Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success [Hardcover]

Ken Blanchard (Author), Colleen Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2010

Once, there was a remarkable person who led with love. Her company succeeded where its competitors struggled. Its customers were loyal, its employees loved to work there, and it was profitable year after year, for decades. This loving leader began her career as an executive secretary, yet the company's founder chose her to succeed him as president. When asked why, he said, "Because she knows how to love people to success." She is Colleen Barrett, President Emeritus of Southwest Airlines. Lead with LUV is an extraordinary, wide-ranging conversation between Barrett and the legendary Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager. Drawing on personal experience, Barrett and Blanchard reveal why leading with love is the most powerful way to lead and how it can help you achieve truly amazing levels of performance. Discover:

• What "love" really means in the organizational context.
• Why leading with love is not "soft" management!
• How to use redirection and tough love to handle inappropriate behavior or performance.
• Why "servant leadership" is love in action, and how to make it work.
• How to build the compelling vision and culture that sustains leadership with love.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

 Foreword by Herb Kelleher, Founder of Southwest Airlines

 

Once, there was a remarkable person who led with love. Her company succeeded where its competitors struggled. Customers were loyal, employees loved to work there, and it was profitable year after year--for decades.

 

Colleen Barrett began her career as an executive secretary, yet Southwest Airlines’ founder chose her to succeed him as president. When asked why, he said, “Because she knows how to love people to success.”

 

Lead with LUV is an extraordinary, wide-ranging conversation between Barrett and Ken Blanchard, the legendary author of The One Minute Manager. Together, they reveal why leading with love is the most powerful way to lead, how to make it work, and how it can help you achieve unprecedented business performance.

 

It’s not about being “soft”!

What leading with love really means in the organizational context

 

The real meaning of “servant leadership”

Love in action: how to make it work

 

Handling inappropriate behavior or performance

“Tough love,” redirection, and when to “share” your nonperformers

 

Sustaining leadership with love

Building the right vision and culture--and keeping them for the long haul

 

 

About the Author

Ken Blanchard has had an extraordinary impact on the day-to-day management of millions of people and companies. He is the coauthor of several bestselling books, including the blockbuster international bestseller The One Minute Manager and the giant business bestsellers Leadership and the One Minute Manager, Raving Fans, and Gung Ho! His books have combined sales of more than 18 million copies in more than twenty-five languages. In 2005, Ken was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top twenty-five bestselling authors of all time.

 

Ken is the chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm. He is also cofounder of Lead Like Jesus Ministries, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and equipping people to be Servant Leaders in the marketplace.

 

Colleen Barrett is currently President Emeritus of Southwest Airlines Co., a high-frequency, low-fare, point-to-point airline that prides itself on its excellent Customer Service qualities. Prior to stepping down as the Company’s President on July 15, 2008, Colleen oversaw management, Leadership, and budget responsibilities for the following areas/ groups: Marketing, Corporate Communications, People (Human Resources), Customer Relations & Rapid Rewards, Labor & Employee Relations, Reservations, Corporate Security, Culture activities, and the Executive Office. She was also a member of the Company’s Executive Planning Committee, and she chaired numerous special teams, task forces, and committees relating to internal and external Southwest Customers. Colleen served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2001 to May 2008 and as Corporate Secretary from March 1978 to May 2008. She was Vice President Administration from 1986 to 1990; Executive Vice President Customers from 1990 to 2001; and President from 2001 to July 2008.

 

Before joining Southwest in 1978, Colleen worked for several years as Executive Assistant to Herb Kelleher (Southwest’s former Executive Chairman) at his law firm. She serves on the Ken Blanchard College of Business Board of Trustees at Grand Canyon University, the Becker College Board of Trustees, and the JC Penney Co. Board of Directors. She is active in numerous civic and charitable organizations in Dallas, Texas.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: FT Press; 1 edition (December 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0137039743
• ISBN-13: 978-0137039746
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard. A prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate individuals in business today. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.

Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken also spends time as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees.

