Preface

THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I’ve been fortunate to work for some great leaders. Although each had a different style, they had one particular quality in common—they were all relentlessly focused on continuous learning. These leaders challenged me, gave me opportunities to grow, and provided the feedback I needed to keep improving. They were actively engaged in my development, taught me the business, mentored me, and pushed me to mature as a leader. Even more impressive was their commitment to their own development. These leaders were constantly working on their leadership; they were willing to admit that they didn’t know everything and cared about how they were showing up as a leader. I loved working for these people.

I’ve also worked for my share of bad leaders. These leaders shared some common traits as well, although the list isn’t very pretty. These leaders were interested in their own agenda or reputation rather than the development of their people. They cared exclusively about the work rather than the individuals doing it. They didn’t add positive energy to the group; they drained it. These leaders tended to be closed off to feedback, clueless about how their style impacted others, and totally uninterested in reflecting on their own leadership. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy working for these leaders.

I wrote this book because I have a passion for helping leaders reach their full potential and get to the “great” side of the leadership continuum. I spent many years as the head of leadership development at some terrific companies, and I have seen hundreds of leaders achieve better results because they worked to improve aspects of their leadership. They cared about getting better and did something about it. Today, in my executive coaching practice, I continue to work with leaders who seek feedback, use that input to build focused development plans, and make a concerted effort to become more effective. I think you can do it too.

This book is about you and the choices you make to become a better leader. It’s about you having the dedication and perseverance to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and develop your leadership skills. It’s about gathering and listening to feedback about where you can improve and then acting on it. There is something about being open to feedback and wanting to have an even greater impact that fuels the best leaders; they thrive on continuous improvement. In effect, the central question of this book is, “How can I become a better leader?” Every leader has the potential to improve—but you have to work at it. You have to want to get better if you’re going to become a more effective leader. No one can do this for you—this is your responsibility. This is your journey of self-improvement.

Working to improve your leadership isn’t just smart; it’s also the right thing to do. You see, I believe that leadership is a privilege, but what you do with that obligation is up to you. Whether you work in a large company or a small organization, when you manage other people, you have an opportunity to change lives. I firmly believe that. But you can’t positively impact others if you’re not personally willing to keep learning and growing. Your obligation as a leader extends to how you’re modeling your own development.

In my professional career, I’ve had many opportunities to lead teams of people, so I’ve been in the same position you’re in today. And what a great place to be—leading people is one of the most rewarding and fun roles you can have in business. Leading a team of dedicated professionals can be an amazing experience, and I was lucky enough to have several high-performing teams. What we accomplished together was incredible, and I owe all of my success to the people who worked with me—they made me look good as a leader. Along the way, we taught each other, gave each other feedback, and took an interest in each other’s development. I wasn’t always the perfect boss; I know that. But I tried to never lose sight of the responsibility I had to be a role model for continuous learning, and many of the ideas in this book come from those experiences. I hope you’ll find them useful as you plan your own leadership development.

How to Use This Book

Bootstrap Leadership is a how-to book of leadership self-development. Every idea, tool, and exercise in the book is designed to help you improve current skills or develop new ones. Most of the ideas and techniques don’t require a budget, and all are things you can apply every day on the job. No matter your level of leadership, from entry-level supervisor to senior executive, there are ideas in this book that can help you become a better leader.

The book begins with an introduction that explains the importance of self-development and a leadership self-assessment that establishes a baseline for your leadership. The self-assessment is designed to help you focus on the specific chapters that might have the biggest impact for you. The rest of the book is divided into five major sections, each with a particular development focus.

Chapters 1–10 are a great place to start; these chapters help answer the question, “How are you showing up as a leader?” and help you discover specific development opportunities. After all, if you’re going to improve your leadership, it helps to know what others think of your skills and behaviors. These chapters also give you ideas on how to think about your leadership journey and how to solicit (and apply) feedback from others about your leadership style.

Chapters 11–20 are all about adding something new to your game. This section offers advice and techniques for adding new skills to your leadership toolkit. All leaders need to be open to developing new aspects of their leadership style. The ideas in these chapters help you to stretch your skill set, making you a more reflective, well-rounded leader.

Chapters 21–30 encourage you to get curious about the world around you. This section explores diversity, innovation, and best practices for inspiration and new ideas. Leaders today need to be globally aware; they can’t afford to focus just on their own company or industry. The ideas in these chapters aim to expand your horizons and are intended to spark additional questions that you can pursue with your own teams.

Chapters 31–40 ask you to push the envelope and step out of your Comfort Zone. This section challenges you to try new things as you expand your leadership presence in the organization. The best learning experiences are those that lie outside of your Comfort Zone, and the techniques in these chapters will push you to move beyond your normal routines and practices.

Chapters 41–50 remind you that, in the end, it’s not about you—it’s about your team. It’s not the leader’s job to create a long line of followers; rather, the leader should identify and build leaders for the next generation. These chapters help you identify opportunities to drive your team’s learning and development to new heights.

The idea to include fifty different ideas in the book came from the desire to give you something new to experiment with every week of the year (allowing for a couple of weeks of vacation, of course—you need time to rest and reflect, too!). If you read the book from beginning to end, you might want to bookmark certain chapters and return to the ideas as you try out new techniques. If you want to skip around and try different ideas, take the self-assessment and read those chapters that correspond to your most critical development needs. Throughout the book, I’ve indicated where certain chapters refer to other chapters to help you link the various ideas. Regardless of how you use the book, you’re sure to find tools and techniques that you can apply immediately. Ideally, you’ll share some of the ideas with your direct reports to help them become more effective leaders, too.

If you are responsible for other people—at any level—then you are a leader. You owe it to them (and yourself) to be continuously improving your skills. You’ve already done the easy part; you picked up this book. Now, roll up your sleeves and get to work—take charge of your own leadership development, and start pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps!

Steve Arneson
Leesburg, Virginia
November 2009