Your First Leadership Job

TACY M. BYHAM, PHD, is the CEO of Development Dimensions International (DDI). Tacy has worked with dozens of global organizations, creating custom solutions to improve their leaders' performance. She believes that better leadership is not only about the workplace, but also about better communities and, ultimately, a better world. RICHARD S. WELLINS, PHD, is a global expert in leadership development. Your First Leadership Job is Rich's fifth book on talent management, including the bestseller, Empowered Teams. His research has been featured in Fortune, BusinessWeek, CNBC, NPR, BBC, and Forbes.

• Foreword xiPreface xiiiPart 1: Catalyst Leadership 11 Now You’re a Leader 3The Journey Begins2 Boss or Catalyst? 9What Makes a Great Leader?3 Navigating the Transition to Leadership 17The Mind-Set You Need to Succeed4 Your Leadership Brand, Part 1 28Be Authentic5 Your Leadership Brand, Part 2 35Bring Out the Best in People and Be Receptive to Feedback6 Leadership Is a Conversation, Part 1 46How to Make People Feel Heard, Valued, and Motivated7 Leadership Is a Conversation, Part 2 66How to Build Trust and Ownership8 Your Five-Step Conversation Road Map 75Taking a Practical Approach to Get Results9 Nothing Else Matters Unless You Get Results 87How to Execute with Focus, Measurement, and AccountabilityPart 2: Mastery and Leadership Skills 11310 Hiring and Selecting the Best 115Behavior Predicts Behavior11 What Your Boss Really Wants from You 130Become an Adviser12 Engagement and Retention 135Creating the Environment to Energize People13 Meetings 149Make Them Count!14 Coaching 161Learning from Success15 Feedback Fundamentals 173Specific, Timely, and Balanced16 Handling Difficult Employee Situations 181Focus on the Behavior, Not the Person17 Delegation 191Be a Delegator, Not a Dumper18 Performance Management 201An Ongoing Cycle, Not an Event19 You and Your Network 209Nurture Your Business Relationships20 Influence 221Look Up, Down, and Across21 A Woman’s First Leadership Job 229Own the Moment22 Leadership Changes the World 241The Difference Is YouPart 3: Bonus Chapters and Tools 245(available online at the DDI microsite)Citations 247Acknowledgments 253About DDI 255About the Author 256Index 259

“One of the biggest HR challenges organisations face is to ensure that they have effective and motivated managers. Making the transition into a management role is a daunting one for most people and one for which they often get little support. There is no doubt in my mind that this book will have a global appeal and should be seen as a must-read for those taking on their first management role. I like that it takes a very practical approach with lots of case studies, check-lists, self-assessment questions, reflections, and exercises. I particularly like the chapter on establishing your own leadership brand by being authentic and trustworthy.”—Danny Kalman Talent Management Professional and ICF Accredited Coach“There are so many leadership books and so little time for new leaders, but if there is one book to squeeze in, it would be Your First Leadership Job. It is a combination of important insights, theory, and research on leadership that follows up with a section that emphasizes mastering the skills. This section is filled with no-nonsense, practical information and examples punctuated with thoughtful questions and checklists that encourage self-reflection for the individual interested in taking on the challenge of being a leader for a living.”—Pam Benoit Executive Vice President and Provost, Ohio University“Leaders are made by hard work and determination—the price one pays to be able to make a difference to people and society. Like all big goals, it starts with one single step. Your First Leadership Job is that one first step for you and builds the foundation of global leadership.”—Ester Martinez CEO and Editor-in-Chief, People Matters“At Whirlpool, we put millennial new hire sales reps into a house together for 10 weeks and call it the “Real Whirled.” They learn technical skills about our products as well as the interaction skills in this book. Both are crucial to their success. Every new hire, whether a formal leader or not, should read this book.”—Donna Porter Manager, Organizational Development and Learning, Whirlpool Corporation“I had been a manager for several years, and I was missing foundational conversation skills in my leadership style. I really wish I had been exposed to them early in my leadership career. For more than 10 years now, I have put the new skills to work every day. They helped me achieve my success.”—Steve Sutton Volvo“Few career transitions are as difficult as becoming a first-time leader; few books provide such a clear, detailed blueprint to being successful. Rich and Tacy have distilled decades of wisdom in an effort to make great leaders less rare.”—Rebecca L. Ray, Ph.D. Executive Vice President, Knowledge Organization, Human Capital Practice Leader, The Conference Board“Leadership is work. It takes commitment and courage. The building blocks inYour First Leadership Job are a great launch pad for leaders. Then, you practice, fine-tune, and never stop working on it.”—Linda Aldred Senior Vice President, Texas Children's Hospital“The transition from individual contributor to supervisor or manager is the single most difficult transition for most leaders. This book is a marvelous compendium of practical advice to assist in successfully navigating that move. Building on decades of practical experience, the authors present their wisdom in an easily digestible way.”—Jack Zenger CEO, Zenger Folkman; co-author of The Extraordinary Leader“We believe leaders shape great companies, so building great leaders is a key business imperative for Philips. These fundamental interaction skills lie at the very core of leadership.”—Peter Hope Head of Leadership Development, Philips International B.V.“Stepping into leadership is an exciting and challenging time for anyone. Your First Leadership Job is a valuable and practical resource for any aspiring leader.”—Alison Bourne Head of Executive Development, ABF plc“In leading, as in so many other disciplines, small changes can result in astonishing impacts. By saying the wrong thing, a leader can crush the ambition of a team member. Conversely, by saying the right thing in the right way, a leader can lift the spirits and performance of a team to unexpected heights. Your First Leadership Job offers tools and techniques for interacting with others in a way that helps them deliver their best performance while enjoying a ton of fulfillment in having done so.”—David R. MacDonald, Ph.D., APA, SIOP Haworth College of Business; Western Michigan University“This is the first book I have read that offers a practical guide to your first days in management with real-life examples, practical tips, and exercises to help the first-time manager succeed. A must-read for the new manager.”—Debbie McGrath Chief Instigator, HR.com“Our customers’ needs are changing all the time, so our leaders must bring differentiated solutions to create real value for them and be empowered to do so. The catalyst leader concepts addressed in this book are the keys to making great leaders.”—Julie Blust Director of Learning Management, Cardinal Health“A comprehensive and practical guide for anyone who is taking on their first leadership role, complete with tailored advice for women stepping into leadership. A must-read for any newly promoted people manager and a great best practice guide for all experienced people managers who are committed to lifelong learning.”—Elke ThammGroup Head of Talent, FTSE 50 Organisation“My interest was thoroughly captured by this title and I can't stop recommending it. So much so that I've just bought my 56 supervisory graduates a copy each and tasked them to read and learn from its approaches.” —HR Magazine