Download or read book The Nine Dimensions to Unlock the Leader in You The Discipline of Coaching Yourself to Fearlessly Lead Influence Inspire and Empower Others written by Marlene Gonzalez and published by Life Coaching Group LLC. This book was released on 2021-07-12 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leadership comes from within, but you can’t find it until you know where to look. Here’s what you need to know… Have you just found yourself rising into a leadership role and aren’t quite sure what to do about it? Or maybe you’re still dreaming of the day this happens to you and want to be prepared when it comes? Perhaps your friends, family, and even co-workers are constantly admiring your leadership qualities but you still don't understand what they see in you? That voice inside of you that’s constantly encouraging you to stand up and lead isn’t going anywhere -- it’s time to embrace it. How you do that is actually a very simple and straightforward process. There are no fancy gimmicks or complex hoops to jump through, and it isn’t going to require a ton of your time or energy. There are 9 key factors that go into being a leader, and every leader has their strengths and weaknesses distributed across them differently. What’s important is that you understand each of them and become aware of what’s going to work best for you. Once you do, you’ll be able to tap into your own true power and begin leading others in the most effective (and productive) ways possible. In Leadership Wizard, you’ll discover: ● The different types of leadership styles -- and why transformational leadership is so crucial to your success ● How to use your body language and persuasive communication to get people to want to listen to you ● The most effective ways to build trust with your audience and following -- know your people are with you every step of the way ● A deeper look at what motivates people into action so you can focus on inspiring them in ways they feel excited about ● Why your team needs to see you “in the trenches” with them -- and what this actually looks like in your daily interactions ● How you can train your self-discipline -- and why this creates healthy habits of long-lasting success ● How you can turn your team of followers into a team of leaders -- and why this is actually a good thing for you … and much more! Enough with all the dreaming -- no one can follow someone who doesn’t lead them properly. People want to know what you have to say and want to go where you’re going… you just have to establish the right methods of communicating your message to them. Your exact skill set is needed in the world now more than ever before. The only question is: Are you ready to become everything you’re destined to be?

Download or read book The Wizard and the Warrior written by Lee G. Bolman and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-03-08 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Wizard and the Warrior gives leaders the insight and courage they need to take risks on behalf of values they cherish and the people they guide. Great leaders must act both as wizard, calling on imagination, creativity, meaning, and magic, and as warrior, mobilizing strength, courage, and willingness to fight as necessary to fulfill their mission. Best-selling authors Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal present the defining moments and experiences of exemplary leaders such as Carly Fiorina, Thomas Keller (head chef of French Laundry), David Neeleman (CEO of Jet Blue), Mary Kay Ash, Warren Buffet, Anne Mulcahy, and Abraham Lincoln3⁄4all of whom have wrested with their own inner warrior and wizard. These engaging, realistic case studies are followed by commentaries that will raise questions and suggest possibilities without rushing to resolution or simple answers.

Download or read book Winning Wizard s Leadership Axioms for Career Progression and Everyday Living written by William P. Fisher, Ph.D. and published by Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency. This book was released on 2016-06-30 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept and practice of leadership is widely talked about, written about, studied, researched, discussed (and perhaps cussed), admired, imitated, envied, and often disregarded, but it is still an enigma in the human realm. We know it when we see it but we can’t adequately define it or “package” it. Still, there are some things we can say about leadership that are veritable truths, which we call “axioms” that can help us focus on the subject so we can become better leaders. Winning Wizard’s Leadership Axioms for Career Progression and Everyday Living is a compendium of 417 such axioms that address the skills, attributes, values, traits, and qualities of current and aspirational leaders. “Winning Wizard” is a retired chief executive officer of a major international organization who has been granted emeritus status, and has been given an office on the top floor Stratospheric Lounge, so he is available to organizational constituents when called upon. Redael is a lower level manager in the organization who aspires to top management and a leadership position not only in the firm, but in the industry and the world community. Redael realizes “Winning Wizard” can be a valuable mentor, and meets with the sage to get some sound advice and guidance to help scale the organization’s mountain to its apex. Leadership axioms include: • Leaders know it’s not who you are that’s important, but it’s what you do that’s most important! • Leaders conceive of themselves as leaders, carry themselves as leaders, and conduct themselves as leaders. • Leaders prefer workhorses to show horses. The insights and provocative thoughts compiled in this book will make you a (better) leader if you take them to heart.

