Customer Reviews

The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Go to page 110. Read the four themes: integrity, partnership, affirmation, and perfecting the blend. Perhaps read each of the three bullet points for each of the four themes. Do this while browsing at a bookstore or, better yet, at the local library. Good. You now have spent thirty seconds and saved yourself money and the other fourteen-and-a-half minutes it takes to read the entire book.

Should we be grateful that leadership can be expressed so concisely and learned -- no, mastered -- so quickly? Or should we wonder who would pay a full-book price for 112 very short pages? Or should we wonder when the authors say, "The focus group data is (sic) compelling?" (p.3). Five-star reviews come from people in the first category.

The parable is full of sweet, easily transformed people, coming alive after years of mistreatment by management, brought back to life by a simple yet incredibly powerful act or word from "The Effective Leader". There is little to be generalized from these simple, simplistic cliches.

This is a variation on the incredibly successful "One-minute manager," which had similar characteristics to an article entitled, "McGregor" a few years earlier in "Organizational Dynamics," espousing one-minute praise, punishment and goals. In this case, Blanchard and Muchnick describe a people-oriented, empowering leadership model and contrast it with the pill-induced, autocratic, domineering, results-oriented style they attribute to "Patton, Napoleon and Attila the Hun." Suffice it to say, the pill doesn't work. It's poisonous. Like heroin, it gives the leader a rush of power and grandeur, but only until the followers get pretty sick and tired of ego tripping.

I purchased this book at Barnes and Noble yesterday and I read it today. It is really easy to read and it is loaded with very helpful suggestions for leaders that explain how to effectively create a cohesive work environment without relying on force. I especially liked the ideas about "no Monday meetings," "lunch and learn sessions," "one-on-one 15 to 30 minute meetings", and "leadership shadowing." It was very powerful and thought provoking and it helped me to see some things that I can do to improve the way that I handle situations with my team. I have recommended that our training organization include it on their suggested reading list . Its quick, fun, and insightful.

Once again, Ken Blanchard captured me with another story about leadership development. Emphasizing the basics and recognizing that we can't escape them, was the message for me. I recommend this book, because there are no shortcuts for integrity and commitment.

Recently I read a book Dr. Blanchard recommended which totally turned my career and life around called Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self. Before reading Optimal Thinking, I was confused about some of the shortcomings of positive thinking. Optimal Thinking clarified the shortcomings, showed me how to overcome them, taught me how to make the most of any situation, bring out the best in others and truly be my best.

To anyone reading this review, buy every book Dr. Blanchard writes or recommends. Dr. Blanchard, I thank you!

Your eyes will remain open for days after you read this book. This book proves that you can always learn something new from other professional/intelligent people. The author is a true expert in the field of leadership and motivation. He has written a book that is easy to read and fun, but most of all educational. Even if you have read many similar books, you will walk away with some new insight and fresh ideas. This book was a "breath of fresh air" for me and my associates.

Awesome Book - I love the way this book engaged my heart not only my mind in the role of leading others. Efficient leadership is deterimed by those who are asked to follow. This little book has been able in a parable reveal what it feels like to follow both the in-efficient and efficient leader. Most of my formal management training classes/courses and books on the subject have helped to analysis the cost of poor leadership in financial terms. It will help you to get the feeling of what are the ingredients of truly effective leadership.

This book covered efficient leadership in everyday situations. The book will inspire those who truly are interested in efficient leadership strategies for the next generation. Leadership can no longer afford to be emotionally detached this parable reveals the connections of leadership to morale, productivity and active engagement at all levels.

Read the book then pass it on. Give it to your peers with in organizations in which you lead. But then try something different give it to a young person that you want to bless and give a head start in becoming an effective leader at school and at home. It's easy to read and short. I recommended that you buy this book read.

Author Ken Blanchard's literary franchise began with the stunningly successful The One Minute Manager. He has mastered the art of a certain type of book for supervisors and higher executives who need to learn more about management, values and leadership. These readers probably don't have a lot of time and they like to get right to the bottom line - Blanchard obliges. His book enjoys the blessing of brevity, and he takes an accessible, creative approach to demonstrating that effective management really matters, that it takes time to develop and that it is not the result of trendy theories or relentless bossy practices. Blanchard encapsulates his lessons in an bouncy parable about a contest between a company that uses a manufactured leadership pill to instill a pumped up results-only approach and a company that uses value-driven leadership based on integrity, partnership and affirmation. Although the medicine may be a bit basic, We recommend this dosage for students of the art of effective leadership. It's a spoonful of sugar.

The Leadership Pill is a great book for anyone who manages people. I am impressed by the strong message and also found the book to be an entertaining and quick read. If every leader adopted the 3 ingredients Blanchard and Muchnick suggest as the keys to being a good leader - integrity, partnership and affirmation - they would be much more effective in the long run. I highly recommend this book and will make it required reading for my team.

While it is all a complex metaphor for many of the problems leading to incompetent business management, the leadership pill is an idea where the point is well understood and is an excellent one. The premise is that all of the qualities that make a good manager have been discovered and concentrated into a pill. Of course, the business world in general considers it the best of all possible quick fixes. However, one person, called "the effective leader", doubts the value of the pill.
The effective leader is so convinced of his position that he offers to take over as manager of a group that is currently dysfunctional and work there for a year with a pledge not to take the leadership pill. His performance and that of his company will be compared to the achievements of another company where the leader is using the leadership pill.
As first the achievements of the effective leader's company are dismal and the other company's are spectacular. When pressed, the effective leader refuses to change, staying consistent with his themes of integrity, partnership and affirmation. During the course of the year, the performance curves of the companies cross, with that of the effective leader eventually surpassing that of the other company by a wide margin.
It is often amazing to me how simple the strategy for effective management is yet how difficult it is to put in practice. Being honest and forthright in dealing with your employees and allowing them the credit for their accomplishments is a simple way to succeed as a manager. Yet it is such a rare thing. One can only hope that some of the people who have listened to this tape will act on it in their work place.

What could have been a long weather delay during business travel turned out to be an amazingly easy commute. Thanks to "The Leadership Pill!"

Fun. Light-hearted. Yet, with so many simple attributes that define great leadership.

As I read the book, I couldn't help but think back not only to my prior management roles within my corporate structure (internal customers), but also the important role of prevailing as leaders with our external customers as well. The leadership attributes that were defined in this book can just as well help individuals acknowledge the necessary leadership qualities with their external customers in their particular industry. To define ourselves as the "preferred supplier" and/or "LEADER" in the industry demands many of the same attributes necessary to manage a team within our own corporate structures!

What an excellent book to keep these principles TOP OF MIND in a playful and impactful way.

Ken Blanchard and new co-author Marc Muchnick ONCE AGAIN have another message worthy of sharing with MANY.

The Leadership Pill crafts the message and steps it takes to become strong leaders in a fun, clever and easy-to-swallow way. This well-written, unique twist on leadership analysis demonstrates the genius of authors Blanchard and Muchnick. After reading this book in one extended sitting I am eager to return to work with new strategies to try and several more copies of this book in hand for all of my employees and managers to read. I plan to invest even more in these authors by pitching them to my company for an on-site seminar and leadership pill-based strategy sessions. Thank you Blanchard and Muchnick for effectively and succinctly summing up what being a good leader is all about. In our quick fix society you have addressed the problems of ineffective leaders head on. Thank you for your engaging look at how to build stronger work forces today. I love this book!