Change Focused Leadership

As an individual who is passionate about coaching and mentoring employees in order to achieve potential and strategy, I was pleased to read within the first couple pages of the book, Change Focused Leadership, the author’s viewpoint that “If CEOs can’t find the time to interview, coach and mentor, the change-focused sees these activities as much of the core job as vision and strategy.” John Hanes, the author, shared key traits that change focused leaders share. He also did a great job comparing conventional leaders against those of a change focused philosophy. I loved many of the analogies which were used throughout the book. The slinky one associated with change is one I hope to retain and reference.  I agree that without communication and perseverance, change initiatives fail. Another analogy I particularly liked was the example of a paper towel.  It demonstrated the importance of consideration concerning the impact of change on individuals, and the trust associated with it.  Additionally, Hanes shared insights regarding planning and the importance of goals. I especially liked the discussion of the key ring associated with acquiring new skills.  Given some of the recent challenges we face regarding the U.S. economy, I found myself thinking heavily about research  from Vanderbilt University which concluded that "New hires are twice as likely to leave a company as soon as the market changes if they were treated poorly during their hiring process."  This research really solidified to me the importance and integration of the interview process, onboarding and employment relations. In the book, Hanes also shared his passion about the utilization of psychological instruments with individuals and teams to enhance individual and team learning, but to also build trust and teams.  As a MBTI ® practitioner, this was very refreshing to read. He provided a lot of detail on organizational culture.   I am really interested in exploring and testing out the organizational environment index and the leader team dysfunction index with a future client.  Furthermore, the author shared organizational outcomes which are aligned with productive cultures, as well as 10 key elements of a positive culture. I recently read a blog where the blogger shared comments from his client, regarding that particular organization’s choice to not budget for any learning or development to train new hires or existing employees, but instead to “only hire  the best”.  John Hanes shared various expectations of the differing workplace generations, as well as the critical importance of new hire orientations and ongoing training to support and drive a knowledge economy. Overall, I thought the book offered indispensible knowledge and tips throughout and I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in change and cultural strategies, as well as leadership best practices.