Download or read book Leadership Wizard written by Marlene Gonzalez and published by Lcg Group LLC. This book was released on 2021-06-14 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leadership comes from within, but you can't find it until you know where to look. Here's what you need to know?Have you just found yourself rising into a leadership role and aren't quite sure what to do about it?Or maybe you're still dreaming of the day this happens to you and want to be prepared when it comes?Perhaps your friends, family, and even co-workers are constantly admiring your leadership qualities but you still don't understand what they see in you?That voice inside of you that's constantly encouraging you to stand up and lead isn't going anywhere -- it's time to embrace it.How you do that is actually a very simple and straightforward process.There are no fancy gimmicks or complex hoops to jump through, and it isn't going to require a ton of your time or energy.There are 9 key factors that go into being a leader, and every leader has their strengths and weaknesses distributed across them differently.?The different types of leadership styles -- and why transformational leadership is so crucial to your success?How to use your body language and persuasive communication to get people to want to listen to you?The most effective ways to build trust with your audience and following -- know your people are with you every step of the way?A deeper look at what motivates people into action so you can focus on inspiring them in ways they feel excited about?Why your team needs to see you "in the trenches" with them -- and what this actually looks like in your daily interactions?How you can train your self-discipline -- and why this creates healthy habits of long-lasting success?How you can turn your team of followers into a team of leaders -- and why this is actually a good thing for you? and much more!

Download or read book If Harry Potter Ran General Electric written by Tom Morris and published by Crown Currency. This book was released on 2006-05-16 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: However important the magic of wands, brooms, cauldrons, potions, and spells might be to the vivid story telling of [the Harry Potter] books, it is merely incidental to their philosophy of life…. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone in a business context say something like “I wish I could just magically solve all these problems” or “I’ll try my best to deal with this, but remember, I’m no magician.” What is particularly interesting is that the most difficult problems that the people in Harry’s world face are rarely solved with just magic, but rather by the use of intelligence, reasoning, planning, courage, determination, persistence, resourcefulness, creativity, fidelity, friendship, and many other qualities traditionally known by the philosophers in our world as virtues…. The meaning of life is not to be found in elixirs or incantations, secret words or exotic objects with esoteric powers, but in real moral virtue and the magic of what it can help us do….” J. K. Rowling’s novels about Harry Potter and the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have captured the imaginations of people everywhere. In IF HARRY POTTER RAN GENERAL ELECTRIC, bestselling business author Tom Morris (IF ARISTOTLE RAN GENERAL MOTORS) uncovers the values and timeless truths that underlie Rawling’s hugely popular books and illuminate the lessons they offer to all of us in our careers and daily lives. But, you say, Harry Potter lives in a world of magic? What can we possibly learn to apply to our own careers and everyday lives? Morris shows that the most difficult problems Harry and his friends face are rarely solved by the use of magic alone. Rather, they are conquered by intelligence, reasoning, determination, creativity, friendship, and a host of other classic virtues–the very qualities, in fact, that make for success in every aspect of our lives. Blending an array of provocative examples from the novels with thought-provoking commentary on contemporary management practices, IF HARRY POTTER RAN GENERAL ELECTRIC offers readers a master’s course on leadership and ethics, told in an engaging and insightful way.

Download or read book Leadership Insights for Wizards and Witches written by Aditya Simha and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2022-05-30 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leadership Insights for Wizards and Witches outlines various leadership styles, theories, and concepts through the fictional lens of J.K. Rowling’s magical world – from ethical, servant, and authentic leadership, to power, influence, and persuasion.

Download or read book Winning Wizard s Words of Management Wisdom written by William P. Fisher and published by Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency. This book was released on 2016-08-19 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winning Wizard's Words of Management Wisdom is the second book in the author's Winning Wizard series, and it is the sequel to Winning Wizard's Leadership Axioms for Career Progression and Everyday Living. The book follows up on a retired Chief Executive Officer of an international organization by the name of Winning Wizard. The executive is mentoring Radael (leader spelled backwards), a young management trainee in need of advice and guidance, and learning how to survive and advance in the organization. The book identifies many management issues and challenges, each culminating in Words of Management Wisdom. The action takes place in the land of Yenom (money spell backwards). The words of wisdom provided are incisive, trenchant, and thought provoking. There are 40 chapters, including the titles Climbing an Organization Mountain; Management ABCs; Leaders vs. Bureaucrats; Bosses; and The Perfect Executive.

