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Business Book Review


We Select and Review Only the
Best Business Books You Should Read.

Volume 23, Number 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Leading at a
Higher Level
Blanchard on Leadership and Creating
High-Performance Organizations

Ken Blanchard
2007 by Blanchard Management Corporation
Adapted by permission of Financial Times Prentice Hall
ISBN: 0-13-144390-9

Reviewed by Susan Williams

Introduction
Leaders in any realm of life can become self-serving when the driving reason for being in business is based solely on
profit. While profit is a legitimate goal, neglecting to see leadership as part of a higher calling diminishes the capacity
to influence others and impact the greater good.
Leading at a Higher Level examines the concept of leading with a higher purpose, which requires a compelling
vision and a philosophy that the development of people is equally important to that of performance. Author Ken Blanchard
challenges readers to lead by asking themselves who they are, what they stand for, and how they can take the initiative
even if they dont have position power.

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Leading at a Higher Level

PART I: SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE RIGHT TARGET


AND VISION

If you dont take care of your customers, somebody


else will.
Today the buyer, not the seller, is sitting in the drivers
seat. Competition is fierce. And people realize that their
organizations will go no where without the loyalty and
commitment of their customers.
To keep your customers today, you cant be content
just to satisfy them; you have to create raving fans, says
Blanchard.
Ideally, customers become part of an organizations
sales force. When a companys service far exceeds that of
its competition, it creates raving fans who spread the good
word and help generate further growth. Those companies
that can provide customers with a superior experience are
those that can attract the most competent employees. In
order to be motivated to serve others, employees must feel
that what they do is valued and rewarded. They must be
empowered to make decisions and develop their skills,
see opportunities for advancement, and believe they are
making a difference. Employees who are treated poorly
are unlikely to treat customers well. Because organizations
are evaluated on how quickly they can respond to customer
needs and problems, their employees must be motivated
within an organizational structure that allows them to be
their very best.
High-performing organizations, referred to in this
book as HPOs, continue over time to produce outstanding
results with the highest level of human satisfaction and
commitment to success.
According to Blanchard, SCORES is an acronym that
represents six elements evident in every high-performing
organization. A high-performing company SCORES,
meaning that it hits its target consistently. SCORES stands
for:
S = Shared information and open communications
C = Compelling vision
O = Ongoing learning
R = Relentless focus on customer results
E = Energizing systems and structures
S = Shared power and high involvement
Shared information and open communication
is needed in high-performing organizations to enable

Ken Blanchard

Key Concepts
Organizations that lead at a higher level do
four things well:

They set their sights on the right target and


vision. Everyones energy should be focused
on three bottom lines: being the provider of
choice, the employer of choice, and the
investment of choice.

They treat their customers right. This means


they produce legendary service, raving fans,
and customer mania. Customers are the
reason organizations exist.

They treat their people right. Leaders who


empower people to do what it takes to satisfy
customers get results. Leadership in
action builds a partnership built on trust, open
communication, and a sense of community at
all levels of an organization.

They have the right kind of leadership.


Effective leadership is servant leadership, not
based on pride or fear, but one thats grounded
in humility and focused on the greater good.

Whether at work, home, or in the community,


everyone can lead at a higher level.
*
*
*
Information about the author and subject:
www.LeadingAtaHigherLevel.com
Information about this book and other business titles:
www.ft-ph.com
Related summaries in the BBR Library:
Authentic Leadership
By: Bill George
A Journey into the Heroic Environment
By: Robert Lebow
The Enthusiastic Employee
By: David Sirota, Louis A. Mischkind,
and Michael Irwin Meltzer

informed decisions and facilitate free-flowing dialogue.


