Kevin Eikenberry - leadership and learning expert, author, speaker
and Chief Potential Officer.
You can learn about him and his products and
services at: http://KevinEikenberry.com and
http://RemarkableLeadershipBook.com
Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that has been helping organizations, teams and individuals reach their potential since 1993. Emphasizing the power of learning, Kevin’s specialties include leadership, teams and teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, training trainers and more.
Kevin’s philosophy in business and in life is that every person and every organization has extraordinary potential. Investments of time, energy, focus and money are required for that potential to be realized. He believes learning is an active, ongoing process, not a passive, one-time event. Learning, work and life should be fun; and if we are doing it right, work (and learning) is play.
Kevin, in your work as a consultant and speaker specialising in leadership development. What would you feel are the top 3 characteristics that the world's best leaders possess.
In my book Remarkable Leadership I identify 13 competencies that I believe
are the package of behaviors and skills that we all work from, so it is hard
for me to pick three specifically. The characteristic that most of don't
think about, but is tremendously valuable is being a continual learner. The
best leaders recognize that great leadership is complex and therefore a
journey. The journey of improvement is a journey of learning. Beyond this
critical habit, I believe that the most successful leaders recognize and
build on their unique strengths. It is our greatest strengths that propel
us towards our potential.
Let's ask you the age old question - leaders, born or made?
Yes! Leaders are born (with our unique set of DNA that gives us the
potential to be great) and made (the skills of leadership are developed,
taught and practiced throughout our lives). If we think great leaders are
born (and it isn't us), then we can easily be cynical about our ability to
lead (after all, we can't be great if we weren't born with "it", right?).
If we think it is all about being made, then we don't recognize the value of
our unique collection of innate skills and abilities.
Your book Remarkable Leadership is a great read. What would you consider to
be your top 5 "must read" recommendations for our readers and why?
It is hard to pick just five books! I've thought about your question for some time though, and I came up with some books that I believe everyone - leaders included - should read.
- The Greatest Miracle in the World - Og Mandino
- Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert Cialdini
- How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
- The Leadership Challenge - Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner
- Something from Tom Peters (take your pick)
- And of course, Remarkable Leadership!
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