Developing Your Business Leaders - by Tina Schust Robinson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Invest in Leaders at All Levels as a Key Part of Your Business Strategy

Drawing on nearly three decades of experience across sales operations, technology consulting, and talent development, Tina Schust Robinson offers a much-needed reimagining of leadership development. She guides all leadership investors--from founders, executives, and frontline managers to those doing the hands-on design and delivery work--toward a more holistic and successful development approach.

Making a powerful business case for investing intentionally in leaders, Robinson explores why leadership investment is a crucial aspect of any business strategy and what characteristics define a good leader. She shows how leadership investors can craft initiatives that are tied to their organization's and employees' specific needs, sustainable over time, and highly effective. Moving beyond quick fixes and one-off programs, Robinson makes a practical case for why investing intentionally in leaders is a crucial aspect of any business strategy.

This book shares Robinson's one-to-one, one-to-many, and one-to-all leadership investment framework. It demonstrates how organizations can pursue coaching and mentoring for individuals, improve leadership training for groups, and develop a comprehensive strategy to address leadership development throughout the talent life cycle.

Interviews with successful corporate and nonprofit leaders and talent development pros bring the three-pronged framework into action. Checklists, assessments, and exercises allow leadership investors to apply the framework immediately and tailor their solutions to specific audiences and business needs.

Whether you're leading a team or shaping an entire organization, this book will change how you think about leadership--and the return it can deliver when you invest wisely.

Review Quotes

Some books on leadership development stand out because they provide actionable steps to follow. Others because they are comprehensive, covering all the important issues. A few are exceedingly well written. This book is unique in being all three."
--Jack Zenger, CEO, Zenger Folkman

"Tina Schust Robinson's book, Developing Your Business Leaders, is indeed a leadership love story. Told from the heart, it maps out a leadership and professional development road map that's easy to master and that builds new organizational muscle via an investment in your company's most critical asset--its senior executive and frontline operational leadership teams."
--Paul Falcone, Bestselling Author, Consultant, and Former CHRO, Nickelodeon Animation Studios

"Tina Schust Robinson clearly has a passion for developing leaders--something I strongly share, particularly in our increasingly turbulent and uncertain world. This book lays out important principles and specific strategies that top leaders and HR professionals can follow to help their companies develop a strong cadre of leaders, providing bench strength in this important area. I recommend it as a useful field guide for organizations that are passionate about developing more and better leadership."
--Susan J. Ashford, Michael and Susan Jandernoa Professor of Management and Organization, University of Michigan

"Oftentimes, leaders are thrusted into power without a safe place to land. And because they have a disproportionate influence on everyone, our investment in leaders can lead to true impact. With Developing Your Business Leaders, you'll learn how important it is to invest in leaders and what they need at their core to thrive."
--James Nicholas Kinney, Former Global Chief People Officer, S4 Capital

"The lessons and insights Tina shares in this book are powerful and will help anyone interested in growing, developing, and mentoring the next generation of business leaders."
--Eric Stettler, Partner, Kearney

"Developing Your Business Leaders delivers a rare blend of rigor and practicality, turning leadership development into a clear, ROI-focused investment plan that teams can execute immediately. The book also models the human-centered leadership that our emerging technology era requires, keeping people, ethics, and measurable outcomes at the heart of innovation."
--Milton Mattox, PhD, CEO, United States Artificial Intelligence Institute

"This fresh approach to simplify the process of developing great leaders will become your indispensable guide for success. What sets this book apart from others is the focus on why leadership development is needed and how to measure the return on this important investment."
--Jack J. Phillips, PhD, Chairman, ROI Institute; Author or Editor of More Than 100 Books

"As a fellow leadership investor, I savor the fresh insights that Tina brilliantly offers around the why, what, who, and how to actualize leaders and leadership."
--Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan; Partner, The RBL Group

"Tina's uplifting and hands-on advice reminds us that leadership development is essentially self-development, beginning with why rather than the how and what. Backed by real-world experiences, a sense of humor and wit, and full of practical applications, Developing Your Business Leaders is not just for leadership development practitioners because, ultimately, everyone has a moral obligation to be the best leader they can be."
--Barry Z. Posner, PhD, Michael J. Accolti, S.J., Endowed Professor of Leadership; Chair, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

"Tina has created a true masterpiece and game changer for anyone looking to elevate leadership development in their organization. Packed with practical strategies and real-world examples from an operator's perspective, it's a must-read for creating impactful, sustainable leadership investment at all levels."
--André V. Branch, CEO, r.e.m. Beauty

About the Author

Tina Schust Robinson, MBA, is a globally recognized voice on leadership and the founder of WorkJoy, a firm dedicated to helping leaders at every level unlock their potential. Drawing on nearly 30 years of multi-industry experience across sales operations, technology consulting, and talent development, Tina helps organizations translate strategy into behavior and potential into performance. Recognized as a top 100 human resources influencer and Professional Certified Coach (PCC), she is a trusted advisor to executives leading through complexity and change.

Her clients include global brands such as FOX Sports and SAP, national nonprofits like the National Wildlife Federation, and renowned institutions such as UCLA Anderson, where she coaches in the executive MBA program. She has also taught in the business schools at Loyola Marymount University and California State University Long Beach.

Her insights on the human side of strategy appear in leading industry publications and on multiple podcasts. Known for her no-fluff, high-impact style, she's a sought-after speaker on the global conference stage and a go-to voice for organizations ready for transformation, not just theory.

Tina holds degrees from the University of Virginia (BA) and the University of Michigan (MBA). She lives in Los Angeles with her writer husband, rescue puppy, and two beloved parrots who keep her humble and honest.