Ken has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the fields of management, leadership, and speaking. The National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the "Council of Peers Award of Excellence." He was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International. Ken also received The Thought Leadership Award for continued support of work-related learning and performance by ISA--The Association of Learning Providers. Ken has been inducted into Amazon's Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-selling authors of all time. The business school at Grand Canyon University bears his name. In addition, Ken teaches students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Ken received a master's degree from Colgate University, and a bachelor's and PhD from Cornell University. An avid golfer, Ken belongs to the Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#25 in Books > Business & Investing

#54 in Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing

#25 in Books > Business & Investing

#54 in Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Way of Leading November 23, 2010

By Jonathan Bennett VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

If there's one thing that can be said about Ken Blanchard, it's that he's consistent throughout his books, both in style and content. "Lead with LUV" contains more of his people centered management advice delivered in a chatty manner and peppered with lots of stories. This isn't a bad thing. It's just what I've come to expect (and appreciate) from Blanchard.

"Lead with LUV" is essentially a 150+ page dialogue between Blanchard and Colleen Barrett, former President of Southwest Airlines. LUV is Southwest's symbol on the New York Stock Exchange and a ready pun for a book about leading/managing with love.

Don't let the word love, or the scattered religious themes, scare you off this book. Blanchard and Barrett know how to successfully run a business and offer solid, commonsense suggestions for change. Look at Southwest Airlines, which is easily the best run of the US airlines.

The approach outlined in "Lead With LUV" is essentially an elaboration on Blanchard's "Servant Leader" model. Basically, this approach "upends the pyramid" by training management to be accountable to and appreciative of customers and ground level employees. They, in turn, are loyal to the company.

The book is filled with wisdom for creating a better company culture, but I will only mention a few examples. First, the authors emphasize making a company an employer of choice, an investment of choice, and the provider of choice. Second, they also promote the idea of having raving fans, rather than just normal customers. Third, three key values among Southwest employees, warrior spirit, servant's heart, and fun-luv-ing attitude are explored in depth (imagine that, a company that emphasizes a sense of humor!).... Finally, the authors end their conversation by focusing on the traits of love and how these would look in a company environment.

Perhaps the most helpful feature of the book is a series of "stop and think" boxes that ask processing questions about the topics addressed. These would be ideal for discussions among team members or managers.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to employees, managers, and even those in less formal leadership roles. Like most people, I've had some horrifying workplace experiences, largely connected to poor senior leadership and decrepit company culture. The challenge is translating what sounds great on paper into radical culture change in companies where profit margin and personal advancement are still primary.

However, I give Blanchard and Barrett a lot of credit. They are trying to make this much needed change and are providing the framework for it. And, as Southwest Airlines shows, treating employees well, emphasizing great customer service, and having a sense of humor can translate into a great business model. Read more ›

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's what was missing from my graduate studies on leadership December 31, 2010

By William W. Davis VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

QUICK SUMMARY: Have you heard of "Servant Leadership"? In the corporate, business world? Chances are, the answer is, "No." But this extremely easy-to-read, conversational book between Ken Blanchard and the former head of Southwest Airlines, Colleen Barrett, describes what Servant Leadership is, how it's put into practice at Southwest Airlines, and how you can implement Servant Leadership at whatever role or position you have in your company. Highly recommended!

Background: In 2009, I completed my graduate studies in leadership, so leadership is something I'm extremely interested in and something on which I've done much study. My graduate program didn't include Servant Leadership as part of the curriculum (another, competing program at a nearby school did), so I wondered what it was about my program that I was missing? This book explains what was missing. In a word, Servant Leadership = Love. More broadly, Servant Leadership = The Golden Rule + Love. Love?? In the business world??? Ken and Colleen would retort, "Yes, absolutely!" And they both point to the 40 years of business success at Southwest Airlines where Servant Leadership isn't the managerial philosophy de jour, rather, it's a corporate culture value that's deeply entrenched within the whole organization.

There are two hard things about reading a book like this. One, it's hard to read a book like this and not draw negative contrasts to your own employer, your own boss, your own organization where you work. I've worked for the same organization for many years -- and it has a pretty good corporate culture, overall -- but it's nothing like what Southwest Airlines has. Two, it's also hard to know how (and have the guts) to put into practice the Servant Leadership principles in your own work setting.... In the business world, we don't talk about (or, more importantly, TRY) loving our bosses, our co-workers, our customers, our vendors! But what would life in business be like if we did? After reading this book, I'm persuaded that our experience at work could be so much better, in terms of personal satisfaction and personal motivation, than what it is today.

