Enlightened Leadership [Paperback]

The book is longer than it needs to be, and tends to be repetitive, but it's a fast read. I have already tried their strategy at a meeting, and I am pleased with the results that I obtained. Any book that gives me the tools to help solve some of my department's problems is a winner. It's a very general and flexible strategy, and I expect to be using it again in the future.

Oakley and Krug profess an enlightened leader is one who has a vision and through a variety of strategies, encourages the organization's members to "buy in" and commit to following through with the change. They also indicate enlightened leaders do not necessarily need to be the visionaries. They are individuals who possess the ability to inspire others to create the vision, focus the efforts and encourage fruition. Obviously, if the vision is conceived by the organizational membership, the "buy in" dilemma is reduced.

Oakley and Krug believe individuals' self-esteem is important in the change process. The enlightened leader also knows it is healthy for the individuals' self-esteem to focus on solutions rather than just the problems. The authors give a strategy to ensure continued focus which is called "Effective Questions (EQs)". Many helpful EQ examples are given.

This book is a useful resource for today's leaders. Leadership today is so different from past leadership roles. Our changing and mobile society requires a leader to talent search and to engage his/her employees in the change process instead of mandating. This book provides tools to assist the leader in focusing the employees on solutions to the problem versus concentrating only on the problem itself and enabling employees to own the paradigm change. It was good.

Enlightened Leadership - Getting to the Heart of Change

By Ed Oakley and Doug Krug

Enlightened Leadership is a common sense, "how to" book for enacting change in an organization. Through the easy reading text or even the summary notes provided at the conclusion of each chapter, strategies are given to utilize the internal work force in envisioning, designing, marrying and implementing change.

Oakley and Krug profess an enlightened leader is one who has a vision and through a variety of strategies, encourages the organization's members to "buy in" and commit to following through with the change. They also indicate enlightened leaders do not necessarily need to be the visionaries. They are individuals who possess the ability to inspire others to create the vision, focus the efforts and encourage fruition. Obviously, if the vision is conceived by the organizational membership, the buy in is reduced.

This book delineates for the leader meaningful strategies/insights to attain beneficial change through "enlightened" utilization of human resources. Oakley and Krug discuss Pareto's Principle - about 20% of your employees will be open to change (the 20% that accomplish approximately 80% of the work) and approximately 80% of your employees will be resistance to change and possibly try to sabotage the new system. The authors call the 20% "Creative Thinkers" (high performers) and the 80% "Reactive Thinkers" (low performers). Creative Thinkers typically have a strong, positive self-concept where Reactive Thinkers self-esteem is typically very low. Knowing that self-esteem is a major factor in the willing acceptance of change, the enlightened leader must concentrate on improving employees' self-esteem along with the vision for change. Oakley and Krug believe it is healthy for individuals' self-esteem to focus on solutions versus problems.

The enlightened leader's challenge is to continue to focus the employees' efforts on positive, constructive solutions for change and enhancement. A strategy to ensure continued focus is called "Effective Questions (EQs)". Asking the right questions that generate creativity and listening with discernment result in continual improvement for the organization and a high level of employee satisfaction. According to Oakley and Krug, EQs positively address mindset issues in a variety of ways: EQs are open-ended, focus on increasing the energy and attention on the desired outcome, ask "what" and "how" instead of "why", assist employees to learn through the process of answering, give credit for answers (right or wrong), are multileveled, create a trust factor with the leader, help leaders become better listeners, provide clarification, and empower and value the employees. It is also important to communicate the intent that prompts the question. Employees will sense whether the employer is attempting to harm or help them.

This book is a useful resource for today's leaders. Leadership today is so different from past leadership roles. Our changing and mobile society requires a leader to talent search and to engage his/her employees in the change process instead of mandating. This book provides tools to assist the leader in focusing the employees on solutions to the problem versus concentrating only on the problem itself and enabling employees to own the paradigm change.