I was stunned! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was listening to an interview with a senior executive when I heard her say it took 15 years to become a good manager. But that wasn't what really startled me. The big shock came a moment later when she said the big realization for her was when she began, "Really believing … that my success is linked to the success of my people."

Maybe that shouldn't have surprised me; after all, I know some leaders who never do have that realization. Too often people ascend to a leadership position with an eye on the perks and increased salary, rather than a consideration for increased service to the organization and subordinates placed in their care. They consistently fail to understand that the largest portion of the success formula is in the hands of people below them on the organizational chart.

There is a somewhat insidious problem that leads to this sort of revelation coming much later than it should. Leaders in more junior positions, those normally called managers, often don't get any training in managing the human resource. They struggle through the lower management ranks, and if they are somewhat successful, move up to more responsible positions. In some organizations, this is when they begin to receive the training they should have experienced years before.

It's only fair to mention that this executive came from a working background where she was responsible only for what herself and what she produced. When she became a manager, it was difficult to transition to understanding the synergy resulting from more than her own individual responsibilities.

What Is Leadership?
By John Agno

Leadership is an interactive conversation that pulls people toward becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment.

Leadership is not just for people at the top. Everyone can learn to lead by discovering the power that lies within each one of us to make a difference and being prepared when the call to lead comes.

Albert Einstein once said, "We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles but no personality. It cannot lead; it can only serve." Leaders know and science has discovered emotionality's deeper purpose: the timeworn mechanisms of emotion allow two human beings to receive the contents of each person's minds. Emotion is the messenger of love; it is the vehicle that carries every signal from one brimming heart to another.

Leadership is applicable to all facets of life: a competency that you can learn to expand your perspective, set the context of a goal, understand the dynamics of human behavior and take the initiative to get to where you want to be.

Here are five guiding principles that guide respectful conversations:

1. When peers connect change happens. Effective coaching can happen on the
dance floor of conversation.

2. It's OK to begin a conversation by confronting the other person with questions
that seem awkward but set the stage for a respectful exchange. Why waste time
on small talk? Just ask to-the-point information-seeking questions, like: "What are
you here for? How do you want to spend our time together?"

3. Conversations are not meant to be structured. Be open to conversations that
you are unprepared for and focused on the interests of the other person (not your
purpose).

Read this article...

When I was growing up I was fortunate enough to have both sets of grandparents. I enjoyed listening to their stories, which, at least to a young boy, made even the tough times seem exciting and interesting. One of the common threads in many of their recollections was a concept I now recognize as socialization: being part of groups, organizations, neighborhoods, etc. I suppose they looked at their earlier years as better in that regard, and rightfully so because the social environment in this country has been turned on its head.

In Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert D. Putnam takes on an extensive study of what he calls "social capital," the concept that social networks have value. The central theme is to investigate what has happened to civic and social life in American communities. Is the socialization of my grandparent's day gone forever?

Americans have long been joiners; in church's, clubs, sports and even politics. At least we used to be. Putnam provides compelling evidence that those days may be well behind us now. Membership in civic groups, religious organizations, and even professional associations, while sometimes larger in total numbers has declined significantly as a percentage of the population. Interestingly, the number of associations, such as those connected to the environmental movement, has grown immensely, but they aren't necessarily the social networks of old as much as political action groups.

What should leaders read?

This is acutally a little modified from the original question which wanted to know what leadership books leaders should read. Actually, leaders need to study three broad topics. Of course leaders should read about leadership. I have a broad range of suggested leadership reading at on the website.But, a leader must also study two other areas. First, a good leader will study the various parts of his or her business as well as the industry. Second, a leader should read about something completely unrelated to the job. Such unrelated reading helps to keep the mind fresh by giving it something to think about other than the job.

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