Book : Leading Quietly - Badaracco Jr., Joseph L.

-Titulo Original : Leading Quietly

-Fabricante :

Harvard Business Review Press

-Descripcion Original:

From Publishers Weekly When we think of great leaders, its usually the charismatic, globally influential Churchill, Patton, Jack Welch who spring to mind. But as Harvard Business School professor Badaracco (Defining Moments: When Managers Must Choose Between Right and Right) correctly points out, everyday leadership is not so dramatic, and daily leadership decisions are rarely carried out at the top of an organization. Badaracco focuses here is on helping the middle- and senior-level managers who make the ordinary decisions that ultimately determine an organizations success. As he puts it: What usually matters are careful, thoughtful, small, practical efforts by people working far from the limelight. In short, quiet leadership is what moves and changes the world. Out of a four-year study of these real-life leaders, Badaracco describes eight strategies for making effective leadership decisions in murky situations where the right thing is far from obvious. The strategies range from the commonsensical (truly examine the question at hand; dont ignore corporate politics) to the counterintuitive (dont expect to be wholly altruistic and accept that some of your motives are self-interested; try not to make important decisions as quickly as possible). Badaracco presents each principle with a brief introduction, followed by a case study and summary of the lessons to be learned. The sum is a useful checklist middle-level managers can put to work immediately. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Most of us think of leaders as courageous risk takers, orchestrators of major events. In a word: heroes. Although such figures are inspiring, Joseph Badaracco argues that their larger-than-life accomplishments are not what makes the world work. What does, he says, is the sum of millions of small yet consequential decisions that individuals working far from the limelight make every day. Badaracco calls them quiet leaders--people who choose responsible, behind-the-scenes action over public heroism to resolve tough leadership challenges. Quiet leaders dont fit the stereotype of the bold and gutsy leader, and they dont want to. What they want is to do the right thing--for their organizations, their coworkers, and themselves--but inconspicuously and without casualties. Drawing from extensive research, Badaracco presents eight practical yet counter-intuitive guidelines for situations in which right and wrong seem like moving targets. Compelling stories illustrate how these nonheroes succeed by managing their political capital, buying themselves time, bending the rules, and more. From the executive suite to the office cubicle--Leading Quietly shows how patient, everyday efforts can add up to a better company and a better world. Review Leading Quietly is a fresh approach to making our way in the world. -- USA Today, June 24, 2002 From the Back Cover Most of us thrill to stories of heroic leaders mounting the barricades on behalf of great causes. Enter now the quiet leaders-unsung men and women who actually keep most of the world going from one day to the next. Badaracco tells their stories with enormous insight and understanding, explaining not only how they succeed but why. For those who must learn how to lead from the middle-and thats nearly everyone-reading this book is a terrific place to start. -David Gergen, Director, Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Rather than seeing the road map for career success as a series of bold and courageous decisions, Badaracco makes the case for a new model of leadership based on thoughtful consideration, practicality, and pragmatism. -Paul R. Charron, Chairman and CEO, Liz Claiborne, Inc. With quiet effectiveness, Badaraccos new brand of leaders take small, careful steps to solve major problems. Leading Quietly lays out what may seem obvious, but is in fact rocket science. This