Page 13 - Fearless Leadership

viii Introduction

After receiving my Ph.D. in communication theory and research from
Florida State University, I served as a professor at Florida State and
Arizona State universities. In 1980, I started my company, and one of my
early clients recommended me to an executive at IBM, where I was asked
to develop and deliver leadership programs at their corporate headquar-
ters in Armonk, New York. IBM leaders grew my company as they asked
for more services worldwide. Word spread and my organization grew,
which led to our working with leaders in many prestigious corporations
and institutions.
In this book, I share the solutions we have discovered through working
with thousands of leaders and executives. Part I focuses on identifying the
behavioral barriers that prevent leadership and organizational transforma-
tion—blind spots—and what triggers them. Part II reveals how to master
a methodology for transforming yourself and your organization, and
unleashing the power of people to deliver exceptional results.
Throughout the book, I’ve included case examples based on our work
with many different organizations—though of course, the companies and
individuals have been given fictitious names. Some examples are compos-
ites to better illustrate a specific point. In addition to these real-life exam-
ples, which bring these problems and solutions to life, I’ve included
questionnaires, guidelines, and tools to help you master an extraordinary
way of engaging with others.
Finally, each chapter ends with a section on leadership exploration and
leadership action because this book is not meant to be a theoretical, inter-
esting-to-read, put-on-your-shelf book; it’s intended to propel you, your
team, and your organization into action.
My commitment to you is that our exploration together catapults you
into a new era of leadership. It is my objective to provide you with a com-
pelling call to be a fearless leader who plays big and expands the capacity
of people and the organization to survive and succeed. Let’s get started.