Ten Thousand Horses: How Leaders Harness Raw Potential for Extraordinary Results [Hardcover]

John Stahl-Wert (Author), Ken Jennings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 2007

In this inspiring leadership fable, Stahl-Wert and Jennings draw on their years of experience as consultants and chief executives, as well as on findings from Gallup's ground-breaking Q-12 survey, to lay out an leadership model that will turn employees from dutiful drones to committed contributors. "Ten Thousand Horses" is the story of Matt James, a top-performing sa lesman who is promoted to head his division, an entirely different job than the one he was good at. His workers don't respond to his efforts to lead them, and soon he's on the brink of being fired. In desperation, he reaches out to his old, unorthodox mentor, David Butler , who now works with wiild mustang horses. More than simply a leadership fable, "Ten Thousand Horses" is a story of personal transformation. Beyond specific practices and techniques, Matt must learn a whole new way of relating to his employees, because, as he discovers, leading an engaged workforce is as much about who you are as what you do.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Stahl-Wert is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, where he has worked for over ten years. He is a recognized expert in leadership, innovation and communitychange, with bestselling writings on executive leadership practice and accelerated workforce performance. John founded the Training Academy for Leadership Foundations of America (www.leadershipfoundations.org), providing executive leadership consultations for business, governmental and community change leaders in thirty major U.S. cities. His work in Pittsburgh has been featured in benchmark studies published by the Templeton Foundation Press and the Hudson Institute. He is on faculty at Geneva College in the Graduate School of Leadership, teaching in the Masters Program for Organizational Leadership. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Ken Jennings is the Managing Partner of 3rd-River Partners (www.3rd-River.com). He is a recognized expert and writer on leadership, strategy execution and the management of change. He co-directed the Global Leadership Program at the University of Michigan Business School and was a Managing Partner in change management at Accenture. A respected author and lecturer, Ken's research in leadership, organizational development and human performance has appeared in the Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Business Strategy, Group & Organization Management, The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Journal of Applied Psychology, and The Journal of Organizational Behavior. Ken has been responsible for helping create growth strategies and human capital innovations for many of the leading healthcare, manufacturing, defense, financial services and service organizations in the country including JP Morgan, Astra-Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, the Department of the Treasury, General Electric and Kaiser Permanente Health System.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 119 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (June 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576754502
• ISBN-13: 978-1576754504
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Daily Discipline, September 22, 2007

By 

John W. Pearson "John Pearson Associates" (San Clemente, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ten Thousand Horses: How Leaders Harness Raw Potential for Extraordinary Results (Hardcover)

A character in this short business novel says, "We stress the importance of purpose-aligned goals, purpose-aligned plans, and purpose-aligned decisions. When I say this out loud, it sounds obvious. But vision statements are famous for living in drawers. Our great purpose lies in daily discipline."

How do you implement vision--how do you get it out of the drawer? You engage people by asking them, among other things, "What are you good at?"

That's just one of many insights in this easy-to-read story of a Peter Principle sales guy turned national sales manager, now at wit's end. Co-authors John Stahl-Wert and Ken Jennings have the credentials and the creativity. You'll love the book--and its unique niche in the "strengths" and "engagement" literature. Imagine what would happen in our organizations if every single person were highly, highly engaged--and leveraging their strengths every single day!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now that's a turnaround specialist!, August 5, 2007

By 

S. M. Hoenig "book lover" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ten Thousand Horses: How Leaders Harness Raw Potential for Extraordinary Results (Hardcover)

I so enjoyed this little book that I'm giving a copy to my boss and coworkers. It's business acumen aside, it's a profound parable nearing the tradition of Paulo Coelho. It's characters are well-developed, fallible, and the reader follows their very human development like that of a dear friend. It's prose and sense of place invoke, surprisingly, Garcia Marquez in the milieu of Gretel Ehrlich. It is a revelation as it tracks one man's awakening into what IS and what is not important. As a result, he is a stronger, more effective leader in terms of interpersonal relationships; honest, transparent communication; and powerful and sustained impact on the bottom-line. His team is fully engaged and brings all of their strengths and experience and self to work. Well-done, Stahl-Wert and Jennings!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profound Insights, July 16, 2007

By 

Bonnie C. Budzowski - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ten Thousand Horses: How Leaders Harness Raw Potential for Extraordinary Results (Hardcover)

This book is clear, easy to read, and engaging. It's a great story and offers profound insights on a critical issue in the workplace.