Would You Work For You?

Does that question cause you a little discomfort? A bit of anxiety? Would you go into the trenches for you…everyday – and be happy about it? Does your self-awareness, your leadership skills, values and vision inspire followership-or do they encourage dreams of escape?

Would You Work for You? has been written to help relieve the conditions that cause this widespread unease.

This book is not intended as a theoretical treatise on leadership for CEOs of massive corporations. Rather it is meant to be a real-life hands-on guide to assist leaders of many, leaders of a few or leaders of oneself who want to do a better job tomorrow than they are doing today-leaders who are interested in moving themselves, their people and their organizations forward-leaders who realize that improvement is an ongoing task.

This book seeks to provide you, the reader with opportunities to look at yourself, your situation, your staff with new eyes. It encourages you to do “the mirror test,” no matter how disconcerting it may be.

Leadership issues are raised with one specific goal in mind: to assist you to better yourself, your relationships, your skills, your people and ultimately greatly better your organization.

By its conclusion, Would You Work for You? will have given you thought-provoking options to consider, applicable ideas to implement and innovative directions in which to grow. It will enhance your leadership skills in the workplace and in your personal space. It will make you a better leader. It will make you a better person. It will enable you to look in the mirror and smile at what you see.

WOULD YOU WORK FOR YOU? is divided into six chapters, each of which focuses on mastering one area to assist you reaffirm that you would, indeed, be happy to work for you.

CHAPTER ONE The Essence of Leadership This chapter defines a leader and outlines the characteristics often associated with an outstanding leader. This section highlights various definitions of what is needed to be an effective leader, offered up by leaders of many and leaders of one.

CHAPTER TWO Mirror Mirror on the Wall To be the kind of leader you would want to work for, that is to be a leader who inspires others, you need to know yourself. You need to know who you are and what your goals are. This section offers suggestions for how to maximize your strengths-your positive leadership skills-and how to minimize your weaknesses. It outlines techniques to develop yourself, motivate yourself, decrease stress and increase self-discipline.

CHAPTER THREE Up Close and Personal Once you know yourself, you need to know your staff-the people you are leading. Many leaders think of their staff according to the function they perform for the company. But to get the most from your people you also need to think of them in terms of their wants, their needs and their aspirations. This section highlights strategies to make your organization a good place to work. It outlines suggestions to enhance your staff’s skills to further create a positive environment in which people will want to work.

CHAPTER FOUR Taking Care of Business Leaders need specific talents to do their jobs well. This section examines six highly rated capabilities of a good leader: hiring, team building, managing time, delegating, resolving conflict and decision making. Specific suggestions about how to improve in these areas as well as valuable insights for leaders of many or few, are provided.

CHAPTER FIVE Making Connections One of my favorite areas of leadership is communication-it is absolutely vital for every leader. This section addresses the components of effective communication, gives examples to assist you apply these skills to situations of your own, and describes in detail techniques for becoming a better communicator. Since effective communication skills are needed at all times and in all situations-these particular ideas can be applied to family life as well as to business life.

CHAPTER SIX Moving Forward Once you’ve got your business humming successfully, how do you keep it moving? This section outlines strategies to keep your organization on the leading edge by ensuring that your leadership vision remains at the forefront and stays fresh, believable and attainable.

Hardcover, 181 pages. Published by Addington & Wentworth Inc.

“How better to examine leadership than with the most revealing question of all? Sam brings the reader from self-exploration to execution with penetrating questions, examples and insights in Would You Work for You?.”

Michael E. Staloch, Vice President-Operations, State Farm Insurance Companies

“Would You Work for You? is a ‘must read’ for any CEO or manager of people. Its message is simple, its truths are obvious and it hits far too close to home for many of us ‘mysterious creatures’ in the corner office.”

Robert W. Minto Jr., CEO, The Attorneys Liability Protections Society (ALPS)

“Would You Work for You? makes you think and realize what is possible rather than what is impossible. It’s a ‘brain stretcher’–a true motivator.”

Roger E. Keeley, General Manager, Polyethylene Division, Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd.

“Your question is everything. Your book is a terrific reference for the answer. ”

John Eccleston, Director of Training, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited