Leadership Levers: Releasing the Power of Relationships for Exceptional Participation, Alignment, and Team Results
Diana Jones
Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group (November 2021)

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” African proverb

Just as in real estate there is a buyer for every residence, there is a buyer for every business book. Although there are few (if any) head snapping revelations in Leadership Levers, Diana Jones offers a wealth of information, insights, and counsel that can help almost anyone become a much more effective leader. As her Notes correctly suggests, she leverages both knowledge and wisdom from excellent sources while relying also on her own wide and deep experience with high-impact teamwork.

She obviously agrees with the African proverb. With all due respect to the importance of speed, organizational success is achieved by collective, inclusive communication, cooperation, and — especially — collaboration. Whatever their size and nature may be,  organizations need effective leadership at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise.

Effective leadership (with or without the authority of a formal title) is itself a lever when facilitating effective performance by others.  Perhaps the best example of this leverage is provided by those who activate/energize/inspire/nourish self-motivation in others.  That is true of the best CEOs and head coaches but also of the best department heads and team captains. In fact, almost anyone can learn how and when to use the leadership levers on which Jones focuses.

Yes, those levers are essential to all manner of relationships between and among members of a community. They are also essential to the success of an individual’s efforts to accelerate personal growth and professional development.

The abundance of material that Diana Jones provides will have value only to the extent each reader absorbs and digests it, then embraces what is most relevant to their needs and applies it with rigor and passion.

We all have dreams of success. Thomas Edison reminds us, “vision without execution is hallucination.” What’s it going to be? That’s up to you. Your move.