Most of us would recognize a star leader by their charisma, emotional intelligence and public communication prowess. What is truly impressive but often overlooked is the silent work of leadership that garners real results. Exercising influence in a complex and global organization – whilst also shaping and executing strategies across borders in a disruptive age – is the true mark of success as a leader. Backstage Leadership takes a comprehensive look at the background processes that leaders must master in order to shape the culture, direction and capability of a successful company. With an emphasis on strategy, the author provides an integrated toolkit for developing your knowledge and skills as a 'backstage leader.' You will learn how to: Mobilize people towards new strategic directions Scan your business environment for threats and disruptive forces Diagnose and help to shape the culture of your organization Develop talent and capabilities towards a specific goal. Focusing on the key and consistent underlying processes of leadership, this book is essential reading for managers who wish to bring focus and coherence to their leadership role and integrate themselves within the engine of the organization.

In this leadership memoir, take a step backstage at Cirque du Soleil. Vice Chairman Daniel Lamarre shares his experiences leading the awe-inspiring organization, and teaches readers what it takes for anyone, regardless of position or industry, to embrace the value of creative leadership. Without creativity, there is no business. At the core of Cirque du Soleil’s lavish, multi-million-dollar productions is Vice Chairman Daniel Lamarre, who has mastered the ability to bring business and creativity together across multiple languages and cultures in a way that has never been seen before. The secrets he shares in Balancing Acts are rooted in tremendous faith in your own creative skills, even if you are convinced you have none, and those of the sharpest minds within your organization. In this book, Daniel shares the untold stories behind Cirques biggest shows, including Beatles Love, Michael Jackson One, the aquatic marvel, O, and many more. Through these tales of triumph and trials, he will teach you: How to shatter the perceived limitations standing in the way of your ability to think creatively and innovatively; When to step up and when to step back so that your team can create a masterpiece that doesn’t break the bank; How in using the methods Daniel has uncovered, modern companies with entrenched bureaucracies can bring creativity and business together to foster innovation; and How to use creative thinking to lead your organization to new heights. Whether you work for one of the most creative organizations on the planet like Cirque du Soleil, in a stuffy corporate job, or somewhere in between—Balancing Acts is filled with principles that can strengthen and accelerate any business on the planet.

The dangerous work of leading change--somebody has to do it. Will you put yourself on the line? To lead is to live dangerously. It's romantic and exciting to think of leadership as all inspiration, decisive action, and rich rewards, but leading requires taking risks that can jeopardize your career and your personal life. It requires putting yourself on the line, disrupting the status quo, and surfacing hidden conflict. And when people resist and push back, there's a strong temptation to play it safe. Those who choose to lead plunge in, take the risks, and sometimes get burned. But it doesn't have to be that way say renowned leadership experts Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. In Leadership on the Line, they show how it's possible to make a difference without getting "taken out" or pushed aside. They present everyday tools that give equal weight to the dangerous work of leading change and the critical importance of personal survival. Through vivid stories from all walks of life, the authors present straightforward strategies for navigating the perilous straits of leadership. Whether you're a parent or a politician, a CEO or a community activist, this practical book shows how you can exercise leadership and survive and thrive to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

In Sticky Teams, Larry Osborne exposes the hidden roadblocks that all too often sabotage the health and harmony of even the best intentioned ministry teams. Then, with practical and seasoned advice, he shows what it takes to get a leadership board, ministry team, and an entire congregation headed in the same direction.

April 14, 1865. A famous actor pulls a trigger in the presidential balcony, leaps to the stage and escapes, as the president lies fatally wounded. In the panic that follows, forty-six terrified people scatter in and around Ford’s Theater as soldiers take up stations by the doors and the audience surges into the streets chanting, “Burn the place down!” This is the untold story of Lincoln’s assassination: the forty-six stage hands, actors, and theater workers on hand for the bewildering events in the theater that night, and what each of them witnessed in the chaos-streaked hours before John Wilkes Booth was discovered to be the culprit. In Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination, historian Thomas A. Bogar delves into previously unpublished sources to tell the story of Lincoln’s assassination from behind the curtain, and the tale is shocking. Police rounded up and arrested dozens of innocent people, wasting time that allowed the real culprit to get further away. Some closely connected to John Wilkes Booth were not even questioned, while innocent witnesses were relentlessly pursued. Booth was more connected with the production than you might have known—learn how he knew each member of the cast and crew, which was a hotbed of secessionist resentment. Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination also tells the story of what happened to each of these witnesses to history, after the investigation was over—how each one lived their lives after seeing one of America’s greatest presidents shot dead without warning. Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination is an exquisitely detailed look at this famous event from an entirely new angle. It is must reading for anyone fascinated with the saga of Lincoln’s life and the Civil War era.

This book highlights some of the unique challenges that are faced when coaching inside your own organization. In comparison to existing coaching literature, which typically focuses on external coaching, this book provides a toolkit specifically for internal coaches. J. Val Hastings draws on over 20 years’ of experience, in addition to international interviews with current internal coaches in a range of industries, to explore the questions that create the foundation of strong internal coaching practice: •How do you manage potential conflicts of interest as an internal coach? •How do you coach when you have a vested interest in the outcome? •How do you seamlessly change roles as an internal coach? •How do you help leaders understand what coaching is, as well as its value - and yours - to the organization? •How do you coach the system? Important reading for all internal coaches and coaches in training, this book provides a key set of guiding principles and puts practical resources into the hands of the people who need them. “Only a masterful and insightful coach as Val Hastings could put together a book which teaches how to really deal with this scenario. This one is to be studied once, twice… again, again and again.” Juliana de Lacerda Camargo, Master Certified Coach, Partner of R122 and Representative of C4TL in Brazil “Val shares some great insights and ideas on changing the culture of organisations so that colleagues listen more than they fix. Coaching from the Inside makes transformation more accessible for everyone!" Claire Pedrick MCC, Author of Simplifying Coaching “Coaching from the Inside is a masterpiece that reminds leaders that it will bring out the best in individuals, teams, and organizations when developing a coaching culture.” HiRho Y. Park, PhD., DMin., PCC, Vice President for International Relations and Advancement, Huree University, Mongolia J. Val Hastings, MCC, is the founder of Coaching4Today'sLeaders and Coaching4Clergy and has been coaching for over 20 years. A coach trainer, coach, mentor-coach, ICF credential assessor, author, and pastor, Val trains coaches across the globe, partnering with them to create internal coaching programs.

Leadership: Theory, Application, and Skill Development offers an applied introduction to leadership theories and concepts. Bestselling authors Robert N. Lussier and Christopher F. Achua use current, real-world examples and step-by-step behavioral models to help prepare readers for a wide range of leadership situations and challenges. The Seventh Edition equips students with the leadership skills they need to thrive in today′s business world with 23 new cases profiling a diverse group of leaders as well as new coverage of crisis leadership, servant leadership, social impact, and high-performing organizations. This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package.