Six books, key sources of leadership wisdom that merit the attention of both the nurse executive and their leadership teams, are abstracted. These books can be helpful for the ongoing professional development of the chief nursing officer, or they can be the subject of retreats or journal clubs for executive leadership teams. The book selections, both old and new, all meet the standard of being essential developmental resources for key nurse leaders. As you review these abstracts, search for the key concepts, grasp the main ideas, and learn from the salient lessons. But most of all, enjoy the insight, enjoy the learning!
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Goldsmith M. What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. New York, NY: Hyperion; 2007.
This author presents a concept that we often forget; that is, the same characteristics that got you where you are in the work world may now be holding you back. Goldsmith is one of the top executive coaches in the country, with his one-on-one coaching costing 6 figures! Happily, this book gives you some of the same great advice. It is dedicated to "all successful leaders who want to take it to the next level and get even better." He itemizes 20 habits that hold back people from moving to the top.
Management books constantly tell us what we should be doing, yet few books tell us what we should stop doing. Stopping some behaviors gets little attention, but Goldsmith notes that it can be as crucial as everything else we do-combined. Importantly, our bad habits are not flaws of skill, intellect, and/or personality. Instead, they are challenges in interpersonal behavior, mainly leadership behavior. Goldsmith calls them "transactional flaws performed by one person against another."1(p40) Some examples from the list of 20 habits that hold you back from the top are: "The need to win at all cause and in all situations; the overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion; the needless sarcasms that we think make us sound sharp and witty; and claiming credit that we don't deserve."1(p8) These are small things, seemingly simple things, but any one of them can quickly become career stoppers. This is a very important read.
Think Without Thinking
Gladwell M. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. New York, NY: Little Brown & Company; 2005.
Gladwell wrote the landmark book The Tipping Point. That book taught us to interpret events in the world around us, whereas his latest book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, is described as revolutionizing the way we understand the world within. Carefully, he describes how we make choices in an instant, complicated decisions "in a blink of an eye."
How do some people instantly arrive at the right decision? The author speaks of the psychologist who can predict whether a marriage will last based on a few minutes of observing a couple. How do they do that? How do we learn to trust similar instincts in our business environment? In partial explanation, Gladwell describes the recent notion of "adaptive unconscious" as having a giant internal computer that quickly processes large amounts of data for us.
We all possess a kind of rapid cognition, yet we cannot assume that the quality of a decision is related directly to the time that went into making it. Our instinct is to spend as much time as possible gathering information and deliberating. The lesson of Blink is that decisions made quickly can be as effective as those made with much introspection and deliberation. A friend and colleague, Barbara Stevens Barnum, once told me: "Things done with due time and deliberation aren't necessarily better. They just take longer." How right she was!
Indeed, we all are able to make accurate assessments of people or situations in a few moments. Blink celebrates "the power of the blink,"2(p14) assuming that our first impressions can be accurate and educated ones. Gladwell explains the interesting concept of "thin-slicing," focusing on those few factors that preempt all other variables. Blink provides a unique and useful framework for understanding the process by which you make decisions.
Never Walk Away From Conflict
Patterson K, Grenny J, McMillan R, Switzer A. Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005.
Stephen Covey calls this book "revolutionary." Quint Studer calls this "simple tools to address tough problems." Tom Peters notes that the basic hypothesis is profound and the application of proven research is masterful, resulting in practical ideas and sound advice. He said, "Hey, if you read only one management book[horizontal ellipsis]this decade[horizontal ellipsis]I'd insist that it be Crucial Confrontations."3(pxv) The authors describe confrontations as "prickly, complicated, and often frightening performance discussions that keep you up nights."3(pxv) Who has not been there, dreading the inevitable confrontation? Holding someone accountable, face-to-face, is never easy.
The authors help you through the process. This easy-to-read book contains guidelines, self-assessment, and case studies. It guides you in staying focused "when others get sidetracked, scream, or sulk." Also, the book includes what to do after the crucial conversation ends.
