Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness through Situational Leadership by Ken Blanchard, Drea Zigarmi, Patricia Zigarmi

From the Publisher

In clear, simple terms Leadership and the One Minute Manager® teaches managers the art of Situational Leadership®—a simple system that refutes the conventional management mandate of treating all employees equally. Here, you'll learn why tailoring management styles to individual employees is so important; why knowing when to delegate, support, or direct is critical; how to identify the leadership style suited to a particular person; and how consistent use of the One Minute techniques will produce better management and enhanced motivation on all levels. This remarkable, easy-to-follow book is a priceless guide to creative, personalized leadership that elicits the best performance from your staff—and the best bottom line for any business.

Warren Bennis

Simple, smart, and useful—this book demonstrates that leadership competence is attainable by all who truly desire it.

Robert H. Schuller

Leadership and the One Minute Manager® teaches strategies that put possibility thinking into action. It's a must for managers and parents.

Harvey B. Mackay

There is only one group of people that I wouldn't want to read this book. . . my competitors. Another winner from the One Minute Manager.

Roger Milliken

If you think people are your most important asset, then Leadership and the One Minute Manager® is for you and your managers.

Tom Managhan

Leadership and the One Minute Managerwill provide you with the knowledge you need to build a winning team.

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

The One Minute Manager got a call one day from a woman who said she was an "entrepreneur." He was glad to hear from her because he knew that the country was in the midst of an entrepreneurial boom and that a large share of the growth in new businesses came from women.

The entrepreneur explained that she was having a hard time finding people who were willing to work as hard as she was.

"I seem to have to do everything. I feel like the Lone Ranger," said the entrepreneur.

"What you have to do," said the One Minute Manager, "is learn to delegate."

"But my people are not ready," said the entrepreneur.

"Then you need to train them," said the One Minute Manager.

"But I don't have time," said the entrepreneur.

"If that's the case," grinned the One Minute Manager, "you do have a problem. Why don't you come over this afternoon and let's have a talk."

That afternoon when the entrepreneur arrived at the One Minute Manager's office she found him talking to his secretary at her desk.

"I appreciate your willingness to meet with me," said the entrepreneur as she joined the One Minute Manager in his office.

"It's my pleasure," said the One Minute Manager. "I've heard that you have been very successful in a number of ventures. What do you think it takes to be successful?"

"It's really quite easy," smiled the entrepreneur. "All you have to do is work half a day. You can work either the first twelve hours or the second twelve hours."

The One Minute Manager had a good laugh. The he said, "While I think the amount of time and effort you put into work isimportant, I'm afraid too many people think there is a direct relationship between amount of work and success—the more time you put in, the more successful you will be."

"I thought you would say that," said the entrepreneur. "In fact, I understand one of your favorite quotes is:

"Absolutely," said the One Minute Manager. "Before talking about some of my thoughts on working smarter, let me ask you one more question."

"Fire away," said the entrepreneur.

"You call yourself an entrepreneur," said the One Minute Manager. "What does that mean to you?"

The entrepreneur smiled and said, "A friend of mine described beautifully what it means to be an entrepreneur. He told me he once took his senior vice-president to the top of a hill that overlooked the city. It was a beautiful view.

"He said to his vice-president, `Do you see that ridge down there? Wouldn't that be a great place to build a house?'

"`It sure would be,' said his vice-president.

"`Can you imagine a pool over to the right? Wouldn't that be something?' continued my friend.

"`Just tremendous,' said the vice-president.

"`How about a tennis court to the left?' said my friend.

"`What a setting,' said the vice-president.

"`Let me tell you one thing,' said my friend. `If you continue to work as hard as you have and accomplish all the goals we have set, I guarantee that someday-someday all of that will be mine."'

"That's beautiful," said the One Minute Manager with a big smile on his face. "But I think that story illustrates some of your problems with managing and motivating others."

"What do you mean?" asked the entrepreneur.

ET me explain it this way," said the One Minute Manager. "I would imagine your organization looks like a pyramid with you, as the CEO, at the top and all the individual contributors at the bottom. In between are several levels of management."

"That's the way it's organized," said the entrepreneur. "Is there something wrong with a pyramidal organization?"

"No," said the One Minute Manager. "There is nothing wrong with it as an organizational model. The trouble comes when you think in a pyramid."

"I don't think I follow you," said the entrepreneur.

"When you think in a pyramid," continued the One Minute Manager, "the assumption is that everyone works for the person above them on the organizational ladder. As a result, managers are thought to be `responsible' for planning, organizing, and evaluating everything that happens in the organization while their people are supposed to be `responsive to the directives of management.' That's why people like you end up thinking managers do all the work."

"How should it be?" asked the entrepreneur.

"I prefer to turn the pyramid upside down so that top managers are at the bottom," said the One Minute Manager. "When that happens there is a subtle, but powerful, twist in who is responsible and who should be responsive to whom."

"In other words, you're saying managers should work for their people," said the entrepreneur, "and not the reverse."

"Precisely," said the One Minute Manager. "If you think your people are responsible and that your job is to be responsive, you really work hard to provide them with the resources and working conditions they need to accomplish the goals you've agreed to. You realize your job is not to do all the work yourself or to sit back and wait to `catch them doing something wrong,' but to roll up your sleeves and help them win. If they win, you win."

"But as I told you earlier," said the entrepreneur, "I don't have time to be responsive to the needs of all my people."

"You don't have to work closely with all your people," said the One Minute Manager, "only those who need help."

"You mean you treat people differently?" wondered the entrepreneur.

"Absolutely," said the One Minute Manager. "There's a saying we use around here that says it all:

If that's true," wondered the entrepreneur, "how do you treat your people differently?"