| One of my most passionate arguments about | | | | that leadership and follow willingly. Each leader is |
| developing leaders is that there is very little new | | | | personally responsible for being in a leadership |
| information and that just because a book is a few | | | | position as well as their actions as a leader. |
| years old, doesn't mean it's obsolete. That's not to | | | | Cox goes on to present 10 leadership |
| say there aren't plenty of new books with lots of | | | | characteristics. There is in his list, a theme of |
| great information, but, you'd be hard pressed to | | | | which all leadership trainers should take note. Each |
| find much Earth shattering new information. I | | | | of his points, with one exception, deal with how a |
| recently found a book that proves my point. | | | | leader sees him or her self, and how that leader |
| Published in 1992, Leadership When the Heat's On | | | | should approach leadership challenges. No mention |
| by Danny Cox and John Hoover is a great | | | | of how to motivate people or deal with personnel |
| collection of tips and techniques that are applicable | | | | issues. The one exception is point number 10 |
| to leaders at all levels. The book has been revised | | | | which is "Helping others to grow." |
| and reprinted several times, most recently in | | | | The remainder of the book is seven steps to |
| 2007. | | | | success that are applicable to just about any type |
| There seems to be no end to the discussion of | | | | of leader at any level. These steps deal with such |
| the difference between management and | | | | issues as time management, problem solving, and |
| leadership. Managers manage things, but they also | | | | managing change. One of his steps involves |
| lead people. It's that leadership skill that will | | | | keeping morale up, certainly applicable in today's |
| ultimately make them successful. Cox goes to | | | | world. Cox clearly describes a list of warning signs |
| some length to explain how managers lead, but he | | | | of bad morale, analyzes what those signs can |
| takes an interesting position on leadership itself. He | | | | mean, then clearly presents solutions to the |
| claims that one can only be a leader when the | | | | problems. I especially appreciated two of his |
| people he or she leads grants that honor. That's | | | | solutions explaining that low moral can result from |
| kind of a utopian viewpoint, but the meaning is | | | | people not fully understanding their jobs and from |
| clear: if a leader wants to be a genuine success, | | | | a manager's lack of growth as a leader. |
| the people he or she leads must voluntarily accept | | | | |