Diana Jones - Leadership Material: How Personal Experience Shapes Executive Presence

Praise for Leadership Material

Diana Jones enables you to create a presence wherein others follow you without being asked, people support you with being influenced, and repute is manifest without being forced. Leadership Material is a tour de force for building and sustaining personal impact.

Alan Weiss, Ph.D., author of Million Dollar Consulting, Million Dollar Maverick, and over sixty other books

A deep dive into what great leadership means today! If you need to improve your effectiveness and influence at work, you can be confident that Diana Jones challenging questions and sage advice work. Everything you need to know to become an exceptional leader is right here!

Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D., Thinkers50 number-one leadership thinker worldwide

In these chaotic and disruptive times much is said about leadership. Leadership in a successful organization is shared; it is not only the ultimate decision makers that need to lead in this fast-changing world, it is multiple layers in an organization. Never before has true and authentic leadership more important. Leadership is about people, experience, and relationships. Dianas book Leadership Material captures the simplicity of that well.

Steve Tew, CEO, New Zealand Rugby

Diana Jones understands that a leader is not just what they do but also who they are when they do it. Presence is an ephemeral concept. Diana is giving it form.

Matt Church, founder Thought Leaders Global

This insightful book turns leadership on its head and questions long-held assumptions. A refreshing perspective on contemporary teams and relationships, with novel practical strategies for more effective communication.

Jenine Beekhuyzen, Ph.D., author and futurist; Founder & CEO, Tech Girls Movement

Dianas is a rare voice in the world of organizational leadership. Her approach, honed through decades of working with senior leaders in both government and business, is completely refreshing. Powerful leadership is highly personal, and it requires not only that we front up as we are but also that we are willing to share our insights, even our vulnerabilities. This is book is a must-read for any leader who understands that their most powerful organizational tools are the interpersonal relationships and interactions they promote and support.

Franceska Banga, Order of New Zealand Merit, professional company director; former CEO, New Zealand Venture Investment Fund

Diana speaks a new language of leadership that is motivational. Leadership Material gets to the heart of people working together effectively and achieving results through brave conversations.

Jane MacGeorge, manager, Nursing and Professional Services, New Zealand Nurses Organization

This is the book all leaders should read. Diana captures what leadership development is aboutthat each of us has things to learn as we navigate multiple drivers in complex situations. We are the ones responsible for being calm in crises, communicating the real picture, and staying in productive relationship with people. These are not techniques. Dianas findings that these capacities come to the fore when we integrate our personal, practical, and professional experiences describe precisely what I learned. I wish Id had this book when I was a CEO.

Dr. Maris ORourke, former Secretary for Education for New Zealand; former director of education for the World Bank, published poet and writer

In these volatile times, true leadership is one of the most critical factors to create profitable growth in companies, since true leaders can help their company grow regardless of the economic environment. Too many books on leadership remain at a superficial level. In her book, Diana gets some levels deeper. She takes the reader on a multidimensional journey to reflect on and to create executive presence, a prerequisite for being a real leader.

Prof. Dr. Guido Quelle, managing partner, Mandat Consulting Group (Mandat GmbH); author of Profitable Growth and fourteen other books; first European member of the Million Dollar Consulting Hall of Fame

What resonates with me about Leadership Material is its central element that effective leaders blend their personal experiences with their professional identity. I know that too often this aspect is underdone in our leadership teams. In my experience this is essential to being an authentic leader that people want to follow. The solid analysis, insights, stories, and the practice steps at the end of each chapter help leaders draw the insights that they need to build their own effectiveness.

Geoff Dangerfield, former CEO of New Zealand Transport Agency, independent director and consultant

Creating a more powerful and influential executive presence is the differentiator for the most powerful leaders in the world, and Dianas book comes at the perfect timewhen we are exhausted by the old paradigms of leadership and anticipate and welcome a more thoughtful, socially intelligent leader to take our organizations to new horizons.

Libby Wagner, adviser to global CEOs, author of the Amazon best seller The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business

A must-read for any leader of peopleyour life and their lives will benefit from Dianas approach.

Kevin Tso, CEO, Victim Support New Zealand

Diana coached me as I was preparing to assume a senior executive role in the Government of Canada. I saw immediate results in my ability to maintain companionable relationships in conflict situations. Her book reflects her coaching approach. I recommend Dianas book to executives who want to be highly productive through inspiring relationships. The examples she provides in each chapter illustrate common behaviors we see at the executive table that we can all learn from.

Karen Robertson, executive, Government of Canada

This is a terrific book that goes right to the heart of effective leadership. Diana takes the reader on a journey into the childhood sources of unproductive adult behavior and presents developmental strategies that can be transformative for leaders. Its been a long time since I have read a book that so clearly and persuasively links personal and organizational leadership. This is a developmental gem that is highly relevant to leaders and those that support them, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Pete Cammock, Ph.D., adjunct senior fellow, and former director of executive education, University of Canterbury; director of the Leadership Lab; author of The Dance of Leadership and The Spirit of Leadership

Executive presence is usually seen as the aura or charisma that a leader projects in his or her workplace. Diana Jones has taken that idea and turned it inside outand we are all for the better because of it. This book shows us that executive presence is not something you show but something you reflect by aligning your mind, heart, and guts. This is a powerful finding. As an organizational psychologist working with Fortune 500 business leaders, executive presence is one of the most frequent discussions I have with leaders. Dianas Leadership Material will help many of my clients be more successful in their roles.

Richard Citrin, Ph.D., M.B.A., founder of Citrin Consulting, author of The Resilience Advantage

Diana Jones hits the nail of challenges and opportunity for leadership on its head. Her new book tackles hard topics that can be uncomfortable to deal with but are game changers for any professional looking to optimize their influence and accelerate their success.

Karen Post, international branding expert, author of