The result is trust, which encourages individuals to act like
owners of the organization.
A compelling vision answers the question, whats the
point? This vision should include purpose and a picture
of the future. It should also help to create a deliberate and

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 2

Leading at a Higher Level

Ken Blanchard

focused culture to drive business results toward a greater


Leaders who know where they are going and can
good. Employees must be able to describe the vision and
instill vision throughout the organization most often have
then clearly see their role in supporting it.
the highest performing teams. Without a shared vision,
Ongoing learning in high-performing organizations
people tend to muddle through with multiple priorities,
builds knowledge. When both organizational and
make false starts, and waste energy. With a clear vision
individual learning take place, businesses can improve
in place throughout the organization, the answer to whats
their capabilities and use that knowledge to gain a
next? becomes clear. Vision encourages a proactive
competitive edge.
rather than a reactive stance.
High-performing
A relentless focus on customer results not only
organizations are often those with a strong culture, and
means knowing who the customer is, but taking the time
shape how things are done around here. A compelling
to measure results. Feedback needs to come from the
vision can create a strong and focused organizational
viewpoint and perspective of the customer.
culture.
Energizing systems and structures provide
For example, Lou Gerstner, who took the helm of IBM
the foundation for rapid response to obstacles and
in 1995, recognized the importance of a vision. He found
opportunities. These systems and structures should be
that IBMs strength would be in integrated systems, which
aligned to support the organizations vision, and make it
was to be part of a new phase of industry growth and a shared
easier for people to do their jobs.
vision. As a result, IBM began a series of acquisitions
Shared power and high involvement across and
resulting in growth at more than 20 percent per year.
throughout and organization
maintain healthy collaboration Leading at a higher level...is the process of achieving worthwhile
and team work. When people results while acting with respect, care, and fairness for the wellfeel valued and respected for their being of all involved.
contributions, they will be able
Various departments within organizations often
to use their sense of personal and collective power to
create a shared vision and then help by communicating it
achieve organizational goals.
to others. Vision works for any team, no matter what level
it is in an organization. To be inspiring and long lasting, a
strong vision must contain:
About the Author
significant purpose
Ken Blanchard is a sought-after author, speaker,
a picture of the future, and
and business consultant. His bestseller, The
clear values.
One Minute Manager, co-authored with Spencer
Significant purpose is an organizations reason for
Johnson, has sold 13,000,000 copies. He is Chief
existence. For example, Walt Disney had a clear purpose
Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies,
for his amusement parks, which was to provide happiness.
an international management training and
Being in the happiness business helped all members of the
consulting firm he co-founded in 1979 with his wife,
organization understand their main role in the company.
Dr. Marjorie Blanchard.
This understanding continues to inspire excitement and
Blanchard has been inducted into the Amazon
commitment.
Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling
A picture of the future is the second element of a
authors of all time. He is also a visiting lecturer at
compelling vision, and needs to be a clear image in the
his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a
minds of everyone. Mental imagery cannot be vague or
trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees. Along
abstract. In the case of Disney, its picture of the future was
with his wife, he teaches a course in leadership
expressed in the directive to each employee to keep the
for the Master of Science in Executive Leadership
same smile on peoples faces when they leave the park as
program at the University of San Diego.
when they entered. The mental picture should focus on the
end result rather than on the process of getting there.
Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Leading at a Higher Level

Ken Blanchard

Having clear values is the third element of a


compelling vision. Clear values specifically define
leadership and the way employees act on a daily basis in
their pursuit of purpose and picture of the future.
At Johnson & Johnson, the purpose of the business is
in alleviating pain and disease. Using these values helped
the company in a time of crisis when it decided to recall all
Tylenol capsules throughout the United States after the 1982
tampering incident. The company had to face substantial

