A Book Recommendation From Dan Beaulieu
The Hidden Leader: Discover and Develop Greatness within your Company
By Scott K. Edinger and Laurie Sain
Copyright 2015Amacom
Price $24.95
Pages: 224 with Index
There is leadership in everyone, you just have to find it!
We’ve all met them, the leaders; the ones who are outstanding at whatever level they are at in their organization. The sales rep at Best Buy who goes out of his way to make sure you buy the best computer to fit your needs, even it means a smaller sale for the company. Or the car rental agent at Enterprise who takes the time to tell you how to operate the Prius you are renting for the first time, not stopping until you know everything you need to know to drive that car safely and efficiently.
The authors describe in a simple and clear fashion the characteristics that make up a true leader at any level.
One of the first thing that struck me about this book is how accurate the authors were when it came to describing leadership characteristics, especially in people who are not really at a leadership level when it comes to their position in their own organizations. But yes we all know them, we can all spot them if we want to look hard enough.
This book is filled with tips and tools on how to find the true leaders in your organization. They give us the tell-tale characteristics to look for from great communications to honesty and integrity to assuming the authority to take the right action when that is what the situation demands.
From the book a true leaders is one who is:
-
Great at face-to-face communications
-
Has transparent critical thinking
-
Credits others
-
Provides honest and complete criticism
-
And is effective and conflict resolutions.
The true leader is one who is customer purposed, not just customer service but purpose which means a much deeper understanding of the customers. Wanting to learn everything possible about a customers in order to serve them better than they have ever been served before. A true leader makes it her purpose to develop her company’s products and services in such a way that they will make her customers successful and hence unable to live without them.
The true leader takes her job very seriously at whatever level from the person whose job it is to keep the organizations physical plan clean and safe to the person who is leading the company into its next successful venture.
It’s all here. Everything you need to not only find the true leader in your organization, but in yourself as well.
Do yourself and favor and read this excellent book by Edinger and Sain.