Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dr. Loretta Malandro is president and CEOof Malandro Communication Inc., a firmwith 30 years’ experience working with clientsworldwide across diverse industries. Thecompany is known for rapidly transformingorganizational effectiveness and businessresults through high performance leaders,teams, and cultures.

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Lead by example. Lead without fear.

"This is not another theoretical business book. It is a book about fearless leadership in action--the spirit, resiliency, quick alignment, and the ability of teams to generate possibilities and results despite tough economic conditions. The process Loretta describes in this book works--if you have the courage to lead in a new way."
Jim Gowans, President and CEO, De Beers Canada

"Successful leaders take a hard stand about paying for performance, and do not fall into the trap of paying for effort. Loretta tells leaders exactly how to accomplish this by creating an environment where people take personal accountability, collaborate, and hold each other accountable for consistent exceptional results."
Raj Gupta, Chairman and CEO, Rohm and Haas Company

"Once again Dr. Malandro hits the bull¹s eye. This book articulates a powerful strategy for leaders who aspire to be more than ordinary by building a high performance culture that produces consistent extraordinary results. I know it works. With her help, I have been there and have reveled in the success."
Frank Patalano, former Chief Operating Officer, Zurich North America

"Loretta's book is a powerful roadmap for anyone committed to being a transformational leader. It provides clear, actionable steps that drive organizational growth and long term success."
Raj Rawal, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Burger King Corporation

"Fearless Leadership is an exciting and valuable book that will profoundly influence global leaders at a time when a new approach is urgently needed.This book is a compelling call to action that every leader must read."
John J. Ryan, President and CEO, Rabo AgriFinance

"The most difficult leadership challenge is changing behaviors. For companies to be different, leaders must lead differently. Loretta is the best at helping make these concepts real and actionable."
David M. Thomas, former Chairman and CEO, IMS Health and former Senior VP, IBM

"At a time of unprecedented challenges to complicated academic and research institutions and when complacency from past successes collides with the harshness of today¹s environment, new leadership solutions are required.This thought provoking book provides leaders with new perspectives and skills that can be of immediate impact.
Michael A. Friedman, MD President and CEO, City of Hope

"This groundbreaking book is the first to clearly identify the behavioral barriers to change that every leader faces and provide a powerful solution that every leader can apply. Based on the business results we have achieved, I can tell you unequivocally that the process Loretta describes in this book works."
J. LaMont Keen, President and CEO, Idaho Power

"Loretta knows how to build a management team that will give any company a clear competitive advantage. She has described it all in this new book. A book that is sure to make it to the 'must read' list of business books in2009 and beyond."
Frank Proto, Chairman of the Board, Agrium Inc

"This insightful book clearly identifies how behavior sabotages personal and organizational success, and what to do about it. The powerful solution provided by Malandro--100% accountability--is exactly what every company needs, especially today."
Greg Stewart, P.Ag., President and CEO, Farm Credit Canada

“Kotter defined the problem-change efforts routinely fall short because they fail to alter behavior--and Malandro delivers the solution. This impressive book provides leaders with the sure-fire process for achieving sustainable behavioral change and getting the business results they want, fast.”
Janet Plaut Giesselman, president and general manager, Dow Oil and Gas

“Are you a CEO or leader? Need a sustainable high-performance team fast? And the courage to make tough calls? Then read Malandro.”
John Willson, board of directors, Finning International and Nexen

“Loretta has nailed the real issue in one blow. People are the business. This compelling book tells you how to build personal accountability, great leaders, and a great organization.”
Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive Officer, AngloGold Ashanti

“If you are looking for a step change in leadership performance,then you need to read this book. Unlock the potential and learnhow to drive the actions, behaviors, and sustainable businessperformance that you expect. It works.”
Mike Waites, President and CEO, Finning International

“The leadership arena today is a giant mine field with both great ideas and unproven nonsense. Thankfully, Malandro delivers the real deal. This book is filled with concrete ideas for building high-performance organizations. I've applied many of them with great success. It's well worth the read.”
Marvin Romanow, President and CEO, Nexen

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FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Contents

Chapter One

The price of greatness is responsibility.

—Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

We need fearless leaders. Not one, but many. In times of chaos and uncertainty, as well as in good times, we need leaders who take a bold stand, act decisively, and engage with others in an extraordinary way.

You have two choices in front of you. One path is comfortable, safe, and familiar; the goal is to improve something you are already doing or fine-tune your blueprint for success. People are content with your decision to make incremental changes because it only requires modest effort from them.

