Cover design: Michael J. Freeland
Copyright © 2015 by Jeff Wolf. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Wolf, Jeff (Economist)
Seven disciplines of a leader: How to help your people, team, and organization achieve maximum effectiveness/Jeff Wolf.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-119-00395-3 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-119-00396-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-00409-7 (ebk)
1. Leadership. I. Title.
HD57.7.W6495 2015
658.4′092 – dc23
2014027703
First and foremost, my thanks go out to my family who puts up with me through thick and thin. My beautiful wife Maria who many years ago suggested I go into this wonderful business of leadership development. You were right! My daughter Melissa, who has grown into a very successful young leader, whom I'm very proud of. My stepsons Greg and Alex, my brother Earl, sister-in-law Jacky, and, last but not least, Charlie (man's best friend) who keeps me humble during our nightly walks together.
Martin Smith, an honest and caring man who took me under his wing and helped me get published.
Ken Shelton, who said my original title, The Essence of Effective Leadership, would not resonate with people – but Seven Disciplines of a Leader would… I hope you are right!
All the leaders I've been privileged to coach and work with during the past 14 years; I'm sure I've learned more from you than you've learned from me.
My literary agent, Jill Marsal, for believing this book had merit.
John Wiley & Sons for investing and showing confidence in me.
My PR team: Jessica, Marcie, and Jennifer. You bring unlimited energy to work each day, and I truly appreciate all that you do.
Thanks also to the people who read this book. I hope it will help you on your leadership journey.
Introduction
What Makes Certain Leaders Highly Effective?
Christopher had recently been promoted from shift supervisor to department manager in an online retailer's large distribution center. Unfortunately, Max, his boss, the shift manager, who leaned toward the theoretical side, was not as helpful or supportive as he could be and Christopher floundered. The distribution center's general manager recognized Max's failing and transferred him into a staff job that required no supervision. He replaced him with Janelle, a leader of considerable accomplishments, who understood how to develop promising employees.
Within weeks, Christopher's performance improved significantly, and he went on to become an outstanding leader for his company. Although he didn't realize it at the time, this experience was invaluable. In essence, what he discovered was that the very best people to teach leadership are those who have “been there, done that, learned from it.”
