Manage to Lead

I bet you're thinking: Here comes another bromide on management and leadership; is this one going to be any different? Can anyone add anything to everything the gurus have already pronounced on the subject? The problem is, social media is dumbing down a lot of that wisdom, by promoting misconceptions. One such is the constant refrain that it is better to strive to "be a leader, rather than a manager." Now, that is an absurd notion, and this book is the first to tackle that attitude and the pitfalls surrounding it. It uses logical analysis and cogent arguments to debunk the myth conclusively. Manage to Lead: The Building Blocks of Leadership Success, is based on the understanding and experience of the elements that combine to make a successful leader. It can make both management and leadership more accessible to the everyday manager, not just as concepts but as lived experience. This work attempts to simplify the onerous task of hiring the right people to build the right team and direct their efforts toward excellence to provide maximum value for stakeholders. Through our work as leaders for over twenty years involved employing appropriate strategies in a variety of situations to drive organizations to success, we are in a unique position to highlight the failings—all too common and human—that let down managers. That is why we believe this book can provide workable solutions to issues such as accountability vs. micromanagement and feedback/criticism vs. appreciation. The discussions have been kept simple and concise, considering that the target readers are practicing leaders/managers rather than academics. The wisdom of our academic forbears such as Lencioni, Covey, and Katzenbach backs the approach and prescriptions, which will ensure that managers make smart decisions and also wise ones. Perhaps the book's greatest strength is that it is relevant to managers across professions and callings, and regardless of the geography or scenarios in which they operate.