The second choice compels you to move in a new direction and create a new reality. Even though this new direction requires additional effort, people are inspired by your courage to take a bold stand and act decisively. They willingly give you their energy, enthusiasm, and emotional commitment. This second choice requires fearless leadership—the courage to risk what is safe and comfortable to achieve a much higher level of success.

You have the power to shape the future. This is not in question. But do you have the courage to take a bold stand and transform the capacity and capability of people and the organization to achieve much more?

Fearless leadership is not a concept; it is an action. It is defined by the choices you make, how you take accountability for results and people, and how you interact with others.

It does not matter what you do or where you are in the organization. Title, position, status, and hierarchy do not characterize fearless leadership; it is defined by behavior, attitude, and results. You have the power to transform what you and others can create and achieve together. What you need is a powerful process for how people work together to make change happen fast and keep it going through good times and difficult challenges. This book provides you with a road map for transforming your leadership effectiveness, your team, and your organization.

In this chapter, we begin with the question, "What is holding us back?" which must be answered on two levels: what is holding you back, and what is holding your team or organization back?

Together we explore

• The promise and results of fearless leadership

• How changing behavior can change what an organization can achieve

• Why the organization doesn't change until the leaders do

• How a clear vision is blocked by vague behavioral standards

• The critical difference between gaining commitment versus unleashing commitment

• How fearless leadership is defined by extraordinary behavior, attitude, and results

You have a choice about the future—how you engage with others, how you contribute to the organization, and how you shape and influence change. The choice in front of you now is, "Are you willing to face the enemy head on and confront anything that is in the way of your optimal effectiveness and the organization's success?"

THE PROMISE AND RESULTS OF FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

Your business success as a leader is measured by the speed at which you produce results and bring new realities into existence. Fearless leadership provides you with the methodology and tools to unite and mobilize people to work together effectively in a way that drives change throughout the organization.

The promise of fearless leadership is fast individual and organizational transformation. It takes only one person to start the process. You have the ability to influence change and dramatically increase engagement, alignment, and business results. As a fearless leader, you have

• The capacity to eliminate barriers that block your leadership effectiveness

• The courage to take a stand and act decisively with renewed confidence and passion

• The freedom to choose a new level of participation and engagement

• The methodology and tools to transform individuals, teams, and organizations

Fearless leadership provides you with a methodology for breaking the cycle of unproductive and automatic behavior, and it teaches you and others how to engage in an extraordinary way. The first part of the book is designed to help you understand and identify blind spots and talk about them in a constructive way so you can overcome them. The second part helps you drive business results by creating a powerful context for organizational change, taking a bold leadership stand, and building trust and aligned action.

Building a high performance organization and positive work environment does not need to be a slow and laborious process. In traditional change processes, people are often the unwilling recipients of imposed change, which muddles the reaction and produces ineffective results. However, with fearless leadership, people choose to engage emotionally as well as intellectually, which alters organizational capability. The result: your most disbelieving and cynical people become the champions of change.

Organizations move rapidly from an ad hoc management approach to building a standard process and foundation for a world-class company. People, strategy, and operations come together in a simple, fast, and effective manner as everyone applies a shared methodology for working together as committed partners.

It all sounds too good to be true. If fearless leadership is fast and easy to achieve, you may be thinking, then why isn't everyone using it? There is a caveat: to transform your organization, you must have the courage to examine your behavior and lead the way. If you want a recipe for how to fix others, this is it: fix yourself first, and others will respond to your commitment and follow suit.

THE NUMBER 1 LEADERSHIP QUESTION: "WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK?"

"Nothing is changing fast enough," said a frustrated CEO. "We have good people, good values, and a strong strategy, but change around here is painfully slow or just doesn't happen."

Frustrated with the slow pace of change, executives ask, "What is holding us back?" Employees, discouraged with countless ineffective change efforts, ask, "Why is this time any different?" People are not aligned, initiatives are derailed, and the organization does not transform.

The traditional formula for organizational success—good people, good values, and good strategy—is woefully inadequate to meet today's challenges. Although the traditional formula remains a necessary foundation for success, leaders who play a big- stakes game know they need to go beyond the formula. They understand that a complex and changing environment requires a new way of thinking and behaving. They anticipate challenges, continually envision what is needed, and ask the tough questions:

• "What is holding us back?"

• "What is preventing us from achieving a new level of performance?"

• "What is stopping our organization from moving faster, being more innovative, agile, and effective?"

• "What is stopping us from engaging our people to work more effectively together?"

• "What is blocking us from taking charge of our future and accomplishing what others believe is impossible?"

Here is the problem: How people behave and work together determines the...