My good friend Richard Russey has just released a 28-page book that can serve as an excellent starting point for any group discussion about leadership styles.
The title of the book is, "When the Sun Got Stuck - A Fable for Leaders and Their Teams," and I highly recommend you check it out.
It's available on Amazon (both Kindle and print - the Kindle version is $6.99 and allows you to preview the book).
I had the pleasure of working with Richard for a period of over six years when he was a client of mine starting back around 2000.
He was the leader of a team managing a wide range of services for the Head Start Bureau, and I was the point person for a company that supported Richard's efforts by producing informational videos and live training videoconferences.
We all have a tendency to categorize clients in some fashion. A popular taxonomy is labeling a client "A", "B", or "C."
Throughout our professional relationship, I considered Richard an "A" client because:
By coincidence, I have been reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, and while there is a tendency to idolize the latter's accomplishments, I can't help thinking that the life-changing effects he brought about didn't have to leave so much antipathy and "carnage." In other words, you don't have to be a jerk to be a successful leader.
Again, Richard's book is not a lengthy tome dissecting leadership. There are plenty of college textbooks, military training manuals and best-selling self-help books that do that. Richard's fable instead might best be seen as good required reading before a half-day seminar or retreat - or before he speaks at your next event. (Yes, Richard is a veteran speaker about leadership styles to a wide range of groups).
Readers will see that Richard kindly acknowledges my influence on his writing, along with others, at the beginning of his book by thanking me "for wisely suggesting I write a blog as a means of helping to productively fill the hours, days, and months during a time of painful unemployment." Again, a sign of a good leader - to my second point above, one who is always open to suggestions. Good leaders are not afraid to take stock and reinvent themselves, and this book by Richard is a testament to his ability to do that.
The title of the book is, "When the Sun Got Stuck - A Fable for Leaders and Their Teams," and I highly recommend you check it out.
I had the pleasure of working with Richard for a period of over six years when he was a client of mine starting back around 2000.
He was the leader of a team managing a wide range of services for the Head Start Bureau, and I was the point person for a company that supported Richard's efforts by producing informational videos and live training videoconferences.
We all have a tendency to categorize clients in some fashion. A popular taxonomy is labeling a client "A", "B", or "C."
Throughout our professional relationship, I considered Richard an "A" client because:
- He knew what he wanted,
- But he was always open to suggestions.
- Yet when the time came, he wasn't afraid to make decisions.
- And finally, while watchful of budget, he knew the difference between the lowest price and the best value.
By coincidence, I have been reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, and while there is a tendency to idolize the latter's accomplishments, I can't help thinking that the life-changing effects he brought about didn't have to leave so much antipathy and "carnage." In other words, you don't have to be a jerk to be a successful leader.
Again, Richard's book is not a lengthy tome dissecting leadership. There are plenty of college textbooks, military training manuals and best-selling self-help books that do that. Richard's fable instead might best be seen as good required reading before a half-day seminar or retreat - or before he speaks at your next event. (Yes, Richard is a veteran speaker about leadership styles to a wide range of groups).
Readers will see that Richard kindly acknowledges my influence on his writing, along with others, at the beginning of his book by thanking me "for wisely suggesting I write a blog as a means of helping to productively fill the hours, days, and months during a time of painful unemployment." Again, a sign of a good leader - to my second point above, one who is always open to suggestions. Good leaders are not afraid to take stock and reinvent themselves, and this book by Richard is a testament to his ability to do that.
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