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Praise for Leading So People Will Follow
"Erika Andersen does it again. In her brilliant first book, Growing Great Employees, she showed management how to help employees meet their potential. In this book she cracks the code on how to be a great leader, offering six essential leadership attributes supported by clear and concise stories. This invaluable resource will make you the leader your team needs." —Jack Covert, president, 800CEOREAD; author, 100 Best Business Books of All Time
"Leading So People Will Follow hits on something simple and deep: people want good, inspiring, capable leaders. Erika shares how it's possible—with honest self-reflection and clear intention—to become that kind of leader." —Chip Conley, founder, Joie de Vivre Hotels; author, PEAK and Emotional Equations
"Leading So People Will Follow is incredibly insightful. It lays bare our longing to work with and for worthy leaders—leaders who do the right thing despite the politics, who show us what we are capable of, who earn our loyalty through their example and actions. And importantly, Erika shows how we can all become that purposeful, inspiring leader." —Maryam Banikarim, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Gannett
"Leave it to Erika Andersen to connect her well-honed leadership development expertise with the archetypal heroes of children's bedtime stories. The result is a practical, direct, and actionable set of tools for assessing and improving your leadership impact." —Beth Comstock, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, GE
"A must-read for those who wish to skillfully plan and navigate the corporate jungle, and moreover, a toolbox for success in life that you will never pick up at business school. Erika is a trustworthy guide—part cheerleader, part sociologist, part economist—who brings all these elements together in an easy-to-read format." —Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, chief technology officer and corporate vice president, Panasonic (North America)
"Erika's new book is a powerful tool for insight into how others perceive you as a leader. Getting that clear view of yourself is essential to becoming the kind of leader that people will want to follow." —Andrea Wong, international president, Sony Pictures Entertainment
1 The Longing for Good Leaders 1
Our Leader Longing Is Wired In ✴ Cracking the Code
2 Firesides and Folktales 7
Stories Hold the Map ✴ The Six Attributes ✴ Reflecting on Your Leadership ✴ Hearing the Story
3 Farsighted 21
See Possible Futures ✴ Articulate the Vision ✴ Model the Vision ✴ See Past Obstacles ✴ Invite Participation
4 Passionate 49
Commit Honestly ✴ Make a Clear Case Without Dogma ✴ Invite Real Dialogue ✴ Support Your Passion ✴ Remain Committed
5 Courageous 63
Make Tough Choices ✴ Risk Yourself for the Enterprise ✴ Do Personally Difficult Things ✴ Take Responsibility ✴ Admit Mistakes
6 Wise 83
Be Curious—Listen! ✴ Assess Objectively ✴ Learn from Your Experience ✴ See and Share Patterns ✴ Act Based on Your Sense of Right
7 Generous 105
Assume Positive Intent ✴ Share Power ✴ Share What You Know ✴ Freely Give Credit, Praise, and Reward ✴ Provide Necessary Resources for Success
8 Trustworthy 137
Tell the Truth ✴ Do What You Say You Will ✴ Keep Confidences ✴ Speak and Act for the Greater Good ✴ Get Results
9 Friends for the Journey 157
Leading as a Group Endeavor ✴ Wizards, Well-Wishers, and Wild Cards ✴ Finding Your Supporters
10 Your Own Tale 167
Reassess Yourself ✴ Make a Plan ✴ Rely on Your Wizards, Well-Wishers, and Wild Cards
Epilogue 173
Listening and Self-Talk for Leaders: Bonus Section 175
Acknowledgments 187
The Author 189
Index 191
RobRyan
Posted November 12, 2012
Vince Lombardi once famously said “Leaders are made, they are not born”. Unfortunately, he was a bit vague on the actual process one could use to become a great leader. Not so Erika Andersen, whose latest book “Leading So People Will Follow” provides a practical, actionable guidebook on becoming a fully accepted leader. Andersen not only offers a clear explanation of the six key attributes every leader must demonstrate, but more importantly- and this is what sets this book apart from all the rest- how you can go about discovering and strengthening your own skills in these six key areas.
Andersen unveils the six leadership attributes using a “boy overcomes obstacles to rescue princess” frame story that resonates with all of us from early childhood. She then devotes each of the following chapters to a specific leadership attribute by highlighting an industry notable who has consistently demonstrated that quality, deconstructing the attribute into its key components, providing a process for assessing your own strengths and weaknesses for each component, then offering specific, actionable steps for you to develop those characteristics in yourself.
Andersen’s personable writing style makes this an exceptionally enjoyable book to read; it seemed more like talking with a trusted friend and advisor than simply reading a book. Her examples and exercises are clear and easily understandable and the activities- while requiring considerable honest reflection and self-assessment- were fun and useful to complete.
I highly recommend this book to those who are, or who want to be, in a position of leadership and influence. I’ve been in a leadership position with my own career for some time now and I found the book enormously helpful; I would have loved to have had something like this in my hands earlier on. But it’s never too late to become a better leader!
Overview
Praise for Leading So People Will Follow
"Erika Andersen does it again. In her brilliant first book, Growing Great Employees, she showed management how to help employees meet their potential. In this book she cracks the code on how to be a great leader, offering six essential leadership attributes supported by clear and concise stories. This invaluable resource will make you the leader your team needs." —Jack Covert, president, 800CEOREAD; ...