The Leader Habit: Master the Skills You Need to Lead–in Just Minutes a Day – Martin Lanik

“An interesting analysis of the troubling problem of why all those millions spent on executive training and development seem to have such little effect.” – Forbes

“We’ve been going about learning new skills all wrong. Here’s how to design leadership development in a way that will actually work.” – Fast Company

“Lanik’s method works where other training programs fail.” –800-CEO-READ

“What is the formula for being a successful leader? It’s a series of habits. Martin Lanik teaches you just what those habits are in The Leader Habit!”– Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“The Leader Habit’s simple formula makes leadership sticky. A must-read for everyone wishing to build habit-forming leadership programs.” — Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked: Howto Build Habit-Forming Products

“Martin Lanik’s thought leadership has helped transform how we approach leadership development. The secret to success is in building powerful habits so leadership becomes as natural as making your bed or brushing your teeth. I highly recommend this book to everyone and every organization that has invested in leadership development, but has yet to fully realize their potential.” — Julia Smith, Head of People Excellence at AIG

“Thought-provoking, insightful, and practical! Few books become essential manuals for developing leaders. The Leader Habit is one of those books. Martin Lanik gives you the daily exercises that turn effective leadership behaviors into ingrained habits. Forget classes–this is the cutting-edge approach for every modern corporation willing to invest in their future.” — Kathy Flynn, Vice President of Human Resources at CenturyLink

“We are what we practice the most. Leaders are no exception, and they need to take this rule to heart if they are going to connect with their employees. A refreshing approach to leadership development that finally hits the bull’s-eye on what needs to be done to make leaders more effective.” –Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer and Principal HCM Analyst at Brandon Hall Group

“Leadership is about doing. This book will help you develop two key features of ‘doing’–skills and habits. Five minutes of daily practice with anyone of 22 core leadership skills can lead to a lifetime of effective leadership habits. The ROI is immediate.” — Wayne Cascio, Ph.D.,Distinguished Professor at The Business School, University of Colorado Denver

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In leadership as in life, only practice makes perfect.

Habits are powerful. They can lock us into negative behaviors (like snacking and smoking) or train us to act automatically in ways that benefit us (such as putting on a seat belt). Routines quietly undergird large portions of what we do and how we function.

Habit formation can speed success in the workplace as well—even in complex areas like leadership. The Leader Habit spotlights 22 essential leadership abilities, breaking them down into a series of small, learnable behaviors. The accompanying 5-minute exercises help you practice each of these new skills until they stick.

Drawn from a study of hundreds of leaders across the globe, the book’s simple formula focuses on developing one skill at a time: sell the vision, delegate well, innovate often, empower others, overcome resistance, build strategic relationships, focus on customers, listen actively, negotiate effectively, and more.

Many of us aspire to great leadership . . . consuming books and training. But unless you intentionally reinforce the right behaviors, results are fleeting. This eye-opening and original book builds the “muscle memory” to turn leadership skills into lasting habits.