The Inspiring Leader: Unlocking the Secrets of How Extraordinary Leaders Motivate

by John H. Zenger and Joseph R. Folkman

Book Overview

In their bestselling work The ExtraordinaryLeader, performance thought leaders JohnZenger and Joseph Folkman revealed the 16key competencies that separate the top 10percent of leaders from the rest. Since thatbook's publication, they and coauthor ScottEdinger discovered, through an extensivestudy conducted over four years, that leaderswho possessed the ability to inspire and motivateoutperformed all others.

The authors found that the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071621245
• ISBN13: 9780071621243
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Why We Liked Ike

The mark of a great leader is someone who gets the job done with quiet confidence, as well as unyielding honesty & integrity. Clearly, charisma is not necessarily a part of the equation; however, building trust is critical. That's why we liked Ike. We didn't have to worry about him doing something dishonest or stupid. We felt safe with him in the Oval Office. By 2009, we've seen a variety of leaders in all sectors of society come & go. Some were wonderfully inspiring; some not so great. In defining the qualiities that make up an "inspiring leader", authors Zenger, Folkman & Edinger have collaborated on this gem, which is about as good as it gets in covering the issue. I'm not so sure the qualities that make up a great leader are all that "secret", however, they are vital. Very few have been able to attain the level of greatness achieved by the likes of Lincoln or Churchill; what they seemed to possess, along with other great leaders in politics or business, is a quality of unyielding honesty & integrity. Nowadays, those qualities seem to be difficult to find in so many of our current leaders; perhaps they should read this book to get a clue.

A top pick and recommended reading for anyone faced with the task of leadership

What's the difference between an average leader and a truly great one? "The Inspiring Leader: Unlocking the Secrets of How Extraordinary Leaders Motivate" is John Zenger and his collaborators Joseph R. Folkman, and Scott K. Edinger discussing what an important and inspiring leader should be. Outlining what one needs to do to establish themselves as a leader optimizing everything they need such as empathy, long term planning and goal setting, cooperation, and more, there is much to motivate and inspire someone to motivate and inspire others. "The Inspiring Leader" is a top pick and recommended reading for anyone faced with the task of leadership.

How to Excel at the Managerial Skill Employees Value the Most.

An updated interpretation of what makes for superior leadership drawn from multi-rater feedback assessments of 20,000 managers as validated against work group performance. Reveals evidence that individuals who report to leaders they regard as inspiring are as much as 400% more likely to be commited to the enterprise and 250% less likely to thnk about quitting. Codifies what an "inspiring leader" is in terms of concrete behaviors that can be learned as skills, and debunks the notion that motivation requires a honey-tongue. A great coaching template for managers of managers. Authors Zenger, Folkman and Edinger offer lots of best practice examples, as well as illustrations of what can go wrong when motivational intentions are based on faulty assumptions.

Not just another leadership book!

With all the leadership books burgeoning shelves it's no wonder another leadership book seems like, well, just another book. Not so with The Inspiring Leader! The rigorous research is right on the money and the developmental applications are attainable for any leader willing to put forth the persistent effort to inspire others. The "matter of fact" data reveals what inspiring leaders actually do to combine a certain set of strengths and actions and thus "magically" inspire others to follow them. The authors combine their own strengths to create a great read that is; seamless, immediately informative, academically inclusive, interesting, and yes, in a word, INSPIRING! Get this book and give it your best shot! It may inspire you too! Dr. S. Brett Savage President/CEO Next Phase Leadership [...]

Exceptional book from a recognized thought leader

The Inspiring Leader is one of those rare books on Leadership: it is at once immensely practical (ideas to use NOW) and at the same time grounded in the best research and models pertaining to that illusive thing called leadership. And instead of avoiding the topic of inspiration which has long been held to be immeasurable and therefore not a topic to discuss, Dr Jack Zenger courageously and successfully breaks apart this key to leadership success so that we can all understand it and make positive use of our understanding. Outstanding book for leaders! Give it to your boss!