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HarperCollins

Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

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Description

Every manager has to deal with difficult employees. However, what separates the great managers is their ability to turn them into productive team players.Control freaks. Narcissists. Slackers. Cynics. Their outbursts, irrational demands, gripes, and countless other disruptions need to be dealt with, and you are the unlucky one with that job description.This book turns this seemingly difficult chore into a straight-forward process that gently, yet effectively, improves behaviors. It all begins with understanding a core truth: most people actually want to contribute results, not cause headaches. When the manager resets to that fundamental principle, the potential for change can reveal itself in even the most hopeless situations.Written by tech industry expert Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable explains how to:Master the necessary mindsetExplain the problem calmly in a short feedback sessionGet a commitment to change, then follow upCoach others to replicate the processDevelop the situational awareness required to spot future trouble before it hitsAre you a great manager? Of course you believe you are. So don’t just put up with your difficult employees. Anyone can do that.Turn them into the tremendous team players everyone wants them to be! Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ AMACOM; First Edition (November 29, 2016)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0814437605


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 05


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.63 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #258,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #447 in Human Resources & Personnel Management (Books) #2,301 in Business Management (Books) #3,111 in Leadership & Motivation


#447 in Human Resources & Personnel Management (Books):


#2,301 in Business Management (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Provide great return on investment to my employer
Leading the Unleadable is one of the most insightful and creative books on leadership, I have ever read. Alan’s theme – his three-fold personal mental model, if you will – is a must for every leader, no matter their station in their given organization. He asserts and rightfully so, to treat yourself as a business of one person who is choosing to provide services to your employer in exchange for the company’s choice to pay you. In running this business of “me”, he offers three significant mindset shifts. 1. Provide great return on investment to my employer. For me to be successful, my employer must be successful. Instead of simply “get stuff done” I must instead “have great positive impact on the business.” 2. Improve me. Any business must be focused on the now and on the future. My new mindset changed to think of every investment in time I made as having to be beneficial to my employer but also to myself. 3. Seek opportunities to dramatically improve your business. With the mindset shift, you will be thinking about the overall business and where you can provide the most impact. You will be pitching new ideas and initiatives that further the business of you, and the business that you own or are employed by. Having coached over 500 CEOs and senior executives, I can tell you this mindset is pure gold. The entire book is a gem. Every page is loaded with unusual but pertinent insights. Read it, and then read it again. You will not be sorry. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2018 by Buddy Burge
    • Slow start, not as many or messy examples as hoped, but very good book
This is my first book on leadership, so I didn't know what to expect from it. Furthermore, what I was looking for were actually practical examples of how to deal with difficult people, and not as much about leadership. The book had that, but the focus seemed to be more on "leading" then on "the unleadable". I however don't feel like punishing the book with a lower score because of the slight mismatch between the title and the content. It was a good book, I din't want to get pedantic about it. Just be careful about your expectations. Bonus! I received an extra chapter from "Talking to crazy" at the end. That book really seems like it's about handling difficult people, so I might check that out. I don't have too much to say about this book, even though I took maybe hundreds of notes (on kindle). It's all just reasonable good advice...stuff you'd probably find in a lot of places. I found the BS level to be quite low, so the author seems to really talk from experience, and not after imagining how straw-people work and drawing on flipcharts. It's a short read, I recommend it for people who chose to/ended up leading others, people who have bosses and want to understand what pressures their bosses face, and people who are easily annoyed by others :p Also further recommendation on how to deal with difficult people or people who don't know how to express themselves: "How to argue: powerfully, persuasively, politely" (...or something like thst). That helps in ending arguments very fast and very constructively. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2019 by vlad-george ardelean
    • Effective Leadership Strategies with a Healthy Dose of Sly Wit
I first became familiar with this book when working with one of my friends who manages a small team. She gets frustrated with her staff often and I initially bought "Leading the Unleadable" as a joke based on the title. The explanation is, I'm more of an optimist and too often setup myself for failure when working with others and their current competencies, and she is a classic pessimist. I ended up buying a copy for myself and we both read the book together. We both learned a lot, and while I can't say we're not still dealing with the same issues, I can say our perspectives have continued to evolve and we have found new strategies around leadership and even self-management. The most helpful aspects of the book for me were the interesting anecdotes and tie-ins to project management. The title might indicate a harsh perspective, but Alan really turns it around and reveals the importance of one's own perspective and effectiveness. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2020 by Giorlor
    • Title Kind of Misleading
Didn't really focus on examples of leading, managing, transforming difficult people as I would have expected. Solid book on leadership revolving around "when you point your finger four others point back at you". Just not what the title suggested in my opinion.
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024 by Ryan Knaack
    • Leading the Unleadable is Exceptional
I recommend Leading the Unleadable to anyone looking to become an exceptional leader. Alan provides practical methodologies for dealing with trouble, taking accountability, setting expectations of excellence, hitting your sweet spot, prioritizing the work that matters, and improving your ability to improve. I believe every business should make this book required reading. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2019 by Joe Swislocki
    • Best thing I've read on maning knowledge workers since PEOPLEWARE and SWITCH
I've been working in industry and academia for 20 years. Before LEADING THE UNLEADABLE the best books I'd found on manaing knowledge workers were PEOPLEWARE by DeMarco and Lister and SWITCH by Heath and Heath. This book is now a third cornerstone resource. Amazed at the thought, insight, experience, and thoroughness of the book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2019 by Bamewi
    • Strong foundation for management
This books gives a really good layout on how to approach management, especially for new managers. Willett does go over how to deal with difficult people, but does not spend as much time as the title suggest. Managing difficult people is only a portion of a manager's job. This book gives a broader view of management and leadership. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2018 by Steven S
    • Great read and reference
Alan has written an excellent book. I am sure that all of us recognize the archetypes of difficult employees. Alan gives sound advice and examples for how to deal with these people in the most positive and productive fashion. It is a quick read, but worth having on the shelf to refer back to once you inevitably meet your next Diva, Cynic or Maverick. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2016 by Christopher Haley

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