Subservience to Purpose: Affiliations Based on Shared Dedication--How Great Leaders Form Work Relationships That Generate Peak Performance

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Synopsis
Although realistic optimism is the catalyst that allows great leaders to see and address deficiencies in themselves and the world around them--and thus grow and realize their potential and the potential of others--subservience to purpose gives them the drive to do so. Leaders who demonstrate subservience to purpose put a particular pursuit--such as their company's mission--ahead of their own comfort. But great leaders aren't slavishly devoted to their work at the expense of all else; they have simply made a deliberate choice about the degree of importance they assign to their chosen goal. Psychologist and executive assessment expert Justin Menkes deftly draws you into this chapter with a self-test that lets you quickly evaluate your own level of subservience to purpose. It's a potent introduction to the concept of "affiliations based on shared dedication"--in other words, the importance great leaders place on gathering a team that collectively values the mission of the company as the most important driver of their connection to one another. In short, if you as a leader do not form work relationships characterized by a shared dedication to purpose, you will be unable to realize your own potential, and your people will ultimately fail as well. The chapter illustrates what these relationships look like in practice--and what they don't--through the real-life examples of Miles White, chairman and CEO of Abbott Laboratories, and Ralph Larsen, former chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, among others. The chapter concludes with a section entitled "Traps to Avoid in Work Affiliations," a cautionary tale for anyone who struggles to keep their need to be liked subordinate to their goals as a leader. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 4 of "Better Under Pressure: How Great Leaders Bring Out the Best in Themselves and Others."
Copyright:
2011

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Publisher:
Harvard Business Publishing
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
HBS Press
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Business and Finance
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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