Table of Contents
More Praise for Leadership Conversations
Preface: Are You Having Leadership Conversations?
High Potentials Don’t Know What They Don’t Know
Leadership Conversations—The Book
My Leadership Conversations—The Website
PART 1 THE HIGH-POTENTIAL CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 1 Do You Really Want to Be a Leader?
How Great Leaders Treat Others
Great Leaders Communicate Effectively
Great Leaders Grow Their People
Same Playing Field but a Whole New Game—Twice
CHAPTER 2 What Blend of Management and Leadership Mindsets Is Best?
Conversations Make the Difference
Effective Conversations Create Alignment
Your Generation Influences Your Mindset
Harnessing Generational Mindset Differences
CHAPTER 3 Have You Had Leadership Conversations Today?
A Virtuous Cycle of Leadership Conversations
Three Perspectives in Leadership Conversations
Blending Two Mindsets, Four Types of Conversation, and Three Perspectives
Standards for Leadership Conversations
CHAPTER 4 Where Do You Stand on the Leadership Ladder?
PART 2 CONVERSATIONS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
CHAPTER 6 Your Relationships Define You
Essential Relationship-Building Skills
The Increasing Importance of Relationships
Not Having a Relationship Can Be Costly
CHAPTER 7 Know Your Strengths and Their Shadows
Each Strength Has a Companion Shadow
Getting Started on the Right Foot
Developing Unconscious Competence in Relationships
CHAPTER 8 People Aren’t Machines
The Legends in Your Organization
Changing Relationships Changes the Culture
CHAPTER 9 Don’t Let Them Assume They Know What You’re Thinking
You Are Always under a Microscope
Having the Right Conversations
CHAPTER 10 Embrace Differences
Encourage Diversity and Inclusion
PART 3 CONVERSATIONS TO DEVELOP OTHERS
CHAPTER 11 The Battle for Talent
Your Responsibility to Develop Others
How Deep Should Succession Planning Go?
CHAPTER 12 The Challenge of Leading Other High Potentials
Developing Leadership Skills in High Potentials
Demand More from Your High Potentials
Don’t Miss the Signs of Trouble
Three-Phase Process for Giving Effective Feedback
CHAPTER 13 Conversations You Must Have
Baseline Conversations to Set Expectations
Baseline Conversations about Performance Standards
Baseline Conversations about Relationships
Baseline Conversations about Priorities
Feedback Conversations about Achieving Goals
Feedback Conversations When Roles Get Turned Upside Down
Feedback Conversations about Underperformance
Feedback Conversations about Timeliness
Feedback Conversations with Your Boss
When Routine Conversations Do Not Work
CHAPTER 14 What Gets in Your People’s Way?
Removing Obstacles That Get in Your People’s Way
CHAPTER 15 Recognition—Making It All Worthwhile
Recognition Is Inexpensive—Lack of Recognition Can Be Costly
Recognize Behaviors as Well as Results
Celebrate Even Small Successes
PART 4 CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE DECISIONS
CHAPTER 16 Develop Your Judgment Gene
Judgment Is a Process, Not an Event
Problem Solving Versus Decision Making
Growing the Judgment Gene in High Potentials
CHAPTER 17 What You Know Is Irrelevant
Engaging Your Team’s Knowledge
Benefits of a Learning Organization
How Much Consensus Do You Really Have?
What If a Third Alternative Does Not Exist?
CHAPTER 18 Be Curious—Ask Great Questions
Curiosity Pushes the Boundaries
Curiosity Creates Opportunities
Even Great Leaders Don’t Have All the Answers
Managers Answer Questions—Leaders Ask Them
CHAPTER 19 If You Can’t Change, Retire
Working with Different Change Styles
PART 5 CONVERSATIONS TO TAKE ACTION
CHAPTER 20 Moving Smoothly into Action
Action or Inaction—It’s a Choice
CHAPTER 21 Planning Successful Actions
Planning Is an Essential Conversation
Guiding People to Deliver Value
In Theory, Goals are Fixed—In Reality, They Evolve
Tell Everyone What the Plan Says
Leadership: The Essence of Change
Conversations About Specific Actions
CHAPTER 23 Lessons from Success and Failure
The Comfort Zone Versus the Learning Zone
Conversations About Success and Failure
After-Action Reviews in the Commercial Sector
CHAPTER 24 Inspiring People in Turbulent Times
Requesting Action Versus Demanding Action
Putting Leadership Influence Into Action
When Your Team Is Effective, You Become Promotable
PART 6 YOUR LEADERSHIP CONVERSATIONS
CHAPTER 25 Conversations at the Top
Conversations by CXO Leaders with Their Boss
Conversations by CXO Leaders with Their Peers
Conversations by CXO Leaders with Their High Potentials
CHAPTER 26 Conversations for Executive Leaders
Conversations by Executive Leaders with Their Boss
Conversations by Executive Leaders with Their Peers
Conversations by Executive Leaders with Their High Potentials
CHAPTER 27 Conversations for Managers of Managers
Conversations by Managers of Managers with Their Boss
Conversations by Managers of Managers with Their Peers
Conversations by Managers of Managers with Their High Potentials
CHAPTER 28 Conversations for First-Line Managers
Conversations by First-Line Managers with Their Boss
Conversations by First-Line Managers with Their Peers
Conversations by First-Line Managers with Their High Potentials
CHAPTER 29 Your Personal Action Plan
Guide to Taking the Leadership Assessment