What Leadership is For: Identifying the three drivers for stand-out performance

Leadership, yes, but what for?

What now determines stand-out performance and a clear sense of identity in organizations? Beyond the essentials of profit and impact, leaders have as many as twelve drivers to pursue.

They can choose, as many do, to give them all equal weight. However, their organizations are likely to end up being lost in the middle and suffering from a lack of identity.

Their intentions as leaders will fail to cascade. Everyone’s sense of direction will vary. Customers won’t be sure what to expect.

Instead, the best performers in today’s complex and volatile conditions commit to three drivers at most. Everyone then knows what the organization is about, whether it is innovation, efficiency or inclusivity.

In this book, Patrick Faniel discusses how leaders can align their organizations around each of these twelve drivers. In a series of clear, easy-to-implement models, he highlights the potential for those who focus to create a distinctive sense of purpose and to inspire stand-out performance.

COMMENTS

‘An inspiring and modern way to see leadership’, Jaime de Pinies, former lead economist, World Bank and former head of research, Santander Investment

‘Faniel’s model shares some great insights and keys to unlock performance and lead effectively in the everchanging world of work’, Emily Kamunde-Osoro, leadership coach and founder of East African HR Symposium

‘There's an important place for management theory, but nothing quite beats the practical experience coming from those who've faced both the everyday and the longer-term challenges of leadership’, James Capon, former president, Levi's Brand and president, Dockers

‘A clear and insightful perspective on what leadership should be today’, Dr Constance Cramer, fellow, Aspen Institute and former deputy director, Global Health Initiative, Boston University

‘In today’s VUCA world, business leaders need a strong compass. Having this compass will boost engagement and performance within the entire organization’, Dr Martin Emrich, leadership expert, bestselling author of Leading in a VUCA World

‘I’d really love to get Patrick’s book … because it’s an extremely important topic. It’s all about people which is fascinating’, Felix Sulzberger, executive chairman, Calida Holding AG

CONTENTS

(1) Concept (2) Leadership for Growth (3) Leadership for Innovation (4) Leadership for Partnerships (5) Leadership for Strategy Execution (6) Leadership for Effectiveness (7) Leadership for Digitalization (8) Leadership for Employee Experience (9) Leadership for Diversity and Inclusion (10) Leadership for Inspiration (11) Leadership for Customer Focus (12) Leadership for Brands (13) Leadership for Personalization (14) Leadership without Authority (15) Conclusion

AUTHOR

Patrick Faniel is managing director of Management Centre Europe (MCE), a leading force in developing and inspiring leaders and managers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As part of the American Management Association, MCE runs open programmes and customized learning solutions for executives, teams and organizations, bringing them up to speed with how they can become more efficient, more agile and more attractive to the next generation of talent. As a chief executive, as a founder, as a professor and in business development, Patrick Faniel has been transforming performance in ventures of all sizes for the last 25 years. At MCE, he now leads a team and an international faculty with direct strategic and operational experience of the complex challenges that leaders are now facing.