If you're a manager, leader, supervisor, vice president or director of a department, and you find yourself saying, "...if only I could consistently get my team motivated and engaged in the day-to-day operations in relation to the big picture as I am, so we can all work better together and be successful in our business and projects...", then this is the book and workshop for you! This book, iLead, the "i" is about where leadership begins, inside of you. It's the inner game of leadership that needs to be mastered first before you master the outside. So why read this book? Our hope is that through this cutting edge information, relatable stories and actionable exercises, this book will positively impact your life by giving you a sense of certainty going into any project and knowing that you have a blueprint to succeeding within any team. This impact will have, not just short term rewards, but long term career impact because you will build upon the skills learned and continue to apply our basic concepts that will 'anchor' great leadership skills. And success breeds more success. What develops is a sense of deep confidence to tackle any project or challenge. Bottom line, the symptom of your newly developed leadership skills are more lucrative projects, increased financial rewards, an improved lifestyle, and a feeling of security that you can count on. Your corporation, company, or business is not just an organization, it's more like an organism. The nutrients that feed this organism and that make up a modern effective leader are the six modules or chapters in this book. We use the term nutrients because like a living organism, you need continual doses of nutrients to grow, maintain and be healthy. These six modules or chapters, continually given and used in your business organism will create a healthy environment for you to grow and prosper. We also believe that within any corporation, business, or company that your people are your biggest assets. Why do your people sometimes seem to be treated as a liability or at best a necessary evil? In most cases, it's because of the inability to use these assets wisely. Good leaders know a properly motivated team can move mountains. Our process shows you how to link what is important to your people with what is important to you and to your organism. Thus creating a system of perpetuating motivation from within each person (and as we all know, motivation can only be created from within, not from outside of us). We ask the question, "When will it be your time to cut down the net?" It's a metaphor for you and your team to reach your highest goals and aspirations. For those or you that are not a fan of college basketball or familiar with what is called "The Big Dance" (the NCAA basketball tournament), cutting down the net is the ceremony that you conduct after you've won this grueling tournament. The famous coach from North Carolina State during the 80's, Jimmy Valvano, known as "Jimmy V", would use this idea of cutting down the net during his daily practice. He understood that in order to connect his players to his intense practices and for them to give it their all, he would conclude each practice session by having them practice cutting down the basketball net as if they had just won it all. He knew the value of continually connecting the small day-to-day efforts with the big vision of their team. They didn't win it all the first year he coached, or the second year. But Jimmy V took his overachieving team all the way during the 1983 Mens NCAA finals. They called them a cinderella team because they were the most unlikely team to win it all. They had to overcome some the most dominate teams and players of that time. But in the end, they were the ones who cut down the net. "So when will it be your time to cut down the net and claim your greatness?"
About the Author: Jim Connolly Unlike how the saying goes, "Leaders are born, not made", Jim Connolly is a contrarian to that myth and part of the new majority that understands that leaders are made, not born. As life has it, when Jim was ready, the teacher appeared in the form of his first of many professional mentors. Gus Reidi, an accomplished and successful chef/restauranteur took him under his wing (or apron!) and shared with Jim his keys to his success which strangely did not include anything about culinary skills or recipes, but an emphasis on people. He taught Jim that his biggest asset in all of his businesses was his people, not his knowledge, not his skills and not his business prowess, but the people of his organization. As with everything Jim does, his love and understanding of leadership and team through further training and education would motivate him to create an organization devoted to the advancement of world class teams and leaders in first the high tech world of business. CEO Chef for over 20 years continues to bring awareness and high level experiential training to many diverse areas of business and to many notable high achieving companies like Facebook, Google, Exxon Mobile, EJ Gallo, Genentech, Hilton, Kaiser Permenente and many more. Peter Lisoskie To be a manager is to orchestrate. To be a coach is to teach. But to be a leader is to inspire the greatness in each of us to express our talents, skills, and abilities for the greater good of the cause. After attending college, he started his first engineering job where he met his most influential mentor Dick Burger who was his first boss. Dick helped him understand the power of inspiring people through communication, empathy, authenticity, and working with others to achieve team results beyond what any individual could achieve. Pete used Dick's teachings to create his own journey and rapidly advanced in working and leading product development divisions in payment transaction, consumer goods, medical, bioscience, and biotech industries. He quickly became known and recruited as the 'turn-around' expert for companies. Pete developed the iLead book and program with his partner Jim Connolly to help inspire others on how to be a great leader. In the book, Pete and Jim share their experience, knowledge, and passion for leadership through stories and viewpoints on the key elements of what he believes it takes to become a transcending leader.