The appendix is designed to assess your own crucial confrontation skills. You can learn how you, your team, and your organization handle crucial conversations. This book addresses an important topic, seldom discussed in a direct manner in the literature. It is designed to help you through some of the tough situations that all leaders face.
Leading as if Your Life Depended on It
Kolditz T. In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 2007.
This book provides lessons from the military that apply to private, public, and social sector environments. The author is Colonel Thomas Kolditz, a West Point professor and a military, "on-the-ground" leader. He demonstrates how extreme life-and-death leadership skills provide profound lessons for all leaders, wherever they may be. The premise of this work is learning from the lessons derived from his research on in-extremis leadership scenarios, when followers believe that their lives are threatened. He firmly believes that these leadership principles also apply to business and everyday life. Kolditz describes how great leaders react in high-risk situations, presenting leadership models for leaders in all scenarios.
Nurse executives also face dangerous situations where they are compelled to quickly demonstrate real leadership. Examples abound in healthcare: a newborn abduction, a "never event" in the operating room, a nearby disaster, and the evacuation of a New Orleans hospital during hurricane Katrina. Each reader could add his/her own example.
In-extremis leaders have the hallmarks of high competence, trust, and loyalty. Colonel Kolditz lists 9 observations about in-extremis leadership that are applicable across settings and circumstances. He said that "the parallels and commonalities may surprise you,"4(p23) noting that thinking like a life-or-death leader is useful introspection for almost any leader. He speaks of leading in hostile territory, demonstrating motivation in unexpected circumstances, with an emphasis on learning. One important lesson is that extreme threats reveal the true character of leaders and followers. This book promises to "make anyone better at leading and being led." Quite a promise.
Words That Work
Luntz F. Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear. New York, NY: Hyperion; 2007.
This book, another on a seldom encountered topic, considers the way we use words to influence and motivate. Dr Luntz provides unique insight into how one finds and uses the right words in real-life situations. The author was the one who transformed the matter-of-fact term estate tax into the highly charged and politically effective term death tax. Luntz proposes that words do make the difference between success and failure. He notes that the right word always provides the edge in any venture.
The book is replete with useful examples, beginning with the "Ten Rules of Successful Communication." Here is a sample of the rules-Rule 1: Simplicity, use small words. Rule 2: Brevity, use short sentences. Rule 3: Credibility, as important as philosophy. Rule 4: Consistency, it matters. Rule 5: Novelty, offer something new.5 All of these rules are deceptively simple yet full of meaning. The author provides case studies, myths, and realities about languages and unique and interesting segments called Powerful Words and Phrases for the 21st Century. Luntz provides intriguing perspectives with important messages not found elsewhere. The key message is that words do matter. Luntz challenges us to look at our use of words in entirely new ways.
Getting Things Done
Allen D. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc; 2001.
This book gets rave reviews from everyone who has studied its message. It is described as "A gold mine of insights into strategies for how to have more energy, be more relaxed, and get a lot more accomplished with much less effort."6(pxi) The author promises to help us organize our work processes and the environment around us. Quite a promise, yet this book delivers.
Allen's focus is perfecting personal organization and productivity, important competencies we all seek. The author uncovers simple processes that can be learned, improving our ability to deal with "the mundane realities of the world," such as a messy desk or disorganized files. Simply stated, this is a guide to maximizing output and minimizing input. Some incredibly busy professionals have found this to be an amazing and remarkably helpful source of useful information.
This impressive book is divided into 3 main segments-part 1: The Art of Getting Things Done; part 2: Practicing Stress-Free Productivity; and part 3: The Power of the Key Principles. The author invites you to test out his methods, even challenge them. He promises that his methods are easy to do, involving no new skills, but leveraging your basic skills into new levels of effectiveness. Every person can find simple easy-to-use tips that can have high impact in one's personal and professional life. This book is well worth reading, if you need help in uncluttering your life.
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