leading quietly

by Joseph L.  Badaracco, Jr.

I was told that leading quietly is an unorthodox guide to doing the right thing; and  indeed there is much grist for the leadership mill buried in this excellent  book. There are many memorable points of view, but perhaps the one that sticks  most in my mind is that quiet leaders possess three very unglamorous virtues:  restraint, modesty, and tenacity. "Each of these is a habit of mind and action,  and each helps men and women use the tools and tactics of quiet leadership in  responsible, effective ways."

But what is quiet leadership and who are the quiet leaders? Quiet leadership is  dealing with the messy, everyday challenges, and the quiet leaders are those who  labor endlessly to meet those challenges and keep things moving in our  corporations. They are NOT the "flashy, public hero" kinds of leaders. They  simply get the work done and make the hard decisions.

Badaracco convinces me more than ever that it is imperative that we define our  corporate values and clearly articulate the ethics process we use to  choose between competing moral and/or economic values. The reason is that the  hard choices are embedded in our everyday corporate life. In these situations,  individuals rarely take bold or courageous steps. Rather they step back, study,  analyze, worry, and finally, make the best decision they can make - then stand  behind it and move on.

Quiet leaders possess a positive attitude, but they are also very realistic, not  cynical, in evaluating the situation. These leaders work with four basic  principles: 1-You don't know everything; 2-You WILL be surprised; 3-Keep and eye  on the insiders, and 4-Trust, but cut the cards! They learn to trust mixed  motives rather than trying to define their actions in purist terms. In other  words, they accept that the right solution can also include positive results for  themselves as well as the company, employee, and/or customer.

This well written and well organized book is definitely worth the time and  should be in any management library.

[Click on the book  image to see it at Amazon]
 

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