Simple Truths of Leadership - by Ken Blanchard & Randy Conley (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Leadership legend Ken Blanchard teams up with Randy Conley to share the most essential lessons on servant leadership and building trust from the heart of his leadership model. Effective leadership comes down to implementing everyday, commonsense practices to help organizations thrive-and yet so many leaders are still missing these fundamental principles from their personal and professional lives. Renowned business experts Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley disclose the simple truths about leadership they have gathered over their long and distinguished careers to help bring common sense into common practice. Featuring two sections-servant leadership and building trust-this book is a collection of Blanchard's greatest hits. It is chock-full of profound and memorable (and in some cases counterintuitive) leadership wisdom, such as. Create autonomy through boundaries. People who plan the battle rarely battle the plan. A relationship with no trust is like a cell phone with no internet. All you can do is play games. The most important part of leadership is what happens when you're not there. This book will help readers incorporate these integral practices into their leadership style, build trust through servant leadership, and make a difference in their own life and the lives of those they influence"--

Book Synopsis

Fifty-two essential principles that are easy to implement and practice: "The ultimate guide to servant leadership." --Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times-bestselling author of Mojo

Effective leadership is an influence process in which leaders implement everyday common-sense approaches that help people and organizations thrive. Yet somehow, many of these fundamental principles are still missing from most workplaces.

In this book, legendary servant leadership expert and #1 New York Times-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his colleague Randy Conley, a thought leader known for his expertise in the field of trust, share fifty-two Simple Truths that will help leaders everywhere make common-sense leadership common practice. Discover profound, memorable--and in some cases counterintuitive--wisdom such as:

- Who should make the first move to extend trust
- What role a successful apology plays in building trust
- When to use different strokes (leadership styles) for different folks--and for the same folks
- Where the most important part of leadership happens
- How to create autonomy through boundaries
- Why the key to developing people is catching them doing something right

A fun, easy read that will make a positive difference in leadership and organizational success, Simple Truths of Leadership shows how to incorporate simple but essential practices into your leadership style, build trust through servant leadership, and enhance your own life and the lives of everyone around you.

Review Quotes

"Ken Blanchard is what the kids call the 'OG.' He has led the way in showing us all the value of servant leadership--and how we can be servant leaders. Simple Truths of Leadership is the next essential step in our education."
--Simon Sinek, optimist and New York Times bestselling author of Start With Why

"Ken Blanchard is the most amazing servant leader I've ever met. I'm so glad he decided to write this book with Randy Conley to share his principles and practices to help us become better leaders. When you implement the practical ideas shared in this book, you will enhance your leadership, build trust with your team, and improve your relationships. You don't have to be great to serve, but you have to serve to be a great leader, and this book will show you how. Read it and live it!"
--Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Power of Positive Leadership

"What a handy week-by-week guide to building true leadership habits and practices. As always, Ken and coauthor Randy deliver a real-life approach to successful team building as well as principles that will help any reader live a more fulfilling life. Trust is elusive yet can be built. Read this book to discover how."
--Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus, CEO; The Path; and Jesus, Life Coach

"Ken and Randy have created a gem of a book packed with timeless yet straightforward leadership wisdom. Highly readable--I particularly liked the format of this book, which is ideal for the busy leader who needs to absorb information quickly in bite-sized chunks. Every reader will bookmark their favourite leadership tips, but more importantly, they will be inspired by the consistent and passionate ethos of trust and service that runs through all fifty-two tips as a singular golden thread. Great work!"
--Dr. John Blakey, founder, The Trusted Executive Foundation

"Wow! What a simple yet powerful book Ken and Randy have written! It incorporates all their wisdom and commonsense learning from many years of helping leaders around the world become better by using both their heads and their hearts. As I read the book, I could hear Ken's voice sharing so many of these concepts and ideas in his speeches worldwide. And Randy truly embodies the principle of trust in all his work. This will be a must-have handbook for leaders for years to come, just as The One Minute Manager has impacted organizations for decades."
--Barbara Glanz, Hall of Fame speaker and coauthor of The Simple Truths of Service

"In Simple Truths of Leadership, Ken and Randy present why and how their simple truths about servant leadership and trust can produce profound results. They turn the traditional leadership pyramid upside down and put the customer at the top of the organization. A must-read for both new and more experienced leaders!"
--Richard Orlando, PhD, founder, Legacy Capitals, and author of Legacy and Love Your Clients

"There is so much talk about great leadership and so few people putting these ideas into practice. Ken and Randy give you actionable, commonsense lessons on service and trust. And I can assure you these principles will perform!"
--Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and author of Dare to Serve

"Simple yet powerful. Simple yet practical. Simply outstanding. This book belongs on your nightstand. Follow the lessons in Simple Truths of Leadership, and not only will you be a better leader, you will live a more meaningful and fulfilling life."
--Jesse Lyn Stoner, coauthor of Full Steam Ahead!

"If you are looking for a pathway to servant leadership, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley have given us an outstanding one. Commit to these commonsense principles and you will soon become a real servant leader."
--Howard Behar, former President, Starbucks

"Today's best leaders are facilitators--they don't mark people's papers, they help them get an A. Servant leadership and trust are the foundation of impactful leadership. Use these fifty-two simple truths to empower your people and build a culture where purpose-driven, passionate people create amazing outcomes!"
--Garry Ridge, CEO and Chairman, WD-40 Company

"We often think of great leadership principles as common sense--and then forget to put them into action! Ken Blanchard has written the ultimate guide to servant leadership with real and practical steps to becoming a better leader and person. Read this book and start practicing these truths in your life now!"
--Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 Leadership Award, and New York Times bestselling author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

"Servant leadership and trust are essential ingredients to address today's crises of loneliness and disengagement in organizations. Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley provide wise guidance in this timely, concise, and impactful book."
--Michael Lee Stallard, cofounder, Connection Culture Group, and author of Connection Culture and Fired Up or Burned Out

"Peanut butter and jelly, baseball and Cracker Jacks, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley, servant leadership and trust--they just go together. What really strikes me about Simple Truths of Leadership are two things: memorable aphorisms and wisdom, not just knowledge. Fifty-two brief chapters, each with a haiku/koan-like simplicity that burrows into your brain like an earworm; they all make such good sense, and on top of that, you remember them. Blanchard and Conley aim at making simple truths accessible and memorable, not only individually but as a whole. The reader emerges from the book with a smile, feeling enriched and wiser for the experience--an experience that will, moreover, stick with you."
--Charles H. Green, founder, Trusted Advisor, and coauthor of The Trusted Advisor

"Ken Blanchard, one of our greatest champions of servant-leadership, has done it again. Together with Randy Conley, they have created in Simple Truths of Leadership a jewel of a book--one filled with inspiration and powerful advice on building trust as an effective servant-leader. Read it to strengthen your relationships at work and in life."
--Larry C. Spears, author and servant-leadership scholar, Gonzaga University

About the Author

Ken Blanchard is cofounder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a leading international training and consulting firm. He is coauthor of more than sixty-five books, including the iconic The One Minute Manager, with combined sales of over 23 million copies in forty-seven languages. In 2005, he was inducted into Amazon's Hall of Fame as one of the top twenty-five bestselling authors of all time.

Randy Conley is vice president of global professional services for The Ken Blanchard Companies and coauthor of Blanchard's Building Trust training program. Inc.com named him a Top 100 Leadership Speaker. Conley is a contributing author of three books, including Leading at a Higher Level with Ken Blanchard. Conley's award-winning blog, Leading with Trust, has influenced over 4 million viewers since its inception in 2012.