by Alan S. Berson, Richard G. Stieglitz

February 2013

Beginner to intermediate

320 pages

7h 5m

English

Jossey-Bass

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High Potentials Don’t Know What They Don’t KnowThe Challenge of Moving UpLeadership Conversations—The BookMy Leadership Conversations—The Website
How Great Leaders Treat OthersGreat Leaders Communicate EffectivelyGreat Leaders Grow Their PeopleWhat Great Leaders BelieveSame Playing Field but a Whole New Game—TwiceIt’s Never Too Late
Conversations Make the DifferenceEffective Conversations Create AlignmentYour Generation Influences Your MindsetHarnessing Generational Mindset Differences
A Virtuous Cycle of Leadership ConversationsThree Perspectives in Leadership ConversationsBlending Two Mindsets, Four Types of Conversation, and Three PerspectivesStandards for Leadership Conversations

Knowing the Leadership RulesThe Common Thread
Essential Relationship-Building SkillsMultimedia RelationshipsThe Increasing Importance of RelationshipsNot Having a Relationship Can Be Costly
Each Strength Has a Companion ShadowGetting Started on the Right FootDeveloping Unconscious Competence in RelationshipsRecognizing the ShadowsFocus on Strengths
People Have FeelingsThe Legends in Your OrganizationThe Elements of CultureChanging Relationships Changes the Culture
You Are Always under a MicroscopeListeningTransparencyAuthenticityHaving the Right Conversations
Open Your MindEncourage Diversity and InclusionMake Diversity Work
Build Versus BuyStart with the Right PeopleYour Responsibility to Develop OthersHow Deep Should Succession Planning Go?
Assessing PotentialDeveloping Leadership Skills in High PotentialsDemand More from Your High PotentialsDon’t Miss the Signs of TroubleDelivering FeedbackThree-Phase Process for Giving Effective FeedbackBuilding a Feedback Culture
Baseline Conversations to Set ExpectationsBaseline Conversations about Performance StandardsBaseline Conversations about RelationshipsBaseline Conversations about PrioritiesFeedback Conversations about Achieving GoalsFeedback Conversations When Roles Get Turned Upside DownFeedback Conversations about UnderperformanceFeedback Conversations about TimelinessFeedback Conversations with Your BossWhen Routine Conversations Do Not Work
Are You an Obstacle?Removing Obstacles That Get in Your People’s WayYour Role as a LeaderCoaching Managers
Multimedia RecognitionRecognition Is Inexpensive—Lack of Recognition Can Be CostlyRecognize Behaviors as Well as ResultsCelebrate Even Small SuccessesCelebrate People
Five Realms of JudgmentJudgment Is a Process, Not an EventKeystone JudgmentsHow Decisions Are MadeProblem Solving Versus Decision MakingMake Decisions DecisivelyGrowing the Judgment Gene in High Potentials
Engaging Your Team’s KnowledgeBenefits of a Learning OrganizationGroup Decision MakingHow Much Consensus Do You Really Have?Finding the Third AlternativeWhat If a Third Alternative Does Not Exist?Promoting TeamworkIt’s Not About Winning
Curiosity Pushes the BoundariesCuriosity Creates OpportunitiesFocus on OpportunitiesEven Great Leaders Don’t Have All the AnswersManagers Answer Questions—Leaders Ask ThemQuestions Go Both Ways
Staying Ahead of ChangeWhat is Driving Change?To Change or Not to ChangeWorking with Different Change Styles
What Motivates Leaders?Action or Inaction—It’s a ChoiceThe Context for ActionAn All-Star Team Isn’t EnoughThe Plan-Results Gap
Planning Is an Essential ConversationGuiding People to Deliver ValueIn Theory, Goals are Fixed—In Reality, They EvolveTell Everyone What the Plan SaysMaking Midcourse Corrections
Change Is the Natural OrderLeadership: The Essence of ChangeForced Change Doesn’t WorkConversations About Specific ActionsDon’t Assume—Discover
The Comfort Zone Versus the Learning ZoneConversations About Success and FailureAfter-Action Reviews in the Commercial SectorLet Go of Perfection
The Meaning of SilenceRequesting Action Versus Demanding ActionPutting Leadership Influence Into ActionWhen Your Team Is Effective, You Become PromotableLeading in Stressful Times
The CXO Leader’s RoleConversations by CXO Leaders with Their BossConversations by CXO Leaders with Their PeersConversations by CXO Leaders with Their High Potentials
The Executive Leader’s RoleConversations by Executive Leaders with Their BossConversations by Executive Leaders with Their PeersConversations by Executive Leaders with Their High Potentials
The Manager of Manager’s RoleConversations by Managers of Managers with Their BossConversations by Managers of Managers with Their PeersConversations by Managers of Managers with Their High Potentials
The First-Line Manager’s RoleConversations by First-Line Managers with Their BossConversations by First-Line Managers with Their PeersConversations by First-Line Managers with Their High Potentials
Guide to Taking the Leadership AssessmentWhat Comes Next?Leadership Coaches and Survey Instruments

Content preview from Leadership Conversations: Challenging High Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders

CHAPTER 17

What You Know Is Irrelevant

Ultimately, a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.

—MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Well, “irrelevant” may be somewhat harsh, but what you know is less important to the success of your organization than you might think. Several things are more important:

What the people in the organization collectively know
The speed at which they (and you) are learning
How easily and quickly knowledge is shared across your organization
How effectively knowledge is applied to make and implement decisions

Your knowledge matters only to the extent that you share it in conversations and use it to make decisions. As a leader, you must ensure that opportunities and issues are analyzed thoroughly and dealt ...

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ISBN: 9781118551868Purchase book