Leading the Unleadable - by Alan Willett (Paperback)

About the Book

You don't have to just learn to live with "problem people" (or fire them!). Transform the troublesome into the tremendous!

Book Synopsis

Every manager has to deal with difficult employees. However, what separates the great managers is their ability to turn them into productive team players.

Control freaks. Narcissists. Slackers. Cynics. Their outbursts, irrational demands, gripes, and countless other disruptions need to be dealt with, and you are the unlucky one with that job description.

This book turns this seemingly difficult chore into a straight-forward process that gently, yet effectively, improves behaviors. It all begins with understanding a core truth: most people actually want to contribute results, not cause headaches. When the manager resets to that fundamental principle, the potential for change can reveal itself in even the most hopeless situations.

Written by tech industry expert Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable explains how to:

• Master the necessary mindset
• Explain the problem calmly in a short feedback session
• Get a commitment to change, then follow up
• Coach others to replicate the process
• Develop the situational awareness required to spot future trouble before it hits

Are you a great manager? Of course you believe you are. So don't just put up with your difficult employees. Anyone can do that.

Turn them into the tremendous team players everyone wants them to be!

From the Back Cover

"Whether you're new to the leadership ranks, a veteran, or recently promoted from one leadership role to another, Leading the Unleadable will guide you through the quagmire of difficult issues in turbulent times. Alan gives you the courage and skills to lead in tough situations, with tough people, in a tough environment."--Alan Weiss, PhD, author of Million Dollar Consulting

"A great book. A great inspiration. And great leadership concepts for managing large organizations or even for leading teams of one: yourself!"--James Over, technical director, software engineering practices, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

"Your difficult people are often extremely valuable when turned in the right direction. Read this. Better yet, understand the concepts in this book and use them. This book teaches you the value of assuming good intent, and of focusing on the team rather than the individual."--Noopur Davis, senior vice president, Technology and Product at Comcast

Tech industry insider Alan Willett knows all about managing difficult people and projects. His insights, examples, and scripts reveal a simple formula for changing behaviors and drawing out exceptional performances, including how to:

- Recognize that people want to be contributors

- Develop the right mindset for tackling challenges

- Conduct feedback sessions to explain problems

- Get an employee's commitment to change

- Coach others to replicate the process

- Spot trouble before it snowballs

Alan Willett is president of Oxseeker, a leadership development and organizational culture change consultancy whose clients include Oracle, Microsoft, NASA, Intuit, and others.

Review Quotes

..".wonderful resource for all leaders, because it discusses strategies for improving leadership at all levels with a thorough discussion of leadership challenges and strategies for improvement."-- Technical Communications

"Presents a framework, approach, and recommendations for transforming the troublesome to the tremendous." - PM World Journal

..".how to become an exceptional leader who can manage any¬one in any situation...an easy-to-read book on a complex subject." --BizEd

..".makes a compelling argument to set the bar higher and accept the call to exceptional leadership....provides useful practical guidance and is an important addition to the reference collection of project managers seeking to achieve their full leadership potential." --PM World Journal

"[Willett] urges you to appreciate the diversity of every leaf...mavericks, cynics and divas aren't out to sink you; they just see another path to improving the organization." -Globe and Mail

"His system will give leaders at all levels the skills and confidence to give a group the freedom they need to be creative and productive without letting them wreak havoc with the team's agenda." --Retailing Insight

"It's a logical organizational design and learning approach, supported by a few realistic case studies and some very practical advice...Positive, and enough for new and seasoned managers to use as a guide to the divas around us." --Booklist

About the Author

ALAN WILLETT is president of Oxseeker, a leadership development and organizational culture change consultancy whose clients include Oracle, Microsoft, NASA, Intuit, and others.