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    The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk
    The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk
    The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk
    Ebook198 pages2 hours

    The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk

    By David Cottrell

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    How to achieve extraordinary results with class

    How can you improve your leadership results beginning right now? The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk provides a clear path to increased results and higher job satisfaction for the leader and the people he is leading. Written for the leader who wants to do great things, but is overwhelmed with the complexities of leading, it is a book with a very simple message: think your decisions through and take care of your team.

    Written by bestselling author David Cottrell, The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk offers tried-and-true leadership strategies that stand the test of time—all of which you can put into practice today to positive results. The principles discussed apply to businesses in every industry, as well as schools, hospitals, churches, and even homes. By following the two rules outlined in the book's title, you'll improve morale, decrease turnover, increase your own job satisfaction, and have a whole lot more fun leading.

    • Lead with confidence and class
    • Make better decisions and develop synchronization on your team
    • Coach smart, deal with poor performers, and focus on what's really important
    • Listen to your team, encourage positive performance, and attack complacency

    You can lead your team to achieve extraordinary results! The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't be Stupid, Don't be a Jerk gives you the expert tips and tricks you need to treat your team with dignity and respect—so you can all enjoy the benefits of winning with class.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWiley
    Release dateJul 7, 2016
    ISBN9781119282952
    Author

    David Cottrell

    David Cottrell, president and CEO of CornerStone Leadership Institute, is an internationally known leadership consultant, educator, and speaker. His twenty-five-plus years of business experience includes senior management positions with Xerox and FedEx, and his management expertise is reflected in twenty-five highly acclaimed books, including Monday Morning Mentoring and Monday Morning Choices. He has been a featured expert on public television and has presented his leadership message to more than 300,000 managers worldwide. He lives in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, with his wife, Karen.

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      Book preview

      The First Two Rules of Leadership - David Cottrell

      Contents

      Cover

      Praise for The First Two Rules of Leadership

      Title Page

      Copyright

      Introduction

      Don't be Stupid

      Don't Be Stupid—Hire Smart

      Smart Hiring

      Seeing Their Best

      Don't Be Stupid—Coach Smart

      Myths of Coaching

      Everyone Is Not the Same

      Are You Coaching Smart?

      Don't Be Stupid—Deal with the Sleeping Stars

      Leadership Lesson from the Links

      Your Toughest Job

      Check Yourself

      The Irony

      Don't Be Stupid—Synchronize

      Why Synchronize?

      Simplify

      Synchronization Begins with You

      Unintended Contradictions

      Don't Be Stupid—Concentrate

      Taking Control

      Establish Order

      Identify Your Priorities

      Know When to Say No

      Attack Procrastination

      Managing Your Concentration

      Meetings with Meaning

      Balancing It All

      Don't Be Stupid—Value Integrity

      Integrity Breach—Everyone Is Vulnerable

      Trustworthy

      Guarding Trust

      Leading with Integrity

      Cornerstones of Integrity

      Everything Counts

      Confidentiality

      Don't be a Jerk

      Don't Be a Jerk—Listen Up

      Be Present

      Be Patient

      Be Active

      Be Interested

      Leadership for Breakfast

      Don't Lead Naked

      Don't Be a Jerk—Make a Decision

      Decisiveness

      Contingency Planning

      The Last to Know

      Dealing with Interpersonal Conflicts

      Molehills to Mountains

      Find Solutions Quickly

      Dealing with Adversity

      Don't Be a Jerk—Answer Why

      Why Do We Do What We Do?

      Sharing Knowledge

      The 95/5 Rule

      Tumbleweed or Redwood

      Don't Be a Jerk—Encourage

      Do You Care?

      Managing the Climate

      Don't Be a Jerk—Attack Complacency

      When Mediocrity Sets In

      Change Is Good…Your Turn

      Moving Through the Exit Door

      But, Times Are Good …

      Hero or Jerk?

      Grand Entrance

      Don't Be a Jerk—Lead with Confidence

      What Do You See?

      Attitude Is Internally Controlled

      Look Inside

      Something Can Be Done…

      There Is Something You Can Do…

      Optimistic Confidence

      Winning with Class

      Acknowledgments

      About the Author

      Three Ways to Bring The First Two Rules of Leadership into Your Organization

      Everyone Nedds to Lead

      The First Two Rules of Leadership Package

      Other Books by David Cottrell

      Index

      End User License Agreement

      Praise for The First Two Rules of Leadership

      Leading this way will result in an engaged, inspired, and highly productive team while also being more fun and fulfilling for the leader.

      —Kip Tindell, Co-Founder and Chairman, The Container Store (one of Fortune's top 100 places to work for 14 years in a row)

      Simple, practical, and profound rules to help you become a great leader. A must read for any leader.