Note: This book draws some of its material right out of the Bible when it describes what love is (1 Corinthians 13), so if you revile any religious overtones, then you may not like this inclusion. I personally loved the ties the authors made between the Bible and the business world.

WHAT I LIKE:

- Very easy to read, maybe two hours or so if you're a slow reader like me.
- Clear and concise. The points the authors make aren't hard to figure out.
- Great introduction into Servant Leadership, what it is, what it looks like.
- Includes many interesting stories and letters about Southwest employees and customers.
- Advocates for a type of change that I'd love to see made in the business world.
- The conversational style of the book (it's like the transcript of a conversation between the authors) is an effective way of transmitting their message.
- Closes with a tear-jerking story of how Southwest made a difference for one customer with a crisis.
- At the end of the book is a list of nearly 20 source citations for further reading and investigation.

What could be BETTER:

- It's a very short book. Books like this usually make me want to read much more from the authors.
- The part where Colleen describes when she struggles to put nine aspects of love into practice is hokey. It's equivalent to me saying it's hard to love my kids when they're misbehaving badly.
- Although Ken acknowledges that there are other great companies like Southwest that have embraced Servant Leadership, he doesn't name any others (other excellent companies are highlighted in other ways, but not specifically for their devotion to the Servant Leadership model). That left me wondering, specifically, "Who else does this?" It'd be nice to see extra-Southwest stories on Servant Leadership contained in this brief book.

Conclusion: Certainly anyone with positional power in an organization -- senior executives and others in management -- would benefit by reading this book and, at the very least, evaluating their respective corporate culture and their influence upon that. But everyone has the ability to lead, to influence others, so this book is appropriate for anyone -- even stay-at-home parents. Five stars for the message this book delivers, four stars for how it's delivered. Highly recommended! Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More a Joint Biography than a How-To Book December 27, 2010

By Lisa Shea HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The most important thing to know when looking at buying this book is that it is NOT a how-to book on helping your own company become friendly and fun like Southwest Airlines. Rather, it is a straightforward transcript of a conversation between Southwest president Colleen Barrett and motivational author Ken Blanchard. It is not even Ken interviewing Colleen (although that is what it purports to be). Instead, Ken spends just as much time promoting his own books and talents as talking to her, and his words are the ones in bold. I have to admit that it put me off. I picked this up to learn about Colleen and what she's done with Southwest, not to have Ken go off yet again on a tangent about his great speaking skills.

Still, let's say you accept that up front. You understand that you're a fly on the wall at a bar conversation where Colleen and Ken both ramble on about the things they do well. With that frame of mind, the experience becomes enjoyable. They both agree on many points. A person responsible for employees should *lead* them, showing by example the values and priorities of the company, rather than being a "manager" who quotes policy and looks for people to blame. You want to encourage and enthuse your employees and co-workers - cheer them promptly when they do something good. Help to make sure everyone understands the company's mission and why it does what it does.

Don't just satisfy your customers. Make them THRILLED to be with you. Turn them into your evangelists. The same with your employees. If you're having problems, for example financial issues, share with them. They can become your strongest allies in finding solutions.

Treat everyone fairly, with respect, and build trust. Have a sense of humor, too. Be able to relax and enjoy life....

I enjoyed the section that talked about the various meanings of the word "love" - and how Colleen practiced these traits, and was challenged by them. I think this sort of exercise is one that we all should do occasionally, to see where we're doing well and what areas we need to work on.

On the down side, I really disagreed with Ken whining about being resisted when he tried in essence to repeatedly force his way onto a plane without proper ID (on a different airline). Especially in this day and age I think it was a bad story to tell in the first place, and for a man who claims to want to show respect to others, to try to think HE should be special treatment because he AUTHORED A BOOK floors me. I don't care if he has a book with his photo on it. He forgot the ID, he should go back and get it and take a later flight. His selfishness had no place in this story.

If they do a second version of the book, I'd like to see it done with more of a focus on Colleen, less of a focus on Ken's self-supporting promotions, and that story really should go. Surely he has 100 other stories which make the same point without that nasty aftertaste. Read more ›