Engaged Leadership : Building a Culture to Overcome Employee Disengagement

Praise for Engaged Leadership ''Engaged Leadership is the best of both worlds: an engaging business story coupled with a primer on the practical skills all leaders need. In the book, Swindall provides many useful tools for successfully meeting twelve major leadership challenges. I recommend it.'' --Mark Sanborn, author, The Fred Factor and You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader ''This creatively inspiring book not only encourages the leaders of tomorrow, but also inspires the leaders of today to step up and meet the challenges of a changing world. Business leaders will find true substance at the core of each page.'' --Nido Qubein, President, High Point University, and Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Co. ''Give this book to anyone aspiring to be an effective leader and you've put them ahead of the curve. Swindall has done a masterful job of bringing leadership to life in a book that's engaging and effective. Create a leadership culture in your company by getting this book now!'' --Joe Calloway, author, Work Like You're Showing Off! and Becoming a Category of One ''This book is so engaging; you'll forget you're learning. If you only have time for one book this year--make it Engaged Leadership. You won't be disappointed.'' --Bradford D. Beldon, President and CEO, Beldon Roofing Company ''This book contains simple yet very effective management techniques that can improve every leader's ability to inspire and get the most out of their employees. Swindall shows us what employees want from leaders and how leaders can motivate employees using practical yet effective stories.'' --John Wight, President and CEO, BF&M Insurance Group ''This is a slam dunk by Swindall! What a powerful read for any team member of an organization. A fun, enjoyable, insightful, and impactful lesson on how to apply the key concepts of engaged leadership to move your team forward.'' --Joe Clark, Vice President, Ticket Sales & Services, San Antonio Spurs "Since an employee is engaged or disengaged based on the culture of the organization, leaders must build a culture to overcome employee disengagement. Engaged Leaders shows readers how to build that culture by breaking down the art of effective leadership into three primary areas that all leaders must master in order to inspire and engage their employees: directional leadership, which builds a consensus for the vision; motivational leadership, which inspires people to pursue the vision; and organizational leadership, which develops the team to realize the vision." "This book combines the popular business fable format with the more straightforward, how-to format that challenges you to use what you learn. It engages both the creative and the practical parts of the brain to teach smart leadership skills in an active and exciting way. Inside, you'll find a practical framework for successful leadership that works regardless of your role or industry It's packed with ideas and strategies for building a dynamic culture that engages employees at all levels of the organization, releasing the true potential of your organization. If you want engaged, hard-working employees, it's time to provide engaged leadership."--Jacket Introduction The format The tale The fable The application of engaged leadership Directional leadership? Building a consensus for the vision Challenge one: recruit support from the top 26% Challenge two: prepare the organization for change Challenge three: let them know how they contribute Challenge four: constantly communicate progress Motivational leadership? Inspiring employees to pursue the vision Challenge five: lead with positive motivation Challenge six: celebrate small successes Challenge seven: encourage life balance for all employees Challenge eight: create a fair work environment Organizational leadership? Developing the team to realize the vision Challenge nine: identify and position the appropriate talent Challenge ten: build a bridge between the generations Challenge eleven: move toward real empowerment Challenge twelve: establish a strategy to maintain success The importance of character core Conclusion. To move employees from disengagement to engagement, leaders must create a culture that shows employees they are actively engaged at all levels of leadership. This book breaks down the art of effective leadership into three primary areas that all great leaders must master to achieve uncommon results.