Discover what your customers want, and


Deliver your ideal customer service experience.
Before deciding what customer experiences should
look like, its helpful to understand what customers
really want. It is important to be able to visualize an
experience, just as an athlete might before breaking a
world record. A clear mental image of their best potential
performance will give organizations the power to provide
the best customer experience. It is important to realize
that everyone has a customer.
...leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people
An external customer is
dont know where you are going, your leadership doesnt matter.
some one outside of the
organization who is provided a
costs, but did not want to risk anyones safety. The recall, in
service. Internal customers may be people within an
the end, demonstrated clear values and the company made
organization who may or may not serve external customers.
long-term gains in reputation and profitability.
For example, those who work in human resources have
Blanchard asserts that the process of creating the
mainly internal customers, while those in an accounting
vision is as important as what the vision says.
department will have both internal and external customers
This process should include more than just top
as they send invoices out and provide reports internally.
management. Others need to have the opportunity
After deciding what a customer experience will look
to provide input. Organizations must also remember
like, organizations must discover what is required to give
that visioning is an ongoing process which needs to be
customers what they want. The best way to discover this
communicated and referred to constantly. Creating and
information is to ask. Finding creative ways to invite
maintaining a vision is one of the most critical roles of a
answers will simplify discovering what customers are
successful leader.
thinking. When organizations really listen to customers,
then they are more likely to be able to adapt their practices
PART II: TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT
accordingly.
In high-performing organizations, everything starts
Delivering the ideal customer service experience
and stops with the customer.
must excite an organizations employees. Delivering a
Organizations with legendary customer service are
good customer experience means ensuring that people
rare, but in high-performing organizations, everything
throughout an organization act and feel like owners of the
begins and ends with the customer. Good service not only
vision. Once this happens, leaders can encourage frontline
impresses customers, but can help companies anticipate
employees responsible for customer contact people to do
trends and create constant innovation in operating
whats necessary to create raving fans.
practices, market strategies, products, and services.
One example of how an organization creates a raving
Leaders of customer-focused organizations get in touch
fan is found at Nordstrom, where a man went to purchase
not only with devoted customers, but also those who may
some perfume for his wife. The woman behind the counter
be frustrated, angry, or those who are not yet buying the
said she was sorry because they didnt sell that particular
companys products and services. When leaders can work
perfume but knew of a place in the mall where she could
with those people they serve, they will be able to instill
get it for him. She asked the customer how long he would
rapid responses and flexibility to changing conditions.
be in the store and then offered to go buy the perfume,
According to Blanchard, there are three secrets to
and gift-wrap it for him. She did so, and charged him the
providing customers with great service and turning them
same price she paid at the other store. While Nordstrom
into raving fans:
didnt make any money on this transaction, it did create a
Decide what you want your customer experience to
raving fan. This case is an example of permitting people to
be,
Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Leading at a Higher Level

Ken Blanchard

soar like eagles and do whats necessary for a customer


training in team skills and leadership, workers can become
to be happy.
enthusiastic and have an entirely new sense of purpose.
Exceeding customer expectations produces raving
Continuous learning should focus on developing people
fans, who then, in turn, are
Listening to customers, fitting their needs into your framework,
inspired to tell positive stories
and then consistently improving your level of service will turn your
about their experience with the
customers into raving fans.
organization. In order to help
people serve at a higher level,
and teams which will, for the most part, improve morale
everyone in an organization must be focused on making
and increase productivity.
customers their first priority.
From an unexpected source team members emerges
PART III: TREAT YOUR PEOPLE RIGHT

Companies having a work force that is excited about


their vision and motivated to serve customers at a higher
level are usually those who beat the competition day in
and day out. The key to encouraging this motivation is
empowerment. When people are empowered, they can
use their knowledge, experience, and motivation to create
positive results.
According to Blanchard, those organizations that work
best are those that can depend on individual contributors
who take the initiative to go beyond problem spotting
to problem solving. Empowerment unleashes the power
in people and focuses that power to achieve positive
outcomes.
...an empowerment culture requires much greater
accountability from direct reports than a hierarchical
culture does, says Blanchard. Yet, it is precisely this
frightening increase in responsibility that engages people
and gives them a sense of fulfillment.
The distinction between a hierarchical culture and one
of empowerment is that typically, individuals will do what
theyre told. Even though they know a task is not being
done in the right way, these individuals may continue to do
it, but not happily. This is because they are rewarded for
compliance under hierarchical management. In a culture
of empowerment, people take the risk of challenging those
tasks they feel are not in the best interest of the organization.
They are driven by a sense of pride in their jobs and a
feeling of ownership of the results. Empowered individuals
think about what makes sense in a situation and then act in
ways that serve the customer and, at the same time, achieve
organizational goals.
Leadership can move an organization to a higher level
through the power of self-directed teams. With tailored

leadership. Empowerment comes when people at all


levels of an organization master new skills and learn to
trust self-directed individuals and teams as decision
makers.
Companies today are relying on empowered
individuals to get the job done. No longer can bosses afford
to play the traditional role of telling people what, when, and
how to do everything.
If the key role of situational leaders is to become
partners with their people, the new role of people is to
become partners with their leaders. This is what self
leadership is all about, says Blanchard.
Unless the individual learns, the organization cannot.
While self leaders need to take action and be responsible
for their own learning, they still need educational activities
to be integrated into everyones work that supports the
companys strategic direction. Learning can be fostered
in many ways, from encouraging employees to attend
training classes, to doing cross-functional work on real
applications.
Self leadership maintains that everyone has points of
power, such as position power, personal power, task power,
relationship power, and knowledge power.
Position power is inherent in the authority of an
individuals position. A business card title, for example
may indicated that a person has the power to manage people
and command resources.
Personal power comes from characteristics such as
passion, inspiration, wisdom, strong interpersonal skills,
and the ability to be persuasive.
Task power comes from a particular job where people
can help others with a procedure or minimize delay for
others to accomplish a task.

