Leadership Unleashed

 

In a different view of the definition of Leadership, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss discuss in Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You that Leadership is empowering those around you to implement change and your vision strategy and mission, instead of being directive.  Empowering people around you to achieve a common goal such as implement a system is an art not a science to motivate people. It’s about how can we get all the oars in the water at the same time to row towards shore, even with differing opinions as to which shore should we row toward. In a business setting, a participative leadership style will work in a more productive manager than an autocratic or paternalistic style. Yet, as a program/project manager driving a project to on time, on budget and in scope, empowering the team to be creative or think “outside the box” is an art. And as the authors identify it depends on the personality of the individual, culture of the enterprise and of course, the integrity, humility, accountability and positivity of the person. It’s about empowering people to do things they are unsure they can accomplish.  Create an even playing field where people can feel comfortable to perform and excel.

Overall, I would recommend this book since it can provide a person with a different perspective to look at the qualities of a Leader. I have worked with a program manager or project leader who used their these skills to harness or empower the team and energize  their employees to drive a project or endeavor towards success.  We still had to be attentive to the guideposts  that the firm had established to ensure that the project was a success. 

This is a pivot since this takes a manager to the level of a Leader.