A primer for the newly appointed manager
Newly appointed managers are the target audience for this book to expose them to leadership, influence and management concepts, but there are probably some experienced managers who could also benefit from this book to return to basics to increase their effectiveness.
Studying and applying attributes of Leadership and Influence, will help you build the confidence it takes to lead and manage a team. The more experience you have acting as a genuine and authentic leader, the easier it will be. It is never easy to take the lead. Taking the lead brings with it accountability to make decisions and face challenges, but it can become natural, satisfying and rewarding.
Influence is subtle, yet incredibly powerful. You can order someone to do a task, but you cannot order them to do their best. It simply does not work and usually has the opposite effect. You can influence people to do their best by providing a strong, motivating example in addition to positive reinforcement. Getting to the core is the ability to distinguish between “compliance” and “commitment.” Leadership addresses tasks, while influence addresses attitudes and awareness. Influence is the soul of leadership.
The author’s philosophy to effectively manage people recognizes that self-awareness and reflection are essential. Too often individuals rush into action to fix a behavior. Leading and influencing is not learning a new set of skills for the workplace; it is about understanding who you are and how you lead so that you can leverage strengths and employ behaviors that can be lived every day both in and outside the workplace.
