Soft Skills Hard Results: A Practical Guide to People Skills for Analytical Leaders

by Anne Taylor

Overview

Everyone says a great leader needs EQ, Emotional Intelligence, soft skills, blah, blah, blah. What does that even mean? Where do you start? Where’s the line for that on the P&L?

You might think that business is all about facts and figures. You probably prefer it that way. The truth is that as uncertainty and business complexity increases, successful leaders need to embrace soft skills to get the best out of their people in a sustainable manner.

In this succinct, no-nonsense approach, Anne Taylor shares:

• Key soft skills relevant for leadership and practical applications of how to use them every day drawn from real-life case studies
• Straightforward tools to better understand yourself, because your leadership starts with YOU
• Simple frameworks to communicate with others to get things done while building a stronger relationship with them (at the same time, how efficient!)
• Logical ideas you can try immediately with on-line support if you want it.

All done in an easy to read, logical, organized manner for people who prefer facts and don’t consider themselves natural ‘people people.’

In a direct yet professional manner, Anne combines the results-oriented focus from her extensive business background in Fortune 100 corporations with her passion for personal awareness and conscious choice to help you get better results through your people, fast.

The Practical Principles in this book, when applied, practiced and honed, can improve your effectiveness, impact and bottom-line results.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781788601399
Publisher:	Global Book Sales
Publication date:	01/23/2020
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

Anne Taylor is the Director of DIRECTions Coaching Ltd. Armed with a degree in Business from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, she built an impressive career over 20 years with companies such as Procter & Gamble and Nestlé where she held positions of increasing responsibility in marketing, overall business management and business strategy development.

After leaving her Global Marketing role at Nestlé in Switzerland, she re-trained as an Executive Coach. Her clients included IMD business school where she developed and delivered the coaching component of corporate leadership programme. Later in the UK she established a successful practice with clients such as Nestlé, Lloyds of London, Deutsche Bank, L'Oréal and Ford among others.

She is an associate coach for London Business School and is certified through ICF to the level of PCC (Professional Certified Coach). She helps successful managers and MDs increase their leadership impact particularly around EQ, strategic thinking, and influencing.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Note to Reader

Introduction

Part I – INSIDE

Principle 1 – It starts with YOU

Principle 2 – You think you know yourself? Go Deeper inside with more self-awareness, self-management and conscious choice

Part 2 – OUTSIDE

Principle 3 – Actively give (and solicit) feedback

Principle 4 – Choosing a coaching approach more often over telling

Principle 5 – Influence and engage through storytelling

Part 3 – BETWEEN

Principle 6 – Adapt authentically to others and the situation

Principle 7 – Human interaction is a balancing act

Principle 8 – Choose courage and vulnerability in leadership (and life)

Part 4 - BEYOND

Principle 9 – Live a life of no regrets

Principle 10 – Live a life of gratitude

Final note to reader

Contact, coaching and speaking

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index of Tools

Editorial Reviews

'I wish this book had been available when I was leading operational CEO roles during my career, as I knew many logical and task-oriented individuals that would have greatly benefited from its wisdom.

Anne explains soft skills in simple terms with very practical advice and tools to change their behaviour and have better results.

Full of tips, challenges, client stories and personal anecdotes, the book provides practical ideas to get better results through better engagement with others.

The higher you go in an organization, the more important people skills become, and this book is a good primer for improving your proficiency and satisfaction around working with others.

An easy read, simply explained and direct, with lots of practical tips and tools to become a more collaborative leader for greater impact. A great starter to help any manager understand their impact, intentionally create better relationships and be more effective in their job to deliver the results. I strongly recommend it. - Nandu (Doreswamy) Nandkishore, Former Global CEO Nestlé Nutrition & EVP (CEO) of Asia/Oceania/Africa for Nestle S.A.

'Now a Keynote speaker/VC/consultant/B-school Prof, Anne has truly upped the game in the people development world. She has brilliantly brought together many dimensions of the soft skill tool bag and made them easy to understand and applicable to our daily lives. And dare I say this is so needed in our “fast paced get ahead at all cost” world. Thank you, Anne!

If you want people in your world to feel deeply valued and supported ... this is a must read!' - Rick Tamlyn, Hay House Author – Play Your Bigger Game, and Co-Active Training Institute Senior Faculty Member

'Soft Skills Hard Results is an easy to understand and comprehensive book, loaded with practical tips and techniques that the reader can immediately apply and benefit from. It saves leaders – who want to improve their self-awareness and/or relationship skills – from reading 10+ different books and having to decode their terminology.

Anne has compiled 360 degrees of information – from neuroscience to emotional intelligence to coaching – and enriched it with sound personal experience coming from both her private life and a successful career.

I would definitely recommend this book to all leaders who want to be in a journey to a better self, whilst getting great business results!' - Nilgün Kuruöz, Professional Coach and Consultant, Nilsight

'This book on leadership based on the narration of Anne’s life story is told in a simple yet gripping and powerful way and relates to our everyday lives – both professional and private.

Having worked with Anne over the years I can attest to the effectiveness and efficiency of her methods and approach. She ensures that both aspects of leading with your head and heart are fully explored.

If you truly wish to make a lasting positive impact and change on people’s lives (and your own) – this is a must-read book which is hands on and truly “a practical guide to understanding and using people skills for hard results”.' - Washington Munetsi, HR Director Operations Nestlé

From the Publisher