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TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments

TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments

by Douglas R. Conant, Mette Norgaard
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Release Date: May 2011
ISBN: 9781118004357
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Book Description

A fresh, effective, and enduring way to lead—starting with your next interaction

Most leaders feel the inevitable interruptions in their jam-packed days are troublesome. But in TouchPoints, Conant and Norgaard argue that these—and every point of contact with other people—are overlooked opportunities for leaders to increase their impact and promote their organization's strategy and values. Through previously untold stories from Conant's tenure as CEO of Campbell Soup Company and Norgaard's vast consulting experience, the authors show that a leader's impact and legacy are built through hundreds, even thousands, of interactive moments in time. The good news is that anyone can develop "TouchPoint" mastery by focusing on three essential components: head, heart, and hands.

TouchPoints speaks to the theory and craft of leadership, promoting a balanced presence of rational, authentic, active, and wise leadership practices. Leadership mastery in the smallest and otherwise ordinary moments can transform aimless activity in individuals and entropy in organizations into focused energy—one magical moment at a time.

Table of Contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Editor's Note
  3. Foreword
  4. Preface
    1. WHY THIS BOOK
    2. ABOUT THIS BOOK
  5. 1. The Power of TouchPoints: The Action Is in the Interaction
    1. 1.1. THREE VARIABLES, ONE TOUCHPOINT
    2. 1.2. MY ISSUE, YOUR ISSUE, OR OUR ISSUE
      1. 1.2.1. When You Own the Issue
      2. 1.2.2. When Someone Else Owns the Issue
      3. 1.2.3. When You Share the Issue with Others
    3. 1.3. THE POTENTIAL OF A TOUCHPOINT
    4. 1.4. THE EXPONENTIAL EFFECT OF A TOUCHPOINT
    5. 1.5. TOUGH-MINDED ON THE ISSUE, TENDER-HEARTED WITH PEOPLE
      1. 1.5.1. Show That You Care
      2. 1.5.2. Set High Standards
    6. 1.6. WHAT'S YOUR APPROACH?
      1. 1.6.1. The Tough-Minded Approach
      2. 1.6.2. The Tender-Hearted Approach
      3. 1.6.3. Be Tough-Minded and Tender-Hearted
    7. 1.7. THE POINT IS . . .
  6. 2. The Commitment to Mastery: THE CHOICE IS YOURS
    1. 2.1. BARRIERS TO MASTERY
    2. 2.2. MAKE TIME FOR MASTERY
    3. 2.3. THE MASTERY ESSENTIALS
      1. 2.3.1. Use Your Head
      2. 2.3.2. Use Your Heart
      3. 2.3.3. Use Your Hands
    4. 2.4. MISSING THE MARK
      1. 2.4.1. No Underlying Logic
      2. 2.4.2. No Genuine Connection
      3. 2.4.3. No Solid Skills
    5. 2.5. CHECK HOW YOU ARE DOING
    6. 2.6. MAKE A PROMISE TO YOURSELF
    7. 2.7. THE POINT IS . . .
  7. 3. Use Your Head: The Commitment to Inquiry
    1. 3.1. MODELS GUIDE OUR BEHAVIOR
    2. 3.2. MODELS, MODELS, EVERYWHERE
    3. 3.3. THE CAMPBELL LEADERSHIP MODEL
    4. 3.4. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO INQUIRY
      1. 3.4.1. Consider Your Underlying Assumptions
      2. 3.4.2. Answer Two Vital Questions
        1. 3.4.2.1. Download the Best Thinking
        2. 3.4.2.2. Think About Your Experience
      3. 3.4.3. Move from Prototype to Prime Time
        1. 3.4.3.1. Think About Your Insights
        2. 3.4.3.2. Create a Prototype
        3. 3.4.3.3. Get Ready for Prime Time
    5. 3.5. BE CONSISTENT AND FLEXIBLE
    6. 3.6. THE POINT IS . . .
  8. 4. Use Your Heart: The Commitment to Reflection
    1. 4.1. LEAD WITH YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HEART
    2. 4.2. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF THE HEART
      1. 4.2.1. Why Do I Choose to Lead?
      2. 4.2.2. What Is My Code?
      3. 4.2.3. How Well Do I Walk the Talk?
        1. 4.2.3.1. Make Time for What You Say Is Important
        2. 4.2.3.2. Get Feedback
        3. 4.2.3.3. Have a Trusted Adviser
    3. 4.3. THE POINT IS . . .
  9. 5. Use Your Hands: The Commitment to Practice
    1. 5.1. THE POWER OF PRACTICE
    2. 5.2. A SHARED UNDERSTANDING
      1. 5.2.1. Build Relationships
      2. 5.2.2. Declare Yourself
    3. 5.3. LEAD WITH LISTENING
      1. 5.3.1. Listen with Your Head
      2. 5.3.2. Listen with Your Heart
      3. 5.3.3. Listen Exponentially
    4. 5.4. FOLLOW THROUGH WITH SPEAKING
      1. 5.4.1. Speak from Your Head
      2. 5.4.2. Speak from Your Heart
      3. 5.4.3. Speak Exponentially
    5. 5.5. LIFT YOUR GAME
    6. 5.6. THE POINT IS . . .
  10. 6. Mastering the Touch: How Can I Help?
    1. 6.1. FOUR MAGIC WORDS: "HOW CAN I HELP?"
    2. 6.2. THE TOUCHPOINT TRIAD
      1. 6.2.1. The First Note: Listen Intently
      2. 6.2.2. The Second Note: Frame the Issue
      3. 6.2.3. The Third Note: Advance the Agenda
    3. 6.3. FOLLOW THROUGH: "HOW DID IT GO?"
    4. 6.4. THE FOUR A'S OF AN EFFECTIVE TOUCHPOINT
      1. 6.4.1. Alert
      2. 6.4.2. Abundant
      3. 6.4.3. Authentic
      4. 6.4.4. Adaptable
    5. 6.5. HOW CAN I DO BETTER TOMORROW?
    6. 6.6. THE POINT IS . . .
  11. Coda
  12. Recommended Reading
  13. Acknowledgments
  14. About the Authors