Unnatural Leadership: Going Against Intuition and Experience to Develop Ten New Leadership Instincts - Hardcover

by David L. Dotlich (Author), Peter C. Cairo (Author)

Written by David Dotlich and Peter Cairo-- two of the country's top executive coaches and educators-- Unnatural Leadership debunks the common notion of the natural leader as a flawless figure. The book describes the truth about being a real leader in a business environment turned upside down by e-commerce, diversity, security concerns, globalization, and matrix structures. Drawing on personal experience working with successful leaders in top-tier companies throughout the world, Dotlich and Cairo identify a style of leadership used by those who succeed in complicated business and people situations, a style that maximizes a leader's strengths and acknowledges weaknesses.

Front Jacket

UNNATURAL LEADERSHIP

IN A COMPLICATED, INSECURE, AND CONSTANTLY changing world, how do effective leaders in high-performing companies continue to succeed? Are they fearless heroes who have all the right answers--transforming businesses, making fast decisions, and inspiring everyone no matter how complex the situation? Or are they "real people" who work hard to trust others, acknowledge their own flaws, and challenge conventional thinking? Are leaders who win followers and get things done heroic figures? Or do they actually possess characteristics and practice skills that fall outside the comfort zone of executives steeped in traditional leadership methods?

Written by David Dotlich and Peter Cairo-- two of the country's top executive coaches and educators--Unnatural Leadership debunks the common notion of the natural leader as a flawless figure. The book describes the truth about being a real leader in a business environment turned upside down by e-commerce, diversity, security concerns, globalization, and matrix structures. Drawing on personal experience working with successful leaders in top-tier companies throughout the world, Dotlich and Cairo identify a style of leadership used by those who succeed in complicated business and people situations, a style that maximizes a leader's strengths and acknowledges weaknesses.

Using a variety of tools and techniques based on their proven Action Learning workshops and Action Coaching methods, the authors reveal how to transition from the traditional natural leadership role and develop successful, effective unnatural leadership traits. They recommend simple, practical methods that effective leaders use to get things done, motivate and lead, and deal with their own weaknesses and impulses.

Each chapter contains a wealth of tips and techniques to help implement and develop the skills needed to become a new kind of leader. Dotlich and Cairo challenge conventional wisdom about leadership such as "be in control" and "hide your flaws." Instead, they identify ten "unnatural acts" that effective leaders regularly commit and are, in fact, the best response to an "irrational, chaotic, and unpredictable universe." These include:

• Refuse to be a prisoner of experience
• Expose your vulnerabilities
• Create teams that create discomfort
• Trust others before they earn it
• Coach and teach rather than lead and inspire

Unnatural Leadership is a realistic and truthful road map that provides a practical manual for anyone who longs to be both authentic and effective.

Back Jacket

STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND BECOME A NEW KIND OF LEADER

"Unnatural Leadership captures the dilemmas and complexities of leading in a high-performing organization. These two executive coaches draw on their broad experience in working with some of the world's top companies to offer a compelling look at how executives think about leading in the 21^st century. The book is packed with true stories from the front lines. Each page conveys what today's leader needs to do in order to achieve extraordinary results."
--Andrea Jung, chairman and CEO, Avon Products

"I've given many presentations on the connection between strong character and strong leadership. It's encouraging to read a book that recognizes this truth. It does take strength of character to break out of the comfortable, expected methods of running a company and to look a subordinate in the eye and unflinchingly say, 'I don't know.' That's what unnatural leadership is all about."
--Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"This book is unnatural. It delves into the challenges, realities, and contradictions of being a leader today. Dotlich and Cairo reveal what they've learned from working with global CEOs and senior leaders, and how leaders at any level can accept their strengths and weaknesses, and improve on them."
--Bill Weldon, vice chairman, board of directors, Johnson & Johnson

"In this bold, thought-provoking book, Dotlich and Cairo challenge leaders, teaching them how to rethink the old sacred cows, redefine their roles, and constantly reinvent their game. A must-read!"
--Robert Kriegel, author of If It Ain't Broke ... BREAK IT! and How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard

"This book strongly reinforces my own mantra, that healthy people and healthy relationships are what make healthy companies. Dotlich and Cairo have learned that the leaders who succeed in today's workplace are those who expose their vulnerabilities, admit their flaws, embrace team members who are 'different.' As a psychologist, I applaud this trend for human reasons. As a business adviser, I acknowledge that it's a prescription for corporate success."
--Bob Rosen, CEO of Healthy Companies International and author, Global Literacies and Leading People

Author Biography

DAVID L. DOTLICH, former executive vice president of Honeywell and Groupe Bull, is a partner of CDR International (www.cdrintl.com) and coauthor of Action Learning (Jossey-Bass, 1998) and Action Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 1999), both of which identify breakthrough ways to develop leaders and are used by companies throughout the world. He is a business adviser, educator, and coach to top executives of Johnson & Johnson, Intel, Siemens, Bank of America, Novartis, Sun Microsystems, The Gap, Nike, Sprint, Washington Mutal, and more.

PETER C. CAIRO, former chair of the Department of Organizational and Counseling Psychology at Columbia University, specializes in the areas of leadership development, executive coaching, and business effectiveness. He is a partner of CDR International (www.cdrintl.com). His clients include Andersen, Avon, Bank of America, Colgate Palmolive, Lilly, and Merck. He is coauthor of Action Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 1999).