The 7 Secrets of Responsive Leadership

Book excerpt: Leadership and turnaround expert Jackie Jenkins-Scott shows you how to spot and take advantage of opportunities in any environment. Being a responsive leader means playing to win. Responsive leadership can thrive anywhere, unlike systematic leadership. The latter imposes methods and laws; principles govern action. In contrast, responsive leadership is a living, changing set of traits and skills that adapts to new people and environments. You may have an impressive grasp of how to influence, inspire, and build teams, but you must know how to adapt your abilities to each new organization, or to changes within the organization—new board members, new staff members, new shareholders. The 7 Secrets of Responsive Leadership spotlights how to build the skills to be a leader in any environment. Richly illustrated with stories from the author’s decades of experience as a CEO, the book explores how to: Take advantage of opportunity Turn around an organization Compete well by leading with heart Keep your bags packed Echo one message at a time Look for opposition Value the interconnectedness of people Recover quickly At its core, this book is about the intimate relationship between leadership and opportunity. The author lived that relationship in transforming a major urban health care center and a college from struggling and failing organizations to thriving, international leaders in their field.