Leading The High Energy Culture What The Best Ceos Do To Create An Atmosphere Where Employees Flourish

Praise for Leading the High-Energy Culture “If you're looking for a step-by-step guide on how to become a high-energy leader, you've found it here!” --Tom Croston, Vice President/General Manager of Corporate Shared Services, Gap, Inc. “Whether its business, sports, or even parenting, successful leaders share one thing in common--high energy! David is right; it can be developed. I find it unique for someone to identify the truly key elements of leadership. David has done this in a way that fosters success in these endeavors as well as those of family, church, and community.” --Pat Williams, Senior Vice President, Orlando Magic, and author of Leadership Excellence “Jack Welch identified 'energy' as one of the critical characteristics he looked for in effective leaders but never talked about how they develop it. David Casullo's book provides the road map for how to harness your own energy while energizing those around you. Every leader can increase their effectiveness by implementing the ideas he presents.” --Patrick M. Wright, William J. Conaty GE Professor of Strategic Human Resources in the ILR School (Industrial and Labor Relations), Cornell University Leaders and managers today are experiencing an “energy crisis” resulting from the failure to engage and inspire their people. Yet, a handful of leaders have found an endless supply of energy to fuel their organizations. They're the ones who attract the top talent, the most loyal customers, and the public's imagination. They're leaders like Zappos's Tony Hsieh and the late Steve Jobs, who've built cultures energized at every level to innovate, grow, and succeed. Leading the High-Energy Culture: What the Best CEOs Do to Create an Atmosphere Where Employees Flourish is the handbook to powering this kind of workplace with the energy that your workforce already possesses. A change this big starts at the top. David Casullo, a leadership authority and strategic consultant to businesses large and small, explains the steps for establishing an authentic leadership presence based on your powerful personal truths. Then he shares the secrets for how to communicate your vision in order to create a sense of purpose throughout your organization and beyond, thereby spreading excitement to consumers, investors, and the media. Using his own experience, research, and demonstrated results from the leadership development program that he developed while helping transform Raymour & Flanigan from a small regional company to a billion-dollar furniture retail giant, Casullo outlines the specific steps that let you discover and unlock the latent energy in your team. Casullo organizes these practices into 10 simple principles, each illustrated and reinforced with firsthand client interviews; real-world examples from businesses such as Ford, FedEx, and GE; and thought-provoking interactive exercises. These principles illuminate the path to creating real employee engagement by giving you an actionable model to: Learn what matters to your organization and its people, and align your leadership strategy with these truths Communicate clearly, with purpose and passion, to create a resonant message Find the leaders in your workforce who give your organization a competitive advantage Leading the High-Energy Culture uses methods proven to generate results. Beyond the bottom line, however, it will reignite your own commitment and passion by giving you a fresh perspective on how to become an energized leader of a charged-up organization.

Ask leaders what their biggest challenge is, and they're likely to say: "It's the people part of the job . . . the soft stuff . . . the so-called intangibles." Otherwise Engaged shines a bright light on the cause of this challenge: a fundamental misunderstanding of the true nature of intangibles, like engagement, empowerment, respect. The book focuses on the too-often overlooked first step in any such effort: How to stop doing the things that cause people to dis-engage. Once you gain a better, deeper understanding of the true nature of the intangibles, you'll discover that you already know what to do in order to be more effective in this domain. Through a story told in a light, humorous style, the author helps you discover what the problem is. You'll learn why good faith efforts to promulgate values throughout an organization can be ineffectual and, in some cases, even damaging. In the process, you'll develop a felt need to challenge the assumptions under which you've been working and to become more open to the possibility of considering a different way.

Organizations of all types have been plagued by low productivity and poor engagement of workers. At a time when international competition is strong, and hiring and retaining workers is a challenge, companies need to invest in creating a positive culture if they are to remain economically viable. In "Unleashing Human Energy Through Culture Change" authors Donald Rust and Alan Weinstein recount the story of how General Motors' largest engine plant moved from being on the brink of being shut down, to becoming the top-producing engine plant within the GM organization. Decades later, the plant remains one of the company's most productive facilities. Don Rust's values-fostered growing up on an Upper-Midwest farm-led him to challenge the way workers were treated at the company's Tonawanda, New York, engine plant. As plant manager, he became the change agent who energized both management and workers to partner, leading to positive and profitable culture changes-no small feat given the animosity that existed between managers and union workers. Using Rust's experiences as a benchmark, the authors identify the reasons for poor performance at any organization, not just those in the manufacturing sector: - industrial warfare (employee/management conflict) - industrial depression (employee disengagement) - bully management - overemphasis on short term profits - lack of job security - dull and uninspiring work and working conditions "Unleashing Energy Through Culture Change" is a practical guide to culture change based on a set of three core values: - faith that workers want to be productive - trust between workers and management - respect for all employees The book shows readers how they can bring real, transformational change to their own organizations. "Alan and Don have cut though theory and conjecture to communicate a real-world guide for executives to address the challenges of changing a culture head on. This is a must read for leaders who find themselves handicapped by unproductive culture" -Sam Reese, Chief Executive Officer, Vistage International "Your culture activates your people; your people drive your success. Alan and Don use a real-world manufacturing environment to teach us how to develop and use a positive employee-focused workplace culture to unleash employees' energy, activate their engagement, and amplify their performance. They demonstrate how caring, connection, and communication can change even the toughest workplaces into high-performing successes. This is practical wisdom that will benefit every organization and should be the focus of business leaders everywhere." -Jay Forte, MBA, CPC, ELI-MP, Executive Coach, Author, Consultant and President of The Forte Factor "While the story Rust and Weinstein share is about the auto industry and GM in particular, it's a far more universal story than that. It's a story that shows the very real impact-on people, on productivity, and on profits-of creating a positive workplace culture. It's a story that more leaders need to know." -David Friedman, CEO of High Performing Culture, and author of "Fundamentally Different" and "Culture by Design

Just as the Wright Brothers combined science and practice to finally realize the dream of flight, Ryan and Robert Quinn combine research and