Finally, a special note of thanks goes to our families for giving up time with us over the weekends, evenings and holidays, to help us complete this manuscript and for continuing to support us through every step of our journey to translate our dreams into reality. James wishes to thank his son, Liam, for remaining so positive over the years and bringing him so much joy and pride. Special thanks from Paul to Ana, his partner, and to his Mum for giving him all the strength and love in the world.
Foreword
There are many parallels between elite sport and business leadership, from which we can draw valuable inspiration to help navigate through today's increasingly turbulent and competitive business environment.
Just like top-performing athletes, effective business leaders have very different characters and strengths. They spend time analysing their strengths and natural abilities and find a place where they can shine. For business leaders, this also means using their strengths to free up and optimize the collective talents and abilities of team members in pursuit of a compelling vision.
However, the truly outstanding leaders don't stop there. Through hard work, dedication and continuous stretch – of themselves, others and the organization – they ensure they are always looking for ways to improve and take advantage of new opportunities. Like Olympic gold medalists, they don't rest on their laurels when they achieve success. They look to the next challenges and work hard to move beyond their comfort zone, inspiring others to do the same. Olympians know that, in their pursuit of gold, it is unlikely that they will be enjoying what they are doing all of the time. They engage in training routines that sometimes sap their energy and can't be delegated to others.
They must also learn to tackle their weaker areas through hard work and by drawing on their strengths and those of others, including their coach, colleagues and teammates. In business it is no different. Effective leaders remain mindful of their strengths to boost their confidence, resourcefulness and energy to overcome performance blockers. They tap into the talents of those around them, using their strengths to compensate for any areas of weakness.
I recommend this book because it is one of the few I have read that focuses on strengths building and provides practical guidance to help leaders discover their unique leadership edge, develop productive habits and achieve peak performance. Through understanding and practising the habits in this book, leaders can bring the best of themselves to their roles, inspiring passion, innovation and engagement in those they lead.
Kriss Akabusi, MBE, FPSA
Soldier, Olympic Athlete, Television Presenter
and Professional Speaker
Introduction
There are myriad different leadership models and approaches, many of which are highly prescriptive about the type of personality and qualities you need in order to be an effective leader. For example, qualities like charisma, persuasiveness, emotional intelligence and courage are often highlighted as essential qualities for leadership effectiveness and success.
However, recent research shows that successful leaders have very different personalities and qualities that they draw on in achieving their results. What they do have in common though is a true understanding of and ability to leverage their “leadership edge” (their unique strengths, abilities and skills) to influence and inspire others to achieve extraordinary results.
Effective leadership is also about positive stretch – stretching yourself and your team to push the boundaries and achieve in the upper range of your collective strengths. This is particularly relevant in today's competitive and evolving environment, where organizations (private, public and voluntary) are being challenged to do more with less, to work more efficiently by optimizing the discretionary effort, innovation and engagement of their workforce.
Our experience and research show that effective leaders master the art and science of “stretch”. They adapt to environmental changes whilst adhering to the four Stretch Leadership™ Habits. They establish a clear “picture of success” for their own development and progression and that of their teams and the wider organization by Sharing Vision (the first Stretch Leadership Habit). They simplify this shared vision into manageable stretch goals ensuring buy-in from all stakeholders through the habit of Sparking Engagement. They Skilfully Execute (the third Stretch Leadership Habit) the road map to achieve their vision, celebrating success and Sustaining Progress (the final Stretch Leadership Habit) and positive energy throughout. In short, they push the boundaries of thinking and possibility, looking for new and innovative ways of doing things to achieve the organization's goals, while advancing their own career.
Style of the Book
This book is intended to be a practical and accessible work of fiction, rather than an academic text. It follows the journey of a leader with a deficit (or weakness-oriented) mindset gaining insight and experience about how to lead more effectively through stretching and optimizing his own strengths, as well as the strengths of his team, to achieve outstanding results.
The objective of this book is to highlight powerful concepts, principles and techniques of the strengths-based approach to achieving peak performance. We hope that our story brings these concepts to life in a relevant and engaging way. Whilst the narrative does not delve into the finer details of such models, we have included them as part of a resource and learning toolbox in the appendix of the book.
Although based on actual research and experiences from our own work and coaching, the characters and organization described in this book are fictional and do not reflect any specific person or organization. Whilst the story centres on a “for-profit” organization, the principles and concepts can be applied to any organization irrespective of the nature, purpose or size of the institution, as we have experienced over the past 20 years through extensive research and leadership development experience.
CHAPTER 1
The Leadership Edge: In which Joe comes to terms with his predicament and challenges his beliefs about leadership…
Joe hangs up the phone on Kelly, his new boss, and walks slowly to his office window. Gazing thoughtfully across the park, he focuses on the wilting flowers in the hanging baskets, the product of a hot, dry summer. Wondering why the park wardens have not watered them, he smiles wryly, realizing that his estranged wife would say, if only she was there:
“You're only worrying about the park wardens, Joe, because it's easier than worrying about your own problems…”
In that second, he feels the full weight of his predicament for the first time.
As the recently appointed European head of Tiger Online Recruitment, Joe faces many challenges. His phone call with Kelly confirms this. His attention is momentarily drawn to a mother laughing as her two small children chase pigeons across the park. Frowning, he remembers his personal situation too, a situation he prefers not to think about.
“My life,” thinks Joe, “is spinning out of control…”
Turning back to his desk, Joe forces himself to focus on his professional challenges. At the forefront of his mind is the firm's current financial performance. Sales are 25 % behind target and several major accounts have not renewed their contracts in recent months. Kelly had called from Seattle, wanting to go through the numbers in detail to determine how to salvage