The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership: Embracing the Conflicting Demands of Today's Workplace

by Tim Elmore

Overview

Become a next generation leader—rich in emotional and social intelligence and orchestrating outstanding collaborative results—by mastering these eight status quo-shattering paradoxes.

The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership unpacks the fresh strategies and new mindset required today from a next generation leader.

Author Dr. Tim Elmore helps leaders of all kinds navigate increasingly complex, rapidly changing environments, as well as manage teams who bring a range of new demands and expectations to the workplace that haven’t been seen even one generation prior.

After working alongside John C. Maxwell for twenty years, Tim offers counter-intuitive paradoxes that, when practiced, enable today’s leader to differentiate themselves and better connect with their team and customers. The book furnishes ideas that equip leaders to inspire team members in a way a paycheck never could.

Having trained hundreds of thousands of young professionals to develop into leaders—Dr. Elmore shares the secrets of next generation leaders who have practiced the unique paradoxes outlined in this book and inspired their team members in a way that a paycheck never could.

In The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership, readers will:

• Learn how today’s team members require a combination of different qualities from their leaders than they did in even the recent past;
• Grasp the importance of eight key paradoxes that are critical for next generation leaders to put into practice right now;
• Be inspired by historic and modern-day leaders who lived the eight paradoxes; and
• Understand how they too can lead with the eight paradoxes, guiding them to emotional and social intelligence that resonates with their teams and leads to outstanding collaborative results.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400228294
Publisher:	HarperCollins Leadership
Publication date:	11/02/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	375,837
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword John C. Maxwell ix

Paradoxical Leadership in a Complex Age 1

Paradox 1 Uncommon Leaders Balance Both Confidence and Humility 21

Paradox 2 Uncommon Leaders Leverage Both Their Vision and Their Blind Spots 43

Paradox 3 Uncommon Leaders Embrace Both Visibility and Invisibility 65

Paradox 5 Uncommon Leaders Are Both Stubborn and Open-Minded 87

Paradox 5 Uncommon Leaders Are Both Deeply Personal and Inherently Collective 107

Paradox 6 Uncommon Leaders Are Both Teachers and Learners 129

Paradox 7 Uncommon Leaders Model Both High Standards and Gracious Forgiveness 151

Paradox 8 Uncommon Leaders Are Both Timely and Timeless 173

A New Kind of Leader 195

Acknowledgments 213

Endnotes 215

Index 221

About the Author 228

Editorial Reviews

'Who would have thought that leadership today requires we balance apparent contradiction? But that's exactly what Tim Elmore suggests in this insightful book. Balancing humility and confidence; vision and blind spots, high standards and gracious forgiveness. If you'll apply the paradoxes in this book, it will transform your leadership.' —Gene Smith, Director of Athletics, Vice President, The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University

''We're not experiencing an era of change, but a change of era.' This is one of many powerful statements in this book about leading in a complex age. As you digest this content, your leadership will soar to a new level. God knows we need leaders who are courageous and willing to practice the paradoxes that make them uncommon.' —Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne Pretzels, Author, Speaker

Founder of Auntie Anne Pretzels

'Today's workplace is different than it was in the past. Team members are more educated and expect more of leaders than they did when I started my career. The Eight Paradoxes in this book address these complexities and offer doable solutions for leaders today. This book is practical, insightful and fun to read.' —Hector Padilla, Executive Vice President — Outside Sales and & Service, The Home Depot

The Home Depot

'This book unlocks the secrets that make effective leaders so successful. They balance traits that seem paradoxical yet explain why others want to follow them. This is a must-read for any leader who wants to flourish in today's complex marketplace.' —Maxwell, Best-selling author, Founder of John Maxwell Company

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

'The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership is an insightful and practical guide for leaders who want to grow their impact and influence and do it in an authentic and effective way. Tim Elmore's perspective on leadership is grounded in both his own experience from building a dynamic organization as well as closely observing a number of other outstanding leaders. I highly recommend this book.' —Tim Tassopoulos, President and COO, Chick Fil A

Chick Fil A

'Leadership is really, at its core, a paradox — or a set of paradoxes. Tim Elmore captures eight of these paradoxes in an engaging, entertaining, and enlightening read that is sure to both encourage and challenge you and your teams. As our world begins the difficult task of emerging from a global pandemic, we are in urgent need of the Great Leadership that Tim describes here.' —Dave Katz, President of Coca Cola Bottling Company Consolidated

From the Publisher

'Over the years, our managers and coaches have noticed a change in our players. These changes require better leadership from all of us who call ourselves leaders. For quite a while, we've benefited from Tim Elmore and his insights into leading the next generation. These Eight Paradoxes are a prime example of what we need to do in order to succeed. I recommend this book highly.' —Dayton Moore, General Manager, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals

'So much has been written about leadership today but often, it simply fails to describe the confusing complexity of what it really takes to lead in ways that uplift others, transform outdated approaches, and guide individuals and entities to thrive. Addressing what's needed most - particularly all the paradoxes involved in becoming a truly great leader, Tim Elmore's book examines brand new ground, helping us balance the seemingly contradictory traits leaders need to embody. Tim's decades of hands-on experience growing leaders — from young adults to highly accomplished C-suite executives — gives him a powerful lens for teaching us how to balance confidence and humility, visibility and invisibility, personal interrelationships with collective connection, teaching while being the student, and finally, timeless integrity with immediacy and relevance. If you want to be a leader who leaves a positive legacy, don't miss this book.' —Kathy Caprino, Forbes journalist, Author and Life Coach

Author and Life Coach Forbes journalist

'If you appreciate nuance, in this book, Tim Elmore unpacks superb examples of brilliant paradoxical leadership and then leads you to clear application. If you don't yet appreciate nuance I recommend you start, and start right here with The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership.' —Bob Taylor, Founder and President, Taylor Guitars

Taylor Guitars

'The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership is a must read for all leaders—whether they are beginning their careers or already leading organizations. At a time when employees yearn for leadership that embodies social and emotional intelligence this book will help you think differently about what it means to be an impactful leader in today's workplace.' —Camye Mackey, Chief People Officer, Diversity and Inclusion, Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

'Humility and confidence. Vision and blind spots. High standards and gracious forgiveness. Effective leaders stand out because they are able to juggle seemingly contradictory traits like these to lead their teams well. Tim Elmore tells us how. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to become a leader worth following.' —Andy Stanley, Author, communicator, Founder, North Point Ministries

North Point Ministries