Download or read book Winning Wizard s Bk01 Starting Out written by William P. Fisher and published by Delmar Thomson Learning. This book was released on 2005-12 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winning Wizard s Words of Management Wisdom Book 1: Starting Out addresses a wide range of subjects including the ABCs of management, authority, responsibility, leadership styles and qualities, group behavior, recruitment, and conflict. The easy to digest format presents the content in an entertaining way, leading to key points with bits of Winning Wizard Wisdom throughout. It has appeal to all levels of professionals and uses humor in a productive way to help get key points across. This book is the perfect fit for the student, the professional or soon to be professional looking for key bits of knowledge and insight into the word of organized business.

Download or read book Leadership Wizard written by Marlene Gonzalez and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-12 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the secret behind great leadership success. There's a very thin line separating true leaders from 'power wielders.' Throughout history, many leaders have fallen flat because they were too seduced and consumed by power. They failed to realize that true leadership isn't about fear and compliance. Learning from the mistakes of the past, many great people have understood that the only way to set themselves up for long-lasting success was not through terror but through empathy. Thus, transformational leadership was born. Transformational leaders know that their obligations are as much to their organization as to their people. They are not only managers but also guides, mentors, role models, and most importantly, infallible sources of inspiration. They are masters at gaining positive commitment and loyalty while constantly striving to empower others and promote growth. And now, you can unlock the leader in YOU. Understanding the true meaning of leadership is the first step towards becoming a leader who inspires and transforms others. Taking inspiration from transformational leaders, it may finally be your time to shine. There are All it takes is knowing how to master the nine dimensions and plant the leadership seed in you. From there on, you can slowly but steadily watch yourself grow into the leader you were always meant to be. In How to Become a Transformational Leader, here is just a fraction of what you will discover: The #1 secret to becoming an authentic leader who inspires everyone around them Why empathy is a transformational leader's favorite influence strategy, as well as how to effectively use it get people to commit to your mission Why having a clear vision is crucial when you want others to trust you and your leadership How self-discipline is a key ingredient to any transformational leader, allowing you to keep the motivation going even in the most challenging times Bulletproof ways to empower your people to take initiative and always give their best, priming them to become the transformational leaders of tomorrow How you can embrace adversity, learn from it, and then turn it into an opportunity for growth and development And much more. Anyone has the potential to become a great leader. Leadership is a set of behaviors that you can hone and master rather than a state of 'being' or a number of innate traits you were born with. Transformational leadership is a truly satisfying journey where the individuals' growth and empowerment bring the whole organization to new heights, increasing its chances of unparalleled success. If you want to become a leader who transforms and inspires others, then scroll up and click the "Add to Cart" button right now.

Download or read book Leadership written by Brigid Carroll and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2019-03-30 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written from a global and critical perspective with a diverse range of cases and examples throughout, this is an inspiring read for developing leaders operating within global and multicultural work settings. ‘Power’ is taken as central theme for this book, opening up discussion about issues that are often neglected in leadership texts i.e. fairness, equity, justice, resistance, conflict, emancipation, oppression, rationality, politics, globalization, the natural environment, and knowledge. New to this edition: A new prologue: ‘An Unconventional History of Leadership Studies′ A new epilogue on ‘Embodied Leadership, Ethics, and its Affects’ written by David Knights, one of the authors of Embodied Research Methods (pub April 2019) 3 new topical integrative case studies, based on current events: Jacinda Ardern’s pregnancy when PM; #MeToo; and Suma Foods co-operative Updated research and pedagogical features throughout, including the ‘Leadership on Screen’ feature The book is complemented by a range of online resources including PowerPoint slides, videos of the book’s authors providing an overview of the chapter and discussing why the topic is important, access to journal articles discussed in the book, and links to additional relevant material.

Download or read book Toto s Reflections written by Kevin Fickenscher and published by . This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Running with the Big Dogs! In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's Toto was clearly a dog of character. He knew when to sit still, when to bark, and when to make a fuss. He was simply a real dog with real observations about real situations. And the Oz experience reinforced what his parents taught him as a small pup: Care deeply. Bark only when necessary but then, forcefully. Be curious. Express yourself. Embrace the world and have no fears. The story of Dorothy's journey to Oz has captivated generations of children and adults alike since it was first published by L. Frank Baum in 1900. Dorothy's adventures have been analyzed from virtually every perspective-psychological, historical, economic, and the like-except from the perspective of the only other character that was with her every step of the way: Toto! Dorothy's little dog wrote this book and buried his manuscript in a can with an old bone on the original Gale farmstead. Dr. Fickenscher came upon it quite accidently and was given the opportunity to edit Toto's original thoughts on the Leadership Lessons from The Wizard of Oz, which he now shares with you. Of course, there are the usual thoughts on brainpower, heart, and courage, but in this book, there is much, much more. The many lessons of Oz will captivate your imagination and, no doubt, serve as a guide in your quest to become a better leader! Toto's Reflections will help you contribute to making a difference in the world, and challenge you to consider what you can do, starting right now, to make the world a better place!

