“The Leader’s Checklist” by Michael Useem (Wharton Digital Press, $9.99).
Useem’s 15 principles show that leading and managing are not synonymous. Whether you own a small business, head a department or hover at C-level, you must clearly define where and why, build a team — and provide it with the resources to execute the how. Here’s a look at how many of the 15 intertwine:
1. Articulate a vision. 2. Think and act strategically. 15. Place common interest first. Is the destination compelling and motivating? If it comes across as flavor-of-the-day, you won’t achieve buy-in. Is your strategy realistic? Does it measure short-term results in terms of laying the groundwork for the next quarter, the next year, etc.?
Do decisions place shared purpose ahead of personal gain? Collaborators synchronize organizational gears. Silo dwellers rev their own engines.
12. Convey your character. 8. Embrace the front lines. 4. Take charge. 5. Act decisively. 6. Communicate persuasively. 3. Honor the room. Leadership takes it cues from integrity, trust and respect. Become a role model by making you known as a person. People need to relate to you before they can emulate and execute.
Taking charge doesn’t mean micromanaging. Leaders think in terms of conveying intent and letting those closest to the situations make the decisions. Open, two-way communication turns feedback into feed-forward that keeps your team engaged. Leaders understand that the smartest person in the room is one who respects and values the skills and talents of others.
11. Identify personal implications. 9. Build leadership in others. 14. Build a diverse team. Explain that working toward the common cause increases opportunities for everyone. Show people their paths by giving them assignments that challenge and develop ability to contribute. A team with diverse expertise and common purpose is built to succeed.
The bottom line: Leaders don’t believe in the status quo. They stress continuous improvement throughout the organization.
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“Practical Genius — The Smarts You Need to Get Your Passions and Talents Working for You” by Gina Rudan (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, $24.99).
Rudan believes that each of us harbors a genius (a G-spot) capable of changing potential into life-changing actions. How do you tap the G-Spot within? Commit to Rudan’s five-step playbook.
The key to realizing your potential is in Step 1 — Identify Your Genius. It uncovers your talent and your passion for it. Think of this Step 1 as your reality check and confidence booster.
What are you really good at? Identify the tools in your toolbox. Skills, strengths and expertise are your hard assets. Define your skills (i.e. people, leadership, communication, problem-solving, analytical). Complete the skill-set template and you’ll be surprised at how many things you do well.
Next, identify your strengths. Focus on the thought process of how you use your skills in combination to accomplish various tasks. Look for the why. Why do you hit home runs, singles, and strike out, too? You’ll find certain activities and situations that always motivate and energize you — both on personal and professional basis. Strengths include: discipline, competitive nature, perseverance, visualization (i.e. recognize patterns, think “moves ahead” like a chess player). In what strengths do you excel? These make you a subject matter expert.
Now for the soft assets: passion, creativity and values. Passion is the place where play and work merge. How would you like to spend your time? Where does your mind automatically wander to during a boring meeting? For me, writing, gardening, golf and driving sports cars take me into another zone.
Creativity deals with making “new connections between existing ideas or concepts.” Creative people look for problems because they present opportunities to do both different things and doing things differently.
Values are critical because they define character. Values include respect for others, trust, integrity, loyalty and fairness. They are the basis for the choices we make.
Your G-spot will be found where your hard and soft assets intersect. When you find that intersection, explore your possibilities, experiment to find your space and practice until you form new habits — at play and at work.
Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer.