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Leading at a Higher Level

Ken Blanchard

Relationship power relates to the association with


others. Those with position, personal, task, or knowledge
power are likely to have relationship power.
Knowledge power (bold those two words) means
having special skills and expertise. Some people who
have certain degrees or other specialized training can often
claim to have knowledge power.
People aware of which points of power they have can
expand on them and ask people to help them learn as they
collaborate for success.

they pass through a series of developmental stages: 1)


orientation 2) dissatisfaction 3) integration 4) production
5) termination.
The ability to determine a teams stage of development
means looking at the group as a whole, rather than focusing
on individual behaviors or needs.
In the orientation stage of team development, group
members depend highly on the leadership figure for
purpose and direction. The challenge is to start off building
a strong team based on relationships and trust. The next
team
development
stage,
Empowerment is the creation of an organizational climate that
releases the knowledge, experience, and motivation that reside in dissatisfaction, comes once
feelings of questioning, doubt, and
people.
frustration emerge. The risk of
The best way to improve peoples performance is to
letting dissatisfaction go on too long is a demoralized and
provide useful feedback. Using a formal and informal
unproductive group. Moderate productivity and improved
performance management system can help people and their
morale characterize a team at the integration stage of
managers play a role in determining how things get done
development. Tasks are accomplished and technical skills
to achieve a common goal.
increase, which improve morale. At this stage, there is a
The number one motivator of people is feedback on
willingness to share leadership and control. The challenge,
results, says Blanchard.
however, is to get past the tendency to agree in order to avoid
To focus on what is important, leaders should focus on
conflict. At the production stage of team development,
S.M.A.R.T. goals:
there is a sense of pride in being part of a high-performing
Specific and measurable
team. There is a clear purpose; standards are high, and
Motivating
team members are committed to continuous improvement.
Attainable
As the end of a team experience draws near, people face
Relevant
the termination stage of team development. Usually, this
Trackable and time bound
stage is not reached unless a drastic reorganization takes
Managers who use the components of this acronym use
place. Termination will occur, however, in ad-hoc or
goal setting as ongoing, knowing that good performance is
temporary task forces and closure needs to be managed
not a destination, but a journey.
appropriately. This closure needs to include recognition
Relationships are also an important part of building
and celebration to maintain the necessary productivity
effective teams. According to Blanchard, teams have the
and morale.
flexibility and resources to respond quickly to changes and
Managers with experience at situational leadership are
new needs that have become commonplace today. Success
those best qualified to be effective at the organizational
comes from using the collective knowledge of diverse
level, where they must oversee a number of teams,
perspectives. And, effective teams have a clear purpose and
departments, and divisions. Organizational leadership is
the benefits of shared leadership. Leaders can help teams
about leading change. Change is necessary when there is
realize their potential at all levels of group skills.
a discrepancy between what is happening now and what
Team leadership is more complicated than one-onneeds to be happening. To increase the probability of
one leadership. Team members must not only develop
success when initiating, implementing, and sustaining
a learning attitude, but must also build a trust-based
change, leaders need to be proactive. Leading change
environment. Cooperation between team members and
proactively can minimize the amount of time it takes
the sharing of information, skills, and ideas can build
to achieve desired performance, and improve an
an effective trust-based environment. As teams grow,
organizations capacity to initiate, implement, and sustain
Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Leading at a Higher Level

these changes. When change takes place in an organization,


there is an initial drop in performance. Effective change
leaders recognize this and can minimize what happens
when large numbers of people learn new behaviors at the
same time.
Leaders must diagnose the predictable and sequential
stages of concern that people experience during change. A
U.S. Department of Education study originally conducted
by Gene Hall and his colleagues at the University of
Texas, suggests that those faced with change express six
sequential concerns:
1) Information concerns
2) Personal concerns
3) Implementation concerns
4) Impact concerns
5) Collaboration concerns
6) Refinement concerns

