Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust

by Ken Blanchard, Randy Conley

Overview

Leadership legend and bestselling author Ken Blanchard and trust expert and thought leader Randy Conley present this carefully curated collection of fifty-two essential leadership principles that are easy to implement and practice.

Effective leadership is an influence process where leaders implement everyday, commonsense approaches that help people and organizations thrive. Yet somehow, many of these fundamental principles are still missing from most workplaces. In Simple Truths of Leadership, legendary servant leadership expert Ken Blanchard, whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide, and his colleague Randy Conley, known and recognized for his many years of thought leadership and expertise in the field of trust, share fifty-two Simple Truths about leadership that will help leaders everywhere make commonsense leadership common practice.

Readers will discover profound, memorable, and in some cases counterintuitive leadership wisdom such as

Who should make the first move to extend trust

What role a successful apology plays in building trust

When to use different strokes (leadership styles) for different folks—and for the same folks

Where the most important part of leadership happens

How to create autonomy through boundaries

Why the key to developing people is catching them doing something right

A fun, easy read that will make a positive difference in leadership and organizational success, Simple Truths of Leadership will show readers how to incorporate simple but essential practices into their leadership style, build trust through servant leadership, and enhance their own lives and the lives of everyone around them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523000623
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	02/01/2022
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	373,201
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ken Blanchard is cofounder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a leading international training and consulting firm. He is coauthor of more than sixty-five books, including the iconic The One Minute Manager, with combined sales of over 23 million copies in forty-seven languages. In 2005, he was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top twenty-five bestselling authors of all time.

Randy Conley is vice president of global professional services for The Ken Blanchard Companies and coauthor of Blanchard’s Building Trust training program. Inc.com named him a Top 100 Leadership Speaker. Conley is a contributing author of three books, including Leading at a Higher Level with Ken Blanchard. Conley’s award-winning blog, Leading with Trust, has influenced over 4 million viewers since its inception in 2012.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Simple Truths 1

Part 1 Servant Leadership 5

The Essence of Servant Leadership 7

1 Servant leadership is the best way to achieve both great results and great relationships. 8

2 Every great organization has a compelling vision. 10

3 Servant leaders turn the traditional pyramid upside down. 12

Secrets of the One Minute Manager 15

4 All good performance starts with clear goals. 16

5 The key to developing people is to catch them doing something right. 18

6 Praise progress! 20

7 When people are off track, don't reprimand them-redirect them. 22

8 The best minute servant leaders spend is the one they invest in people. 24

A Situational Approach to Servant Leadership 27

9 Effective servant leaders realize they have to use different strokes for different folks. 28

10 Effective servant leaders don't just use different strokes for different folks, they also use different strokes for the same folks. 30

Create a Motivating Environment 33

11 Profit is the applause you get for creating a motivating environment for your people so they will take good care of your customers. 34

12 Create autonomy through boundaries. 36

13 You get from people what you expect. 38

14 The best use of power is in service to others. 40

15 Never assume you know what motivates a person. 42

Characteristics of Servant Leaders 45

16 People with humility don t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less. 46

17 It's okay to toot your own horn. 48

18 Don't work harder; work smarter. 50

19 "No one of us is as smart as all of us." Eunice Parisi-Carew Don Carew 52

20 Love is the answer. What is the question? 54

What Servant Leaders Need to Know 57

21 Servant leaders don't command people to obey; they invite people to follow. 58

22 People who plan the battle rarely battle the plan. 60

23 Servant leaders love feedback. 62

24 People who produce good results feel good about themselves. 64

25 "It's not about you." Rick Warren 66

26 Great leaders SERVE. 68

Part 2 Building Trust 71

Trust in Leadership 73

27 Leadership begins with trust. 74

28 Building trust is a skill that can be learned and developed. 76

29 "Self-trust is the first secret of success." Ralph Waldo Emerson 78

30 Someone must make the first move to extend trust. Leaders go first. 80

31 "People admire your strengths, but they respect your honesty regarding your vulnerability." Colleen Barrett 82

Trust in Relationships 85

32 There's no trust without us. 86

33 Fear is the enemy of trust. 88

34 A relationship with no trust is like a cell phone with no service or internet-all you can do is play games. 90

35 People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. 92

36 "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou 94

Characteristics of Trusted Leaders 97

37 "Your actions speak so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying."-Anonymous 98

38 Tell the truth. Always. It's that simple. 100

39 Don't ever make a promise you can't keep. 102

40 "There's nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals."-Anonymous 104

41 #Trust is always trending. Doing the right thing never goes out of style. 106

42 True servant leaders admit their mistakes. 108

43 Since we were given two ears and one mouth, we should listen more than we speak. 110

Trust and Control 113

44 The most important part of leadership is what happens when you're not there. 114

45 The opposite of trust is not distrust-its control. 116

46 People don't resist change; they resist being controlled. 118

47 People without accurate information cannot act responsibly, but people with accurate information are compelled to act responsibly. 120

