Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity

by Michael L. Stallard

Book Overview

Indisputable evidence reveals that the greatest threat to America's economy isn't off-shoring labor, the need for downsizing, or unethical corporate practices--it's employee disengagement. This widespread malady is the cause of billions of dollars lost, hours of dissatisfaction, and work lives lacking true value. In this game-changing guide, author Michael Stallard shares the three essential leadership actions necessary to transform even a lethargic,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595552812
• ISBN13: 9781595552815
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: HarperCollins Leadership
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Great book

I am currently taking a PMP class and found this book to be a good compliment on the essential element PMP misses: teamwork. Management is not solely a numbers game, but a process that can be more about the use of soft skills, as it requires the commitment of individual talents and the connection between people. Worth reading.

Passion and Connection

The power of connection is at once essential and evasive. The good organizations have it, the mediocre organizations give lip service to it, and the poor organizations just don't care if they have it. Yet, for those leaders who seek greatness -- for themselves, their organizations, and their organizations -- connection and engagement are indispensible. Co-author Michael Lee Stallard is the founder of E Pluribus Partners, an employee engagement consulting firm, concisely and inspiringly outlines the three keys to connections: Visions, Value, and Voice. Along with Carolyn Dewing-Hommes and Jason Pankau, he asserts that connection is neither created nor maintained through a panoply of superficialities, but rather through the clarity of example rooted in human integrity and concern. Without genuineness, team members will quickly disengage (and perhaps justifiably so) and seek connection elsewhere, if not physically, then at least mentally, emotionally and spiritually -- all with disastrous consequences for the organizations. The first part of the book outlines the importance of connectivity and meaning. The second part moves into the three keys of Vision, Value and Voice with examples drawn from various areas of life. Part three delves into the leader as instrument of connection -- again reinforcing that to increase connectivity, he or she must embrace those qualities within their mind, heart and soul. Lastly, the authors offer a twenty-day "program," examples of leaders who have engaged their people in various endeavors. These can be read "one-a day" -- a daily dose of wisdom, or reviewed in various order. Appendix A, a scant three pages, provides a roadmap by which anyone can begin to evaluate connectivity within their own organization. The key of course, is that the aspiring leader must approach each question with honesty and integrity -- even if the answers are discomforting and indicative of immediate action. This is a great book. As someone who highly values the principles of connectivity, the authors have enable me to place my own personal experiences in a more structured context and provide a blueprint for my own leadership in different areas of my life. Nicely done!

Must reading for today's managers

Mike Stallard's new book brilliantly addresses one of the most significant challenges that will be facing virtually every business in the years to come: cultivating the corporate culture and workplace environment (what I call the "invisible architecture" of an organization) that will help organizations recruit and retain enthusiastic and capable people in a hyper-competitive job market. Mike correctly points out that many of the left-brain techniques that have predominated in the past fifty years or so have reached or surpassed the point of diminishing returns, and that now progressive leaders must give more emphasis to promoting right-brain qualities such as passion, creativity, and loyalty. The book is richly illustrated with stories from history and contemporary business, and is must-reading for any manager who wishes to foster a fired-up workplace.

Refreshing book for leaders seeking to Re-energize their organization

"Fired up or Burned Out: How to Reignite your Team's Passion, Creativity and Productivity," by Michael Stallard, is a breath of fresh air to leaders seeking to reinvigorate their organizations with a renewed sense of vision, purpose and synergy. Ever been involved with an organization that seems stuck or lacking a clear direction or vision? This book is a great resource to help leaders rekindle sparks of synergy, purpose, and passion for excellence. In the book he makes a very persuasive case for: * Why a sense of emotional connection is necessary for people and organizations to thrive. * How the oft discussed elements of vision, value, and voice are reflected in the richer concepts of inspiring identity, human value, and knowledge flow. * Why connection depends on the right kind of people whose actions increase connection. * The three types of people who affect connection: intentional disconnectors, unintentional disconnectors, and intentional connectors. Stallard also looks at leaders and organizations that have succeeded in cultivating this atmosphere of synergy and connection with excellent results as well as those with great potential that missed the mark and why. An excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone in a position of leadership.

Connectors, Disconnectors; Productivity, and Passion

Michael Stallard's "Fired Up or Burned Out" addresses organizational and personal passion, creativity, and productivity. Stallard notes in his introduction that fewer than three in ten Americans are engaged in their jobs (surviving rather than thriving), and sets about to explain why and how it can be fixed. "Fired Up" is organized into four sections (and 15 chapters): what fires us up; the keys to connecting a team and lighting their fires; where it begins; and lessons from twenty great leaders. Each section begins with a "What you will learn guide," and each chapter ends with a "Review, Reflection, and Application" summary. The former provides the theme and the latter provides an excellent reference for future review. What you will learn includes: * Why a sense of emotional connection is necessary for people and organizations to thrive. * How the oft discussed elements of vision, value, and voice are reflected in the richer concepts of inspiring identity, human value, and knowledge flow. * Why connection depends on the right kind of people whose actions increase connection. * The three types of people who affect connection: intentional disconnectors, unintentional disconnectors, and intentional connectors. Stallard begins with the fundamental belief that all people want and need to feel valued and shows how the "Power of Connection" works to this end. "Connection meets basic human psychological needs for respect, recognition, belonging, autonomy, personal growth, and meaning." People with a higher degree of connection experience superior mental and physical health improving the performance of both. And the lack of connection will gradually diminish both leading to burn out. Psychiatrists have also observed that the lack of connection leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation, confusion resulting in behaviors of distrust, disrespect, and dissatisfaction. And at a time when the public is concerned about organizational ethics, it has been noted that in cultures where large numbers of people are disconnected, unethical behavior is more likely to occur. Stallard links connection to vision, value and voice. Many business authors have underscored the value of the first two elements but less has been written on "voice." I found the discussion of "voice" one of the most interesting and refreshing aspects of this excellent book. Stallard explains in detail how "voice" or knowledge flow increases connection and fires up people, helps people to make better decisions (the wisdom of the crowd), and increases creativity and innovation. He then suggest several strategies on how to increase knowledge flow within the organization - top to bottom, bottom to top, and across all functions. Author Michael Stallard has had an interest in work cultures throughout his career as he wanted to understand the culture that would bring out the best in himself. His interest led to a generalized notion of what would bring out the best in all, and left Wall St