Download or read book The Leadership Secrets of Oz written by B. J. Gallagher and published by Simple Truths. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion approached the great Wizard of Oz they assumed that their leader would wave his magic wand and solve their problems, leaving them off on their merry way. But that's not how a leader inspires a team, and that's not how a team finds success in the wonderful land of Oz. Instead, the Wizard guides them on their journey, reminding them of their own unique skills and abilities so they can accomplish their dreams. These unique and easy-to-use tools lay the foundation for great teamwork and inspiring management. You'll create a more effective workplace using the Wizard's easy-to-follow leadership principles, inspiring and encouraging both leaders and team members alike.

Download or read book How Great Leaders Think written by Lee G. Bolman and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-07-08 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The proven model that offers powerful and elegant strategies for leaders How Great Leaders Think: the Art of Reframing uses compelling, contemporary examples to show how more complex thinking is the key to better leadership. Leaders who understand what's going on around them see what they need to do to achieve the results they want. Bolman and Deal's influential four-frame model of leadership and organizations—developed in their bestselling book, Reframing Organizations: Artistry Choice and Leadership—offers leaders an accessible guide for understanding four major aspects of organizational life: structure, people, politics, and culture. Tapping into the complexity enables leaders to decode the messy world in which they live, see more options, tell better stories, and find strategies that are more effective. Case examples of leaders like Jeff Bezos at Amazon, Howard Schultz at Starbucks, Tony Hsieh at Zappos, Ursula Burns at Xerox, and the late Steve Jobs at Apple provide concrete lessons that readers can put to use in their own leadership. The book's lessons include: How to use structural tools to organize teams and organizations for better results How to build motivation and morale by aligning organizations and people How to map the terrain and build a power base to navigate the political dynamics in organizations How to develop a leadership story that shapes culture, provides direction, and inspires commitment to excellence

Download or read book Leadership as a Habit of Mind written by Barbara Mackoff and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2005 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Leadership as a Habit of Mind is an insightful and original work. The book is compulsively readable for its stories of personal experiences that have shaped the way leaders think and act. Even better, it offers a new concept-"habits of mind"-that will help other leaders and would-be leaders to understand their own formative experiences and use them wisely." -HOWARD SCHULTZ, Chairman and Chief Global Strategist, Starbucks Coffee Company "What an amazing way to think about leadership! These fascinating real-leader stories persuasively teach that sustainable public victories come from the inner work of private victories." -Dr. STEPHEN R. COVEY, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People "A deeply moving book about leaders who know how to move leaders to great possibilities. Spiritual and practical. Complex and profoundly simple. "An important and unique addition to the leadership literature." -WARREN BENNIS, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, and author of Managing the Dream and On Becoming a Leader "The mystery of leadership gets a jolt of real-life enlightenment thanks to Mackoff and Wenet's sparkling new book. The authors supply a big missing piece-what really goes on inside a leader's head-by tapping into some of the best leadership talent around and giving us a front-row seat to the way these people think. Instead of offering the same tired old profiles and how-tos, this book bristles with energy, originality, and oomph." -NANCY K. AUSTIN, coauthor, A Passion for Excellence "Enlightened leadership comes from within, as Drs. Mackoff and Wenet's provocative new book clearly illuminates. This intelligent, well-researched book should be required reading for executives and entrepreneurs alike, it is an invaluable guide for those who aspire to inspire the people and organizations that will flourish in this new century." -JANE ADAMS, author of Women on Top and Making Good: Conversations with Successful Men