Ken Blanchard

results achieved. At this point, leaders can lose or build


credibility for future change initiatives.
Those focused on coordination and cooperation with
others have collaboration concerns. Because theyre
convinced that change will make a difference, they want
everyone on board, especially early adopters, who can be
encouraging and influential.
A focus on continuous improvement characterizes
people with refinement concerns. They ask questions
about what can be improved upon their initial ideas.
This stage offers new opportunities for organizational
improvement.
Leaders who can diagnose peoples stages of concern
can smooth organizational changes with the flexibility
to resolve situations at each level of the change process.
The leadership styles required differ when applied to
organizations rather than to self, individuals, or team,
and still fall into varying combinations of directive and
supportive behavior. Directive behavior for organizational
change focuses on performance and on making the change

People with information concerns need the same


information used by those who made the decision to
change. Solid information
must be shared with people, An organization filled with self leaders is an organization with an
so they see what the leaders engaged workforce.
see. A leadership team can
answer these concerns by clear communication of the facts
happen. This behavior includes explaining why the change
with supporting data. People with personal concerns may
is being made to inform people where the organization is
feel that their existing organizational commitments are
headed and where they fit into the plan. Directive behaviors
threatened with change. Leaders must permit people to
help to define and prioritize required changes. Supportive
express their personal concerns openly, without having to
behavior for organizational change facilitates the change
worry about evaluation, judgment, or retribution. The act
process by encouraging people to work together. These
of listening and addressing individual needs and fears can
behaviors also ensure that peoples concerns are heard.
reduce resistance to change. People may be concerned about
Change leaders demonstrating supportive behavior are
loss of status, control, time, order, resources, co-workers,
extremely involved in the process, share information
competency, or prestige. Once people feel that their personal
across the organization, ask for input, and celebrate small
concerns have been heard, they can focus on the actual
successes with recognition.
implementation of change.
Once teams reach the destination of the change, there is
People with implementation concerns are focused
less of a need for directive or supportive behaviors because
on the details involved in making the change. They may
team members and leaders are already functioning as a
want answers to questions about technical solutions to
collaborative unit.
problems that may arise, or assurance that the organizations
According to Blanchard, there are eight change
infrastructure will support the change.
leadership strategies that integrate with the six stages of
People with impact concerns are focused on the
concern.
relevance and payoff of the change. At this stage, people
The first change leadership strategy is to expand
might sell themselves on the benefits of change based on
opportunities for involvement and influence, which is the
best way to initiate, implement, and sustain change. This
Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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Leading at a Higher Level

strategy is critical in order to secure the buy-in needed from


those responsible for making the change.
The second leadership strategy addresses information
concerns. It means leaders who can explain a rational
reason for the change will then help people understand why
the status quo is no longer a viable option.
Leadership strategy three focuses on information and
personal concerns. Leaders must create an inspiring and
compelling vision that gets people excited about the future
and unleashes their power and potential. As mentioned
earlier, if people are involved in the process of developing
a vision, then they are more likely to move with the change
as it happens.
Leadership strategy four encourages engaging others in
planning and experimenting, thereby addressing personal
and implementation concerns. This strategy is designed
to ensure alignment and collaborative effort as part of
organizational change. The importance of teamwork

Ken Blanchard

This may mean altering the existing culture by reexamining the organizations values.
The eighth change leadership strategy involves people
in exploring possibilities and options. Simply by having
options, people will feel they have choices and can
influence change.
PART IV: HAVE THE RIGHT KIND OF LEADERSHIP

Leading at a higher level requires being what is called a


servant leader. Servant leaders believe their role is to help
people achieve their goals. They want to make a difference
in the lives of their people and they want to impact the
organization. Servant leaders have the ability to create a
motivating environment where their people become excited
about serving. Servant leadership is not about them, but
rather, who they are serving.
For leaders to develop their serving qualities, they
must be motivated by serving others rather than on selfserving actions. Servant leaders
Partnering for performance...creates a structure in which people
want feedback from their people
can ask their managers for the leadership style they need, and in and will use it to develop others, and
the process, create the kind of give-and-take between leader and see that leadership emerges every
follower that produces amazing results.
where. Those surrounding a servant
leader should become wiser, more
figures significantly here and often means expanding the
autonomous, healthier, and better able to become servant
change leadership team to include day-to-day leaders and
leaders themselves.
those who can formally authorize change.
What all too often gets in the way of servant leadership
The fifth leadership strategy enables and encourages
is the ego. Ego has much to do with false pride as well as
people throughout the organization to support the change,
self-doubt or fear. There are ways, however, to get past the
develop new skills, and commit more deeply to the
self-serving traits of the ego. The antidote for false pride
organization. This strategy requires addressing peoples
is humility, which is the capacity to realize that leadership
information and personal concerns prior to training. And
is not about the leader; its about the people and what they
then when training begins, sessions should be used as
need.
opportunities to gather input.
Humility tames your judgmental nature and
Leadership strategy six is to execute and endorse. This
motivates
you to reach out to support and encourage
means leaders create conditions for accountability and early
others, says Blanchard. Thats where your power comes
results. Leaders must model the behaviors that change
from.
requires, and measure and praise progress. This strategy
The antidote for fear and self doubt is love, and loving
also means maintaining clear direction while holding
unconditionally,
even if its impossible to control enough,
people accountable for performance.
sell enough, or have a high-enough position to get more
The seventh change leadership strategy is to embed and
love. According to Blanchard, great leaders SERVE. This
extend the desired change to produce sustainable results.
acronym summarizes what that means:
Leaders must respect the power of predominating attitudes,
beliefs, and behavior patterns, in other words, its culture.

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 8

Leading at a Higher Level

S for see the future


E for engage and develop people
R for reinvent continuously
V for value results and relationships
E for embody the values
As people today are searching for deeper purpose and
meaning, they are also looking for principles that actually
works, and servant leadership works. Being a servant
leader is not just a technique, however; it is a way of life,
a mandate. Servant leadership provides better service,
creates a high-performing organization, and brings more
success and significance. Instead of generating wealth,
they can give their time and support, service, and love to
others. By focusing on significance first, the emphasis will
be on people, and this is what leading at a higher level is
all about.
*
* *
A chapter-by-chapter summary and a bibliography
are provided.

Remarks
Everyone can lead at a higher level. It doesnt matter
whether its at work, home, or in the community. The
information in this book is universally important and
encourages readers to lead at this higher level. Delving
into employee-manager relationships, Blanchard focuses
on the human side of leading, looking at significance over
success. Creating a high-performing organization is not only
about producing results, but becoming a welcoming haven
for everyone involved: customers, suppliers, employees,
stockholders, and the community.
In his advance praise of Leading at a Higher Level,
Jim Irvine, vice president of human resources, Nissan North
America, says, Leading at a Higher Level translates
decades of research and 25 years of global experience into
simple, practical, and powerful strategies to equip leaders
at every level to build organizations that produce bottomline results.

Ken Blanchard

Reading Suggestions
Reading Time: 12-13 Hours, 376 Pages in Book
At first it may be intimidating to read all of the
acronyms and lists used to explain principles, but theres
no need to take notes. This book can be referred to time
and time again. The scope of Blanchards work and the
detail throughout may make this dense reading, but it is an
excellent reference guide.
This book is divided into four sections which
correspond to the key concepts of leading at a higher
level. The author helps readers pull together his concepts
and apply that knowledge to specific leadership situations.
Some readers may find they have a strong understanding
of the right target and vision, but have an organizational
culture which is not conducive to treating their customers
right. If this is the case, readers should start with section II.
However, those just beginning their journey to becoming
a high-performing organization may want to start with
Section I. After that, its useful to move through the
planned sequence of sections.
Chapter 13 provides readers with help to develop their
own leadership point of view. Reviewing this section and
answering relevant questions should clarify thoughts on
leadership, and position readers so they may teach their
view to others.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Section I:
Set Your Sights on the Right Target and
Vision
Section II:
Treat Your Customers Right
Section III:
Treat Your People Right
Section IV:
Have the Right Kind of Leadership

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

Page 9

Leading at a Higher Level

Ken Blanchard

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ISSN 0741-8132

Business Book Review Vol. 23, No. 46 Copyright 2006 Business Book Review, LLC All Rights Reserved

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