Leadership Skills That Inspire Incredible Results
Fred Halstead
Career Press (November 2018)

“Your title identifies you as a manager; your people will decide if you’re a leader.” Bill Campbell

Long ago I was convinced that I could not motivate other people but that I could activate, perhaps even inspire their self-motivation. That is an important insight because all organizations need effective leadership at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise and there are specific skills that can be developed to help accomplish that. Fred Halstead has identified six:

o Listen with purpose, focus, and curiosity.
o Encourage and inspire others through genuinely acknowledging them.
o Ask more on-target and powerful questions.
o Require others to develop their own solutions and action plans
o Delegate with greater wisdom and thoughtfulness.
o Develop a culture of consistent accountability.

Major research studies indicate that both employees and customers rank “feeling appreciated” at or near the top of a list of what is most important to them. All of the six skills help to send that message. If more supervisors followed Theodore Roosevelt’s advice — “People won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” — there would be a much higher percentage of people who are actively and positively engaged at work.

The material that Halstead shares in this book contains very few (if any) head-snapping revelations but there are dozens of useful reminders for experienced managers and practical advice for those now preparing for a career in business or have only recently embarked on one.

He also cites several sources that also offer valuable guidance. For example, a Forbes article in which Joseph Fulkman recommends eight essential components of a culture of accountability:

1. Drive for results
2. Honesty and Integrity
3. Trust
4. Clear Vision and Direction.
5. Problem-Solving and Technical Expertise
6. Communication
7. Ability to Change
8. Collaboration and Resolving Conflict

It is no coincidence that companies annually ranked among those that are most highly regarded and best to work for are also annually ranked among those that are most profitable and have the greatest cap value in their industry segment. However different these companies my be in most respects, all of them have a workplace culture within which personal growth and professional development are most likely to thrive.

If you are in need of information, insights, and counsel to help strengthen your own workplace culture, look no further. Just about everything you need is provided in Fred Halstead’s book.