The Manager as Leader

Against the backdrop of corporate downsizings and rightsizings that have forever blurred the line between leaders and followers, The Manager as Leader presents practical strategies, tools, and techniques for developing the leadership mindset and applying it on a daily basis. The book introduces the Contextual Leadership Model, which identifies nine fundamental leadership roles and six common contexts in which leadership is exercised, and guides readers toward matching their roles and actions to the particular context at hand―as well as making adjustments when context changes. Packed with illustrative examples, diagnostic tools, worksheets, and other interactive elements, and featuring an extensive listing of resources, The Manager as Leader is a hands-on guide to the art of leadership, whether you are an executive, manager, supervisor, or aspiring leader anywhere in the organization.

An invisible line between individual contributor and leader was once thought to exist, separating leaders from followers. Two decades of downsizings and rightsizings have forever blurred this distinction and left us with three fundamental challenges: (1) How can an organization elicit leadership from everyone?; (2) How can those who choose to lead influence others to perform more effectively and efficiently than they ever thought possible?; (3) How can leaders continue to be successful when the environment in which they lead is constantly changing?

Addressing these challenges requires a certain awareness and nimbleness on behalf of the person thinking and acting as the leader, regardless of their formal position. The Manager as Leader presents practical strategies, tools, and techniques for developing the leadership mindset and applying it on a daily basis. The book introduces the Contextual Leadership Model, which identifies nine fundamental leadership roles and six common contexts in which leadership is exercised, and guides readers toward matching their roles and actions to the particular context at hand; it also shows readers how to anticipate changes in context and adjust their roles and actions accordingly. Packed with illustrative examples, diagnostic tools, worksheets, and other interactive elements, and featuring an extensive listing of resources, The Manager as Leader is a hands-on guide to the art of leadership, whether you are an executive, manager, supervisor, or aspiring leader anywhere in the organization.

B. Keith Simerson is a founding Partner of Tradewinds Consulting, LLC, advising Fortune 500 companies in change management, leadership development, human resource management and corporate strategy. He has served as an adjunct professor at Gardner-Webb University, guest lecturer at Webster University Graduate School, and Associate Editor of the professional journal, Police Chief. He is a frequent presenter at conferences and seminars, has written for Training Director's Forum, and is coauthor of Evaluating Police Management Development Programs (Praeger, 1990), and Fired, Laid Off, Out of a Job (Praeger, 2003).

Michael L. Venn is a founding Partner of Tradewinds Consulting, LLC, advising Fortune 500 companies in change management, leadership development, human resource management, and corporate strategy. He has presented and taught globally on these topics, and is the author of articles in Executive Excellence and publications of the American Society of Training and Development and the International Society for Performance Improvement. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Internal Management Consultants.