      —Lorraine Grubbs, former Director of Employment, Southwest Airlines

      David Cottrell's latest book is a must read for any leader. It simplifies the complexity of leadership into two simple rules. Read, then implement and get ready for sustained leadership success.

      —Pat Williams, Senior Vice President of the Orlando Magic; author of The Success Intersection

      This book simplifies the complexities of leadership and helps leaders lead with clarity, integrity, and focus.

      —Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus and The Carpenter

      "David Cottrell shares valuable insights on how to be the leader others will strive to emulate. With acumen and sincerity, The First Two Rules of Leadership succinctly lays out a sustained methodology for hiring smart, coaching performance, and leading with poise."

      —Kimberly Rath, President, Talent Plus, Inc. (recognized as an Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplace)

      Two simple rules of leadership that will improve your effectiveness as a leader. . . .

      —T. Michael Glenn, Executive Vice President, FedEx

      This book simplifies the complexities of leadership down to two logical, necessary rules: Make smarter decisions and lead with class.

      —Karl Koch, Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Holdings

      How to Achieve Extraordinary Results with Class

      The First Two Rules of Leadership

         Don't be Stupid

         Don't be a Jerk

      David Cottrell

      Bestselling Author of The Monday Morning Series

      Wiley Logo

      Cover design: Wiley

      Copyright © 2016 by David Cottrell. All rights reserved.

      Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

      Published simultaneously in Canada.

      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

      Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom.

      For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

      Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

      Names: Cottrell, David, 1953- author.

      Title: The first two rules of leadership : don't be stupid, don't be a jerk / David Cottrell.

      Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016. | Includes index.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2016023291 (print) | LCCN 2016031883 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119282808 (cloth) | ISBN 9781119282822 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119282952 (epub)

      Subjects: LCSH: Leadership. | Interpersonal relations.

      Classification: LCC HD57.7 .C6767 2016 (print) | LCC HD57.7 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/092–dc23

      LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016023291

      Introduction

      Every day thousands of people quit their jobs. They reach their limit and realize that enough is enough. They bid farewell to friends and co-workers. They exit a familiar, comfortable place and enter an unknown territory—new job, boss, peers, and environment. They are convinced that the unknown has got to be better than the current situation that they know all too well. They believe that anything, anywhere, would be better than where they are.

      So, they leave.

      During their last day on the job, they have an exit interview with human resources and are asked: Why are you leaving? They respond that they will be paid more at the new job, the benefits are better, the new job is closer to home, or the hours are better.

      In most cases, this is not the whole picture.

      If you believe the exit interviews, great people leave good organizations to start over someplace else because of money or for more advancement opportunities. Why would they say anything else? After all, the person leaving doesn't want to burn any bridges and has nothing to gain by telling the whole truth. Instead, they give reasons that are believable, but not accurate. Most exit interviews do not uncover the whole truth.

      Occasionally, the difference in money is significant enough to warrant a move, but most of the time it's not about money or career advancement. Money is only one piece of the puzzle, and perhaps a small one at that. Most people want more than just a paycheck—they want to feel good about where they work, who they work with, and what they accomplish together as a team. In one survey, 89 percent of leaders stated that they believed employees leave because of money.¹ Yet in a parallel survey of employees who left organizations, 88 percent of people said they left for reasons not related to money.² Let those statistics sink in…only 12 percent of people left because of money. In another recent study of 17,000 people, less than 10 percent cited compensation and advancement opportunities as the most critical aspects of a job.³

      Consider the situation from the perspective of the interviewer: When you interview someone for a position and ask them why they are considering leaving their current job, what do they say? Have you ever heard anyone say, Because you are going to pay me more? Probably not. The most common response is something like, Because my efforts and contributions aren't appreciated where I'm currently working. If people on your team are interviewing with other organizations, that is probably the same answer they are giving in their interviews.

      People who plan to leave do not want to initiate a confrontation. They just want to walk out the door and not look back. They want to escape from a situation that has become toxic to them. Most have reached a point where they hate coming to work.

      Even more problematic is when you have people on your team who are disengaged. They have mentally resigned from their job—and have told everyone but you that they are out of here. Those employees will do far more damage to your team's performance than anything a competitor could do. They infiltrate your team with disloyalty, distrust, and apathy.

      The truth is that most people who quit and leave, or those who quit and stay, made a decision to quit their leader. Their resignation or disengagement has little to do with pay, benefits, distance from home, or long hours. They quit because something between them and their leader has gone awry. The desire and ability to do a good job became overshadowed by the obstacles and frustrations faced every day. Ironically, most of those frustrations were created by the very person who, on the first day at their new job, enthusiastically greeted them,

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