What You Really Need to Lead : The Power of Thinking and Acting Like an Owner

WHAT MAKES A LEADER? CAN YOU REALLY LEARN TO LEAD? You might believe that leaders are born, not made. Perhaps you think that you need to hold an important job to be a leaderthat you need permission to lead. Leadership is one of the most important aspects of our society. Yet there is enormous disagreement and confusion about what leadership means and whether it can really be learned. As Harvard Business School professor Robert Steven Kaplan explains in this powerful new book, leadership qualities are not something you either have or you dont. Leadership is not a destination or a state of being. Leadership is about what you do, rather than who you are, and it starts with an ownership mind-set. For Kaplan, learning to lead involves three key elements: Thinking like an owner A willingness to act on your beliefs A relentless focus on adding value to others Kaplan compellingly argues that great organizations are built around a nucleus of people who think and act with an ownership mind-set. He believes that leadership is not a role reserved only for those blessed with the right attributes or situated in the right positions of power. Leadership is accessible to each of ustoday. It requires a process of hard work, willingness to ask questions, and openness to learning. This book aims to demystify leadership and outlines a specific regimen that will empower you to build your leadership skills. Kaplan tells real-life stories from his own experience of working with various types of leaders seeking to improve their effectiveness and make their organizations more successful. He asks probing questions, provides exercises, and suggests concrete follow-up steps that will help you develop your skills, create new habits, and move you toward reaching your unique leadership potential. What You Really Need to Lead will help you develop your capacity to lead by unlocking your power to think and act like an owner. What Makes A Leader? Can You Really Learn To Lead? You Might Think That Leaders Need To Be Born With The Right Skills Or Personality Attributes. Perhaps You Believe You Don't Have The Right Experience Or That You Need To Hold An Important Job To Be A Leader. Maybe You Believe You Need Permission To Lead. As Harvard Business School Professor And Business Executive Robert Steven Kaplan Explains In This Powerful New Book, Leadership Is Accessible To All Of Us--today--and It Starts With An Ownership Mind-set. You Don't Need An Invitation To Lead. Leadership Is A Dynamic Way Of Thinking And Acting That Anyone Can Take On. For Kaplan, Acting As A Leader Is A Function Of Three Key Questions: 1. Do You Work To Figure Out What You Believe As If You Were An Owner? 2. Do You Take Action Based On Those Beliefs? 3. Do You Focus On Adding Value To Others And Take Responsibility For The Impact Of Your Actions On Others--both Positive And Negative? The Book Is Full Of Stories Taken From The Author's Own Leadership Experience As Well As From His Work Helping Various Types Of Leaders And Organizations. What's Revealed Is That Leadership Is Not A Role Reserved For An Elite Few Blessed With The Right Skills And Key Positions--it's About A Focus On Taking Ownership And Adding Value To Others. What's More, Leadership Is A Lifelong Journey Of Learning For Which You Must Take Responsibility. It's About Learning To Ask The Right Questions And Learning To Understand Yourself. As In His Earlier Books, Kaplan Asks Probing Questions, Provides Exercises, And Suggests Follow-up Steps That Will Help You Develop Your Skills, Create New Habits, And Move You Toward Reaching Your Unique Potential. What You Really Need To Lead Is Your Key To Unlocking The Power Of Thinking And Acting Like An Owner-- Introduction : Demystifying Leadership ; What It Really Means How It Can Be Learned And Why Ownership Is Essential -- The Ownership Mind-set ; The Power Of Thinking And Acting Like An Owner -- Tackling The Challenges Of Leadership ; Making A Commitment To Learning, Asking The Right Questions, Seeking Advice, And Fighting Through Isolation -- Mastering The Essential Processes Of Leadership ; A Regimen For Learning How To Think And Act Like An Owner -- You Can't Do This Alone ; Learning To Build Relationships And Harness The Power Of A Group -- The Ownership Path As A Lifelong Journey ; Taking Steps And Making Use Of Tools That Will Help You Become A Better Leader -- Appendix A : Essentials Of What You Really Need To Lead -- Appendix B : A Leadership Reading List. Robert Steven Kaplan. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 187-189) And Index. WHAT MAKES A LEADER? CAN YOU REALLY LEARN TO LEAD?You might believe that leaders are born, not made. Perhaps you think that you need to hold an important job to be a leader—that you need permission to lead. Leadership is one of the most important aspects of our society. Yet there is enormous disagreement and confusion about what leadership means and whether it can really be learned.As leadership expert Robert Steven Kaplan explains in this powerful new book, leadership qualities are not something you either have or you don't. Leadership is not a destination or a state of being. Leadership is about what you do, rather than who you are, and it starts with an ownership mind-set. For Kaplan, learning to lead involves three key elements:Thinking like an ownerA willingness to act on your beliefsA relentless focus on adding value to othersKaplan compellingly argues that great organizations are built around a nucleus of people who think and act with an ownership mind-set. He believes that leadership is not a role reserved only for those blessed with the right attributes or situated in the right positions of power. Leadership is accessible to each of us—today. It requires a process of hard work, willingness to ask questions, and openness to learning.This book aims to demystify leadership and outlines a specific regimen that will empower you to build your leadership skills. Kaplan tells real-life stories from his own experience of working with various types of leaders seeking to improve their effectiveness and make their organizations more successful. He asks probing questions, provides exercises, and suggests concrete follow-up steps that will help you develop your skills, create new habits, and move you toward reaching your unique leadership potential.What You Really Need to Lead will help you develop your capacity to lead by unlocking your power to think and act like an owner. "What makes a leader? Can you really learn to lead? You might think that leaders need to be born with the right skills or personality attributes. Perhaps you believe you don't have the right experience or that you need to hold an important job to be a leader. Maybe you believe you need permission to lead. As Harvard Business School professor and business executive Robert Steven Kaplan explains in this powerful new book, leadership is accessible to all of us-today-and it starts with an ownership mind-set. You don't need an invitation to lead. Leadership is a dynamic way of thinking and acting that anyone can take on. For Kaplan, acting as a leader is a function of three key questions: 1. Do you work to figure out what you believe as if you were an owner? 2. Do you take action based on those beliefs? 3. Do you focus on adding value to others and take responsibility for the impact of your actions on others-both positive and negative? The book is full of stories taken from the author's own leadership experience as well as from his work helping various types of leaders and organizations. What's revealed is that leadership is not a role reserved for an elite few blessed with the right skills and key positions-it's about a focus on taking ownership and adding value to others. What's more, leadership is a lifelong journey of learning for which you must take responsibility. It's about learning to ask the right questions and learning to understand yourself. As in his earlier books, Kaplan asks probing questions, provides exercises, and suggests follow-up steps that will help you develop your skills, create new habits, and move you toward reaching your unique potential. What You Really Need to Lead is your key to unlocking the power of thinking and acting like an owner"-- Résumé de l'éditeur WHAT MAKES A LEADER? CAN YOU REALLY LEARN TO LEAD? You might believe that leaders are born, not made. Perhaps you think that you need to hold an important job to be a leaderthat you need permission to lead. Leadership is one of the most important aspects of our society. Yet there is enormous disagreement and confusion about what leadership means and whether it can really be learned. As leadership expert Robert Steven Kaplan explains in this powerful new book, leadership qualities are not something you either have or you dont. Leadership is not a destination or a state of being. Leadership is about what you do, rather than who you are, and it starts with an ownership mind-set. For Kaplan, learning to lead involves three key