Restoring Broken Trust 123

48 Building trust is a journey, not a destination. 124

49 A successful apology is essential in rebuilding trust. 126

50 Apologizing is not necessarily an admission of guilt, but it is an admission of responsibility. 128

51 Choosing not to forgive someone is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. 130

52 Forgiveness is letting go of all hope for a better past. 132

Making Common Sense Common Practice in Your Leadership and Life 135

Simple Truths of Leadership Discussion Guide 139

Works Cited 145

Acknowledgments 147

Index 149

Services Available 157

Join Us Online 159

About the Authors 161

Editorial Reviews

"Ken Blanchard is what the kids call the ‘OG.’ He has led the way in showing us all the value of servant leadership—and how we can be servant leaders. Simple Truths of Leadership is the next essential step in our education." 
—Simon Sinek, optimist and New York Times bestselling author of Start With Why

“Ken Blanchard is the most amazing servant leader I’ve ever met. I’m so glad he decided to write this book with Randy Conley to share his principles and practices to help us become better leaders. When you implement the practical ideas shared in this book, you will enhance your leadership, build trust with your team, and improve your relationships. You don’t have to be great to serve, but you have to serve to be a great leader, and this book will show you how. Read it and live it!”
—Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Power of Positive Leadership

“What a handy week-by-week guide to building true leadership habits and practices. As always, Ken and coauthor Randy deliver a real-life approach to successful team building as well as principles that will help any reader live a more fulfilling life. Trust is elusive yet can be built. Read this book to discover how.”
—Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus, CEO; The Path; and Jesus, Life Coach

“Ken and Randy have created a gem of a book packed with timeless yet straightforward leadership wisdom. Highly readable—I particularly liked the format of this book, which is ideal for the busy leader who needs to absorb information quickly in bite-sized chunks. Every reader will bookmark their favourite leadership tips, but more importantly, they will be inspired by the consistent and passionate ethos of trust and service that runs through all fifty-two tips as a singular golden thread. Great work!”
—Dr. John Blakey, founder, The Trusted Executive Foundation

“Wow! What a simple yet powerful book Ken and Randy have written! It incorporates all their wisdom and commonsense learning from many years of helping leaders around the world become better by using both their heads and their hearts. As I read the book, I could hear Ken’s voice sharing so many of these concepts and ideas in his speeches worldwide. And Randy truly embodies the principle of trust in all his work. This will be a must-have handbook for leaders for years to come, just as The One Minute Manager has impacted organizations for decades.”
—Barbara Glanz, Hall of Fame speaker and coauthor of The Simple Truths of Service

“In Simple Truths of Leadership, Ken and Randy present why and how their simple truths about servant leadership and trust can produce profound results. They turn the traditional leadership pyramid upside down and put the customer at the top of the organization. A must-read for both new and more experienced leaders!”
—Richard Orlando, PhD, founder, Legacy Capitals, and author of Legacy and Love Your Clients

“There is so much talk about great leadership and so few people putting these ideas into practice. Ken and Randy give you actionable, commonsense lessons on service and trust. And I can assure you these principles will perform!”
—Cheryl Bachelder, former CEO, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and author of Dare to Serve

“Simple yet powerful. Simple yet practical. Simply outstanding. This book belongs on your nightstand. Follow the lessons in Simple Truths of Leadership, and not only will you be a better leader, you will live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.”
—Jesse Lyn Stoner, coauthor of Full Steam Ahead!

“If you are looking for a pathway to servant leadership, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley have given us an outstanding one. Commit to these commonsense principles and you will soon become a real servant leader.”
—Howard Behar, former President, Starbucks

“Today’s best leaders are facilitators—they don’t mark people’s papers, they help them get an A. Servant leadership and trust are the foundation of impactful leadership. Use these fifty-two simple truths to empower your people and build a culture where purpose-driven, passionate people create amazing outcomes!”
—Garry Ridge, CEO and Chairman, WD-40 Company

“We often think of great leadership principles as common sense—and then forget to put them into action! Ken Blanchard has written the ultimate guide to servant leadership with real and practical steps to becoming a better leader and person. Read this book and start practicing these truths in your life now!”
—Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 Leadership Award, and New York Times bestselling author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“Servant leadership and trust are essential ingredients to address today’s crises of loneliness and disengagement in organizations. Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley provide wise guidance in this timely, concise, and impactful book.”
—Michael Lee Stallard, cofounder, Connection Culture Group, and author of Connection Culture and Fired Up or Burned Out

“Peanut butter and jelly, baseball and Cracker Jacks, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley, servant leadership and trust—they just go together. What really strikes me about Simple Truths of Leadership are two things: memorable aphorisms and wisdom, not just knowledge. Fifty-two brief chapters, each with a haiku/koan-like simplicity that burrows into your brain like an earworm; they all make such good sense, and on top of that, you remember them. Blanchard and Conley aim at making simple truths accessible and memorable, not only individually but as a whole. The reader emerges from the book with a smile, feeling enriched and wiser for the experience—an experience that will, moreover, stick with you.”
—Charles H. Green, founder, Trusted Advisor, and coauthor of The Trusted Advisor

“Ken Blanchard, one of our greatest champions of servant-leadership, has done it again. Together with Randy Conley, they have created in Simple Truths of Leadership a jewel of a book—one filled with inspiration and powerful advice on building trust as an effective servant-leader. Read it to strengthen your relationships at work and in life.”
—Larry C. Spears, author and servant-leadership scholar, Gonzaga University

From the Publisher