Download or read book The Wizard and the Prophet written by Charles C. Mann and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2018-01-23 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the best-selling, award-winning author of 1491 and 1493--an incisive portrait of the two little-known twentieth-century scientists, Norman Borlaug and William Vogt, whose diametrically opposed views shaped our ideas about the environment, laying the groundwork for how people in the twenty-first century will choose to live in tomorrow's world. In forty years, Earth's population will reach ten billion. Can our world support that? What kind of world will it be? Those answering these questions generally fall into two deeply divided groups--Wizards and Prophets, as Charles Mann calls them in this balanced, authoritative, nonpolemical new book. The Prophets, he explains, follow William Vogt, a founding environmentalist who believed that in using more than our planet has to give, our prosperity will lead us to ruin. Cut back! was his mantra. Otherwise everyone will lose! The Wizards are the heirs of Norman Borlaug, whose research, in effect, wrangled the world in service to our species to produce modern high-yield crops that then saved millions from starvation. Innovate! was Borlaug's cry. Only in that way can everyone win! Mann delves into these diverging viewpoints to assess the four great challenges humanity faces--food, water, energy, climate change--grounding each in historical context and weighing the options for the future. With our civilization on the line, the author's insightful analysis is an essential addition to the urgent conversation about how our children will fare on an increasingly crowded Earth.

Download or read book Volleyball Coaching Wizards Wizard Women written by Lauren Bertolacci and published by Anduril Ventures. This book was released on 2023-02-15 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Six master volleyball coaching women with experience covering different levels, across multiple countries, and with varied backgrounds share their stories on the road to success. Erin Appleman – A US college coach at Yale, where she lead her program to the first ever Ivy League team win in the NCAA tournament. Audrey Cooper – A Scot who lead Team GB in the 2012 Olympics and has coached both professional and non-professional adult club teams. Denise Corlett – A career US assistant coach at Stanford, where she contributed to multiple national championships. Ann Schilling – A US high school and juniors coach with an incredible record of success. Saskia Van Hintum – A Dutch coach who's worked across the levels from juniors to pro and national team indoors, and at the national team level on the beach. Shannon Winzer - A Canadian who started at the adult club level and progressed to national team coaching. What is Volleyball Coaching Wizards? The Volleyball Coaching Wizards project is about identifying great coaches from all categories of volleyball and making their experience, insights, and expertise available to people all over the world. We interview coaches from across the globe, all age groups, coaching both genders, all competitive levels, indoor and beach. They share with us their philosophies, their thought processes, and their methodologies. We then share that with you. With Wizard Women we take a by women, for women approach. Women in coaching have different challenges than their male colleagues. Those are thing specifically discussed in these interviews, along with everything else. This is not about drills and games. There are other great places to get that type of material. Instead, Volleyball Coaching Wizards is about the thinking that surrounds the technical and tactical side of things. It's about letting you see what great volleyball coaches have in common, and where they differ despite all having great success over their career. There are two main goals of the Wizards project. One is to provide both information and inspiration to volleyball coaches everywhere. The other is to help develop a real volleyball coaching literature, one which matches what can be found in other sports. About the Authors Lauren Bertolacci is currently the head coach for the Swiss professional women’s team Viteos NUC Volleyball, as well as being the head coach for the Swiss Women’s National Team. At NUC her teams have won three straight league championships and three straight Cup titles, and have competed in CEV competition as well. Before NUC, she was the head coach for the Volley Luzern men’s team. Prior to taking charge of Switzerland she assisted with the national teams of both Canada and her native Australia. Lauren’s coaching career follows a professional playing career, as well as national team experience. John Forman is the author of the well-respected Coaching Volleyball blog (CoachingVB.com) and the co-developer of Volleyball Coaching Wizards with his partner Mark Lebedew. His coaching experience includes time in all three NCAA Divisions, as well as at the 2-year college level. He also coached in England at both the university (BUCS) and National League (NVL) Division I levels, and had a stint as head coach in Sweden’s top women’s league. Additionally, John was a Juniors club director and coach in the New England area for several years. He’s also had the good fortune of being a visiting at youth, collegiate, professional, and national teams in a number of different countries.

