The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today
by Ken Blanchard and Marc Muchnick
Here’s another volume for those of you anxious to add to your library of “mini-books.” Ken Blanchard, a veritable self-help book-writing machine, partners with co-author Marc Muchnick to create this 112-page parable that every leader will want to read and share with those he/she mentors.
Contemplate the current state of technology, research and development. Today we seem to have a pill for just about everything. Wouldn’t it be great to have a pill that could actually stimulate the natural powers of the mind and body to provide leadership? Well, that’s exactly what happens in this entertaining new book. We read about the competition between two leaders with totally different management styles—a story that reveals the ingredients of truly effective leadership.
One leader takes “the leadership pill” while the other leader chooses not to take the medication. Instead he provides the right ingredients for his team and earns their respect and trust with a blend of integrity, partnership, and affirmation. The hard-won result is a highly motivated team producing consistent top performance and genuine success. The message? Leadership takes time—it can’t be learned overnight (or ingested via pill form). Leaders must show integrity, build “a culture of partnership” and affirm their employees’ sense of self-worth by letting them know what they do is important.
How many times have we heard this message …”back to the basics,” “walk-the-talk,” “this isn’t rocket-science,” “stick to the fundamentals,” etc.? Ultimately we must recognize that “leadership for a life-time” is much easier to digest than a pill for leaders looking for a quick fix. Although essentially basic in its message, it’s quite obvious that many choose to ignore it. If in doubt, simply read the headlines of any recent newspaper or business magazine.
The Leadership Pill shows business managers at any level how to apply the right techniques for getting both results and the commitment of their people, even when the pressure to perform is high.
(This book review was originally published in 2003 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 12.)
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.