Uniquely You: Transform Your Organization by Becoming the Leader Only You Can Be

by Ron Kitchens, Heather Baker (Foreword by)

Overview

For young professionals and entrepreneurs, there is no shortage of gurus, processes, and quick-fix formulas to chase in the quest to grow their business, lead their team, and find personal fulfillment. In fact, there are so many out there that it's exhausting. Wouldn't it be better to realize that the leadership lessons we need to learn are not out there somewhere, but in here, in our own lives? That instead of becoming a knock-off of someone else, we can be uniquely ourselves?

That's exactly what Ron Kitchens learned, and it's what he wants to share with today's emerging leaders. Sharing his own journey of discovering what his life was trying to teach him through both trials and triumphs, Kitchens equips readers to mine their own stories for the relationships and life lessons that have made them into the unique individuals they are today. He then shows readers how to leverage those unique experiences into their own personal leadership style that is authentic, one-of-a-kind, and effective in building businesses and leading teams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801093746
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/21/2019
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Ron Kitchens is the senior partner and chief executive officer of Southwest Michigan First, which has been named by Outside Magazine and the Wall Street Journal as one of the best places to work. One of America's leading thinkers on business, leadership, and entrepreneurism, Ron is the founder of the leadership conference Catalyst University and the cofounder of NEXT, an invitation-only leadership symposium for global economic development leaders. Ron and his teams have been extensively featured in more than 100 national and international media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, CBS, NBC, Fox, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune, The Economist, and NPR. Ron is author or coauthor of three books, including Community Capitalism. He blogs and podcasts at www.ronkitchens.com and can be found on Twitter @ronkitchens.

Table of Contents

Author's Note 8

Foreword: Coffee and Visions by Heather Baker 9

0 Changed for Good: Living Your Truth 19

1 Mandarin Oranges: A Small Gift Can Change a Life 23

2 "You Can't Read": Books, Growth, and Success 29

3 Lunch Shaming: Choose Solutions That Lift Up 36

4 Pork Chops: Growing by Observing 41

5 Legacy: Impacting People's Lives 48

6 "I Know You Can": Helping Others See Their Future 53

7 Lagniappe: A Little Something Extra 59

8 "Let Me Predict Your Future": Hard Truth, Spoken in Love 63

9 "That's Not Our Plan": Staying True to Your Dreams 72

10 The Four Horses: Understanding the Race You Were Created to Run 80

11 Great Teams: What It Takes to Win 90

12 Surround Yourself: Who Is Making You Better? 97

13 No Fences: Knocking Down Barriers 105

14 CEO of Your Own Responsibilities: Leading Like an Owner 109

15 Family First: Know What Matters 118

16 Be Original: Don't Fake Your Life 125

17 Action over Emotion: Kick Fear in the Face 134

18 Protecting Joy: Edit Your Life for Excellence 140

19 What Do You Want?: And Other Questions We Never Answer 153

20 The Kindness of Candor: Honesty as a Gift We Give 157

21 Love Notes: Take a Minute, Change a Life 162

22 Preeminence: Defining Your Standards 171

23 Scrum: Gathering for Impact 181

24 The Four Most Powerful Words: "I Believe in You" 186

00 I'm Glad You Asked: A Few More Thoughts 189

In Summary: Principles from My Life Story 197

Mining Lessons from Your Unique Life Story 201

Thank You 209

Appendix A Our 4:40 Review 211

Appendix B Lyn and Ron's Original Goals 214

Appendix C Ron's Current Goals 215

Notes 216