I read “The Leadership Pill” by Ken Blanchard and Marc Muchnick today. This book had been floating around the supervisor truck for a bit now and I have been meaning to read it but different projects kept getting in the way. So today I set aside an hour in my schedule and tore through it.
Like all current leadership related books this one covered a lot of things that are common sense. Some of these return to the Franklin Covey 7 Habits principles.
The summary of it is this: (paraphrased from the book itself)
Integrity
- Be the person that you want others to be
- Matching your values to your goals builds trust
- Make what you say the same as what you do, this gives you the most potential to build respect and trust
Partnership
- “The key to effective leadership is the relationship you build with you team.”
- “Sharing the big picture puts everyone on the same page.”
- “Its easier to get up the hill when you climb it together.”
Affirmation
- Praise is the easiest way to let people know they are appreciated.
- Each of us has the power to recognize the goodness in others
- You will go a lot further if you stop to refuel.
Perfecting the Blend
- People will think for themselves when you quit doing it for them.
- Leadership is the process of getting everyone to the place they are supposed to go.
- The highest achievement as a leader is winning the respect and trust of your team.
So this basically restates 5 of the 7 Habits from the Franklin Covey literature.
- Be proactive.
- Synergize
- Begin with the end in mind.
- Sharpen the Saw.
Now these are not exactly the same because “The Leadership Pill” is mainly extrinsic, while the 7 Habits are both intrinsic and extrinsic. I believe that “The Leadership Pill” would better compare to “Principle Centered Leadership” but that is still waiting for me on the shelf.
Overall this was a good; easy read that I would recommend to anyone in a leadership position.