We are not leaders having a leadership crisis. We are leaders having a human being crisis. Connection is the antidote to this crisis—yet, many of us do not know how to connect to ourselves in a rigorously honest, self-compassionate way that enhances self-discovery and leads to creating healthy relationships with others. Without this self-connection, we cannot connect—in a meaningful way—to a higher purpose or engage with others in ways that help them step into their gifts. With the help of Karen Hardwick’s connection architecture, we can create the kind of relationships that are transforming and inspiring. By learning how to show up with her seven attributes of connection, we can empower workplaces and relationships through the grace and grit, resilience and empathy, honesty and authenticity that occurs when our connection-wiring is activated in healthy ways. Hardwick’s willingness to share her own stories of struggle and triumph—along with anecdotes from the boardroom to the family room—draws us into the pages of this book and helps us to awaken and courageously lead. She uniquely synthesizes the emotional, spiritual, and relational, giving us permission to look at the ways we do damage to ourselves and others while inviting us to live and lead from a place of true well-being, tapped into our purpose, and lifting up others. “Hardwick’s inspiring message is there’s a more fully human way to lead rooted in emotional, spiritual, and relational wholeness. Connected leadership is the way of the future. Highly recommended!” —Ian Morgan Cron, author, The Road Back to You

Previous books of the Leadership Horizon Series showed unequivocally how both leaders and followers play an equally important part in the co-production of leadership outcomes, and how leader and follower identities are fluid, so that the same individual can enact both at different times. This book stretches the notion of leadership a step further by exploring the co-enactment of both roles, identities, and positions of leader and follower by one same individual. This individual is defined as a connecting leader, as in this co-enactment he/she functions as connector between different leadership relationships. The concept of connecting leader emerges from the observation that most individuals in organizations engage in the leader-follower role co-enactment: managers, pulled between executives and reportees; CEOs, between the board and the head of departments; or employees involved in cross functional teams, leading and following in different degrees, subject to their expertise. Yet, despite its pervasiveness this concept is at best under theorized by the literature, which, dominated by dyadic and romanticized views, mostly presents the roles as enacted by separate individuals facing each other. To advance our understanding of connecting leaders the editor proposes to shift our focus on leadership in three ways: to unpack the interconnectedness and interplay of leader and follower identities; to investigate the tensions arising from the co-enactment and how these can be overcome; to widen the way in which we study leadership, through new configurations (e.g. leadership triads) and ontologies; and finally to consider the similarities between leading and following. The book chapters are organized to mirror these areas of exploration. Understanding leadership from a perspective that acknowledges that many individuals in organizations are not just leaders or followers, but both, democratizes the way we theorize leadership, and moves us further away from the temptation to romanticize it.

In today's fast-paced world, leaders must do more than just adapt; they need to anticipate the radical shifts happening all around them. Too often, the focus on immediate challenges blinds them to the sweeping changes reshaping their environment. True success demands agility, a keen awareness of evolving stakeholder expectations, and a bold cultural transformation. In this fully updated edition of The Connected Leader Emmanuel Gobillot makes a compelling argument: traditional leadership models are relics of the past. He builds the case for a new kind of leadership that leverages informal social networks to reconnect with what stakeholders truly value. Packed with original international case studies and unique diagnostic tools, The Connected Leader is a treasure trove of insights. Gobillot’s global bestseller is essential reading for professionals aiming to harness the combined power of people and performance to create thriving organisations and drive meaningful change.

Connection is the antidote—yet, many of us don’t know how to connect to ourselves compassionately in order to enhance self-discovery. Without this gift, we cannot connect—in a meaningful way—to a higher purpose or engage with others to ignite inspiration. With the help of Hardwick’s connection architecture, we can transform. By utilizing her strategies of connection, we can empower workplaces and relationships through the grace and grit, resilience and empathy that occur when our connection wiring is activated in healthy ways. Hardwick’s willingness to share her story of struggle and triumph—along with anecdotes from the boardroom and family room—help us to awaken, heal, and courageously lead. She synthesizes the emotional, spiritual, and relational, giving us permission to look honestly at how we do damage to ourselves and others while inviting us to live and lead from a place of true well-being. “The Connected Leader is profoundly important. Karen's written a guide that is at once both practical and actionable while vividly authentic and real. Using her own broken open heart, she shows how each of us is seeking presence and connection and that the best leaders, leading from a connected soul, create the conditions for a lasting sense of belonging.” —Jerry Colonna, author, Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up “Hardwick’s inspiring message is there’s a more fully human way to lead rooted in emotional, spiritual, and relational wholeness. Connected leadership is the way of the future. Highly recommended!” —Ian Morgan Cron, author, The Road Back to You

Traditional working boundaries limit our ability to deliver results. Taking a different approach to leadership theory, this work argues that modern leaders engage with employees and improve performance by building on trust, giving meaning to workplace relationships and by creating dialogue within the organisation.

A new edition of the bestseller that has helped aspiring leaders worldwide advance their careers and step up to larger leadership roles. You aspire to lead with greater impact. The problem is you're busy executing on today's demands. You know you have to carve out time from your "day job" to build your leadership skills, but it’s easy to let immediate problems and old mindsets get in the way. Herminia Ibarra—one of the world's foremost experts on leadership—shows how individuals at all levels can step up to leadership by making small but crucial changes in their jobs, their networks, and themselves. In Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, Ibarra offers advice to: Redefine your job in order to make more strategic contributions Diversify your network so that you connect to, and learn from, a wider range of stakeholders Become more playful with your self-concept, allowing your familiar—and possibly outdated—leadership style to evolve Ibarra turns the usual leadership advice—generate insight about yourself through reflection and analysis of your strengths and weaknesses—on its head by arguing that you must first act and experiment your way into trying new things. The valuable external perspective you gain from direct experiences and experimentation—which Ibarra calls outsight—provides new and critical information on what kind of work is important to you, how you should invest your time, why and which relationships matter, and, ultimately, who you want to become. Updated with new examples and self-assessments, this book gives you the tools to start acting like a leader and advancing your career to the next level.

WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER A Financial Times Book of the Month Back to Human explains how a more socially connected workforce creates greater fulfillment, productivity, and engagement while preventing burnout and turnover. The next generation of leaders must create a workplace where teammates feel genuinely connected, engaged, and empowered -- without relying on technology. Based on Dan Schawbel's exclusive research studies -- featuring the perspectives of over 2,000 managers and employees across different age groups -- Back to Human reveals why virtual communication, though vital and useful, actually contributes to a stronger sense of isolation at work than ever before. How can we change this culture? Schawbel offers a self-assessment called the "Work Connectivity Index" that measures the strength of team relationships. He also shares exercises, examples, and activities that readers can work on individually or as a team, which will help them increase personal productivity, be more collaborative, and become more fulfilled at work. Back to Human ultimately helps you decide when and how to use technology to build better connections in your work life. It is a call to action to leaders across the world to make the workplace a better experience for all of us.