Tammy R. Berberick, Peter Lindsay, Katie Fritchen
The leadership habit: transforming behaviors to drive results
Tammy R. Berberick
Peter Lindsay
Katie Fritchen
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2017 by Crestcom International, LLC. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750–8400, fax (978) 646–8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748–6011, fax (201) 748–6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with the respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom.
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762–2974, outside the United States at (317) 572–3993 or fax (317) 572–4002.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Berberick, Tammy R., author. | Lindsay, Peter. | Fritchen, Katie.
Title: The leadership habit: transforming behaviors to drive results / Tammy R. Berberick, Peter Lindsay, Katie Fritchen.
Description: Hoboken: Wiley, 2017. | Includes index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2016059295 (print) | LCCN 2017016096 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119363217 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119363224 (epub) | ISBN 9781119363200 (hardback: alk. paper) | ISBN 9781119363217 (ePDF)
Subjects: LCSH: Leadership. | BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership.
Classification: LCC HD57.7 (ebook) | LCC HD57.7 .B4693 2017 (print) | DDC 658.4/092 – dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016059295
INTRODUCTION
The Leadership Habit provides the framework for patterns of behavior that will transform the way you lead. The book is both a leadership resource and a call to action. It asserts that leaders who form daily habits in 10 key areas will be more successful in developing productive teams and in building long-term professional and personal growth. Organizations thrive best when leaders (1) drive for results, (2) build the right teams, (3) influence others, (4) understand the business, (5) execute vision, (6) encourage excellence, (7) develop positive relationships, (8) develop customer focus, (9) foster innovation, and (10) model personal growth.
Leading can be a strenuous mental and physical activity. Deciding on higher performance and excellence is a mental commitment to discover or rediscover how to lead and a physical commitment to do something to create the change. Developing the leadership habit takes time and daily practice.
One differentiating characteristic of skilled leaders is the willingness to reflect on and reshape behaviors to accomplish more. In flight, an error of only a few degrees can determine whether the aircraft arrives safely at its destination. Leadership, however, is a delicate relationship between knowing the destination and setting the right course to get there; and correction should be a regular part of leading. Adjusting, adapting, and trying new things enable leaders to arrive on time and on target.
Among other things, books, videos and multimedia presentations, development programs, and the experiences of others can influence the habits that make leaders effective. However, reading, studying, hearing, or watching – although insightful – are ultimately insufficient. Leadership habits are formed by consistently doing smart leadership behaviors. Applying good ideas transforms behaviors to drive results. Subtle differences in the ways leaders act and respond, little differences in the ways they behave, can make a big difference in their results.
Through case studies and global research that looked at the capacity and potential of modern managers to lead their teams to excellence, Crestcom International evolves tools to help leaders achieve higher performance through team and individual development. As managers grow their skills to lead teams, projects, and initiatives, they find answers to problems and create new pathways for team success.
The experience of developing leadership teams in over 60 countries worldwide has validated two important leadership lessons. The first lesson suggests that leaders need knowledge of new business ideas, new technologies, and new management tools. The second lesson is foundational and crucial for managers to reach their potential and achieve higher results. Leaders must practice and immediately apply the new knowledge obtained and feel the positive impact of their actions. This application, refinement, and broader perspective of insight never ends.
Leading is its own language. At last count, there are roughly five thousand languages spoken in the world today, and the language that crosses all borders, cultures, industry types, and sizes of organizations is the language of results-driven leadership. The language of leaders is not limited to words but instead to the ways leaders communicate through actions to achieve the results they want. Managers from diverse organizations who have completed Crestcom International's leadership development program now speak the same leadership language, no matter where they are located. Although they may have different perspectives or unique business or organizational expectations, managers around the world are generally unified in their desires to grow themselves and develop others. Growth and development occurs as managers learn and apply indispensable skills for leading.
The Leadership Habit illustrates the unifying effect of a common leadership language that drives profit and progress with leaders around the world. Crestcom International provides structured leadership development on a global scale. Representatives, faculty, and facilitators of Crestcom dot the globe, and they have contributed greatly to the collective wisdom of this book. The stories in the book are based on the experiences of professionals who have invested in Crestcom programs for leadership development. By turning core global leadership methods into local training for leadership teams, Crestcom trainers help all organizations speak a common language of leadership that every person can comprehend. We want everyone to be fluent in the language of leadership.
With a structured approach, managers can translate the words in this book into a language of leadership habits, attitudes, and actions. Leaders committed to building strong teams deliberately create experiences for themselves and others to learn and apply skills that will lift