In *Ego Is the Enemy*, Ryan Holiday delves into the concept of ego and its detrimental effects on personal and professional success. The book is divided into three sections: Aspiration, Success, and Failure, each offering valuable lessons and perspectives. Holiday draws on a vast array of stories and examples from literature, philosophy, and history, featuring figures such as George Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt. These individuals achieved great success by conquering their own egos, and their strategies and tactics are presented as models for readers. The book emphasizes the importance of staying grounded, continually learning, and embracing a mindset of growth rather than letting ego hinder development.
In 'The First 90 Days,' Michael D. Watkins provides a comprehensive guide for leaders transitioning into new roles. The book emphasizes the importance of self-preparation, accelerating the learning process, achieving early victories, and achieving alignment within the organization. Watkins outlines ten fundamental principles, including preparing oneself for the new role, understanding the organizational architecture, building a high-performance team, and influencing key stakeholders. The book is designed to help leaders avoid common pitfalls and achieve early successes, thereby enhancing their credibility and effectiveness within the organization.
The Leadership Pipeline provides a model describing the mindset and skills needed to work effectively at six different levels of management. The book helps organizations select, develop, and assess leaders based on specific responsibilities and work values at each level. It integrates leadership development with succession planning to future-proof companies, especially in the digital age. The authors draw on their extensive experience with top companies to illustrate the principles and provide tools to eliminate bias and objectively evaluate leadership candidates.
Episode 180: Michael Watkins - The First 90 Days: How To Ensure Success In Your New Role
Dr. Michael Watkins is the author of Your Next Move: The Leader’s Guide to Navigating Major Career Transitions, and the international bestseller The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at all Levels, which The Economist called “the on-boarding bible.” With more than 750,000 copies sold in English, and translations in 27 languages, The First 90 Days has become the standard reference for leaders in transition. Recently The First 90 Days was named one of the best 100 business books of all time.
Drawing on the perfect combination of research and hand-on experience, he has spent the last two decades working with leaders – both corporate and public — as they transition to new roles, negotiate the future of their organizations, and craft their legacy as leaders.
Episode 180: Michael Watkins - The First 90 Days: How To Ensure Success In Your New Role
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The Learning Leader Show
“I help leaders and their teams make good career transitions."
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Common themes to sustain excellence:
- Learning Agility - Not shy about learning, and they don't expect themselves to have all the answers
- Diversity of Experience - Multiple functions, multiple companies
- Delicate balance between humility and ego
- Jeff Immelt from GE is a good example
- Confidence vs. Ego -- Desire to achieve, but cannot create echo chambers.
- The First 90 Days -- Michael's world-wide best selling book on how to transition to a leadership role
- The Leadership Pipeline - Another book to help make the transition from individual contributor to management. It's a completely different skill set
- The toughest move/promotion is the very first one
- The common traps leaders fall in to -- Relying only on what they're good at. Must broaden skills. You have to be a force multiplier.
- Common Issues and problems leaders run in to: "Coming in with the answer. Not building lateral relationships. Engaging on the wrong side of learning."
- Why you must re-learn how to learn
- How is the culture different?
- Who is the "dream team?" The five people you must meet immediately upon taking a new role
- The importance of the boss and the role she plays in helping
- Momentum -- Creating early wins. Why you must make this happen
- Look for little irritants to remove
- Secure a win by thinking differently
- Your first public address to the group -- Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. The first impression is vital
- How to prepare for a management (role) interview
- Why a "One Sheet" of your core beliefs is better than a 30-60-90 day plan
“You have to be a force multiplier. You can't be a super-rep."
Continue Learning:
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Episode 073: Jay Bilas - World Class ESPN Basketball Broadcaster, Toughness, Fixing The NCAA
Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why
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Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell
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