The Quantum Leader: Applications for the New World of Work

by Kathy Malloch and Tim Porter-O'Grady

Book Overview

The Quantum Leader expands principles and behaviors of the best-selling Quantum Leadership: A Resource for Health Care Innovation, Second Edition by presenting new and more in-depth challenges for the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763729124
• ISBN13: 9780763729127
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Publishers
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.6" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Textbook

We used this book for Nurs Admin class and it is a decent book for those involved with a new management position. Those with significant experience will find it repititious to prior training you may have.

The Quantum Leader: Applications for the New World of Work by Kathy Malloch and Tim Porter-O-Grady.

Both authors are doctorally prepared consultants who are Fellows in the American Academy of Nursing. This 81/2 by 11 inch book has 200 pages. Typically two-thirds of the page is narrative and 1/3 has side bars including tables, figures, gems, scenarios, discussions, and questions. Bullets and numbers are frequently used in tables. The book has ten chapters: 1. Making sense of Transformation, 2. Leading in the New Age, 3. Quantum Leadership: Effective Conflict, 4. The Vulnerable Leader, 4. Creating a Culture of Safety, 6. The Fully Engaged Leader, 7. Turning Toxic Behaviors into Transformational Actions, 8. The Leader as Mentor and Coach, 9. Leading with Courage, and 10. Leadership and Care of the Self. Chapters begin with chapter objectives and an introduction. They usually end with conclusions or summaries, references, and suggested readings. Some chapters have scenarios, exercises, and/or appendix. The book is indexed. In chapter 1, the authors teach that management was historically about power but is now about change (p. 3). People do not want to change what they enjoy; so the leader must manage tension between satisfaction and dissatisfaction (p.9). Chapter 2 indicates that relationships now need a new level of honesty about what is or is not going to happen (p. 22). Staff ownership is critical and cannot be sustained if the leader makes the decisions independently (p. 25). The authors promote that the leader is to have no business friends throughout the book. It is a lonely position. In chapter 3, they suggest that "the best way to avoid conflict is to create a culture where conflict is accepted as part of the way of interacting with each other" (p. 39). An eight step process for conflict resolution with numerous sub steps is outlined on pages 59-60. In chapter 4, they stress the vulnerability of the leader in a culture of uncertainty and the need for mindfulness, stretching, and risk taking. They indicate that capacity can be increased through diversity. Chapter 5 promotes error as an essential element for improvement, presents three theories of error (foolishness, normal accidents, and high reliability) and their application, addresses root cause, and identifies principles to guide leaders for transforming to a culture of safety. Appendix 1 on page 93 identifies transforming leader behaviors as know yourself, plan for error, balance standardization, continually assure staff competence, and documentation accompanied with errors to avoid. Chapter 6 discusses the relationship of engagement to organizational outcomes, emotional aspects of leadership, processes of engagement including skill building, self-assessment, valuing others and sustaining engagement. The authors quote Paul P. Parker as saying, "You can work with people more successfully by enlisting their feelings than by convincing their reason" (p. 98) and encourage Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries concept of the Teddy Bear Factor, an emotional intelligence that helps people feel comfor