Download or read book Leadership for Mortals written by Dean Fink and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2005-09-08 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ′Overall, and as one has come to expect from Fink, this is a readable text that thinks outside the box of leadership theory... I have no doubt that the text will be welcomed by many readers for an engaging style that places human interest at the heart of the discourse in the field′ - Mark Brundrett, writing in Educational Management Administration and Leadership ′It is a ′must read′ for those in educational leadership roles in schools, both to gain invaluable insights and to draw on a framework for individual reflection′ - Professor Brent Davies, University of Hull `I enjoyed reading this book. The combination of critical reflection of his experience in the light of relevant literature makes for a lively and thought-provoking book. I was going to say "little" book, because at times I would have liked to have read more. But on the other hand, it is the sort of book one - the academic and the leader - could read in one sitting, enjoy and come back to for some ideas. I recommend you to do so′ - ESCalate `This book provides a refreshing alternative to the rhetoric about ′superheads′, and ′mavericks′ that has been prevalent in some of the recent discourse about leadership. Dean Fink draws heavily upon the work of Andy Hargreaves, Michael Fullan and his own research with Louise Stoll so some of the ideas are familiar. However, what makes Leadership for Mortals interesting is the way in which he untangles the complexities of leadership by using genuine examples alongside the theory. Dean Fink′s writing is accessible and his anecdotal style should resonate with his intended audience of current and prospective leaders′ - LDR, The Magazine for School Leaders `This book is a welcome antidote to the notion of school leaders as heroic figures. Dean Fink′s commitment to enhancing the life chances of young people shines through the pages′ - Kate Myers, Times Educational Supplement `With great wisdom and insight, Dean Fink invites us into his leadership stories to masterfully illustrate that school leadership is no longer a person but an intricate network of ′mortals′ working together to enhance learning experiences for students. They are truly leaders of learning, where commitment to successful learning for all students is the locus of their passion, perseverance and persuasion. Balanced with connections to respected leadership literature, this lucid and eloquent book will inspire current and future school leaders to reflect and develop their leadership practice to higher levels of effectiveness. An outstanding and optimistic read for all school leadership mortals, practitioners and scholars alike. I enjoyed it immensely′ - David Eddy, Director, First-time Principals Programme, The University of Auckland `Practitioners will find this book at the same time reassuring and challenging. Fink includes stories of leadership that highlight effective strategies and some approaches that have gone wrong. They are real and ring true and therefore credible and instructive′ - Ken Thompson Principal, Gladstone Park Secondary College, Australia `A great story about schools and their leaders progressing towards a knowledge driven world and the roads they choose to travel. Building sustainable communities of practice and the credible and varied examples of how the combination of leadership behaviour and enabling and disabling processes can make or break a successful school are clearly illustrated in Leadership for Mortals. A significant read for all aspirant and accomplished leaders′ - - Jenny Lewis,Executive Officer, Australian Council for Educational Leaders ′Dean Fink brings together a wealth of learning from his own experience as a leader and learner to provide some powerful messages. This is a well-informed book with a strong theoretical basis but it is also personal and real, making sense of educational leadership in a way that is both profound and down-to-earth. School leaders in the UK and elsewhere will find inspiration, reassurance and challenge in this book′ - Steve Munby, Chief Executive, National College for School Leadership ′Grounded in solid knowledge base and profound lived experience, Dean Fink′s Leadership for Mortals provides deep insights on how ordinary practitioners could become great and sustainable leaders of learning. Fink′s book is not a "quick-fix" how-to-do-it manual. It stimulates us to reflect on education leadership both as a personalized, value-laden journey and an art as well as reminds us of the imperative issues of extraordinary commitment, effort and determination in making a difference on leading students and teachers′ learning. This is a must-read book for aspiring and serving leaders in the field of education′ - Professor John Chi-kin Lee, Dean of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong ′Its style is conversational and unpatronizing, yet it makes powerful statements about the key components that contribute to successful leadership. It is always practical, and readers will come away from this book knowing they have learned something that they will be keen to try out for themselves...Readers will recognise leaders good and bad that they have come across, at times being reassured that they are getting it right and at others despairing as they identify situations in which they, too, got it wrong. Fink′s writing makes it clear that leadership is not exact science! He reminds us that, although we are mortals, with good mentoring and better training our own potential has a better chance of being realised, and that this is the best way to enable our students to achieve their own potential.′ Journal of Research in International Education Leadership in recent years has become a growth industry. Politicians demand more of it, academics decry the lack of it, and potential school leaders are deciding ′to hell with it′ .....we are making the business of leadership so complicated that we seem to need John Wayne at his mythological best or Xena the Warrior Princess to run a school. Most educational leaders are not ′heroic′ but rather ordinary people who through extraordinary commitment, effort, and determination have become extraordinary, and have made the people around them exceptional. Educational leadership is more art than science; it is more about character than technique; it is more about inspiration than charisma; it is more about leading students and teachers′ learning than the management of things This resource for prospective and practising school leaders: - motivates and inspires - addresses the challenges of contemporary school leadership - presents a model for leadership development, selection and succession - challenges existing and prospective leaders to develop and live by a set of core values based on students′ learning - describes and explains the ′learnings′ required by effective leaders of learning - describes the intellectual ′tool kit′ that leaders can develop - describes the trajectories through which leaders proceed, and the ′learnings′ required at each stage of the leaders evolution - presents a template for leadership development and succession.