Manning John - The disciplined leader keeping the focus on what really matters ; 52 concise, powerful lessons

I absolutely recommend this book to leaders in all fields. John Manning and MAP really zero in on the essentials of leadership. You will create and see fantastic results!

David Emmett, Senior Vice President, Conservation International

Mannings easy and concise fifty-two-lesson format will direct any leader to the Vital Few things that will make an enormous difference.

Roland Spongberg, President and CEO, WKS Restaurant Group

Most companies have talented employees, but the successful ones are able to keep everyone focused on the same vision. That vision has to be reiterated by senior management regularly. John Manning has laid out how in a superb way.

Don Johnson, Vice Chairman, former President and CEO, and founder of American Business Bank

As a CEO, ask yourself the following question: How effective is the transmission mechanism for your vision to employees? If you commit to the process in this book, youll soon see the strategic alignment you found so elusive is actually very obtainable.

Joseph Panebianco, President and CEO, AnnieMac Home Mortgage

Whether youre looking for tools that help manage accountability or need your leadership team to tackle tough business challenges, The Disciplined Leader can help you get better results faster!

Chris Hardeman, Vice President of Sales, Act-On Software

Everything is important to owners and executives, but it takes a lot of discipline to put aside the less important things. The Disciplined Leader helps you concentrate on your Vital Few.

Jesus Cardenas Jr. and Jose Cardenas, Senior Vice Presidents, Cardenas Markets

Its all too easy to get lost in the onslaught of information and decisions that characterize a leaders day. John Manning helps you cut through the noise and zero in on the things that are the most vital for you.

Lori Gangemi, CEO, AbilityFirst

Being a great leader requires focus on the things that matter and the discipline to hold yourself accountable. In The Disciplined Leader, John Manning encourages leaders who want to lead their team to greatness and keeps them focused on the Vital Fewthe most important things.

Craig S. Nelson, Chairman, Nelson Family of Companies

The Disciplined Leader provides advice in fifty-two brief chapters that are crisp, clear, and actionable. This book is a must-read for young career-minded high performers as well as seasoned leaders looking for ways to fine-tune their game.

Tim Psomas, Chairman of the Board Emeritus, Psomas

The Disciplined Leader gives the invaluable wisdom that comes from experienceits the go-to tool for a leader at any level.

Steve Distante, CEO, Vanderbilt Financial Group

The Disciplined Leader will become a useful tool for your business, enabling you to identify and prioritize the vital factors that will allow you to manage and grow your business.

Robert Curry, CEO, Alamitos Enterprises (Jiffy Lube franchisee)

Few of us are born leaders. For the great majority it is a constant learning and growing experience. John Manning carefully defines what it takes to be a dynamic leader and offers a pragmatic and effective process to become one. The Disciplined Leader is a must-have for anyone who is serious about being effective and passionate about inspiring others.

Albert J. Zdenek Jr., President and CEO, Traust Sollus Wealth Management, LLC

The Disciplined Leader provides useful tools and techniques to drive accountability and a collective focus on results throughout your organization.

Damon Gersh, President and CEO, Maxons Restorations Inc.

THE DISCIPLINED LEADER

Keeping the Focus on
What Really Matters

Concise, Powerful Lessons

JOHN MANNING

Edited by Katie Roberts

The Disciplined Leader

Copyright 2015 by Management Action Programs, Inc. (MAP)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

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www.bkconnection.com

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First Edition

Hardcover print edition ISBN 978-1-62656-325-4

PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-326-1

IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-327-8

2015-1

Jacket Design: Kirk DouPonce, DogEared Design

To our MAP consultants who help our clients become Disciplined Leaders through purpose, truth, and wisdom.

While theres no perfect leader, youve probably known some pretty good onesand perhaps even a few whove been truly great. If I challenged you to describe what makes great leaders great in a few key words, what would come to your mind? As president of a general management consulting firm called Management Action Programs, Inc. (MAP), I asked our consultants this question, and the word disciplined came up repeatedly.

In doing research for this book, however, I was curious to find out if people knew what a Disciplined Leader was. So I started asking a lot of other people, and this informal research project turned out to be quite an eye-opening exercise. The majority of people couldnt give me a clear answer. Many could readily cite examples of the greatest, most famous leaders. Some rattled off leadership traits, describing their favorite leaders style, as well as a few derogatory trademarks of their not-so-favorite leaders. A few quickly went off on a tangent, talking about the dire need for great leadership, not only in business but in our world. However, in spite of the varied feedback, every person I asked struggled with summarizing in one simple sentence what highly Disciplined Leaders always do to achieve significant results. It became clear this book could be a unique opportunity to define what a Disciplined Leader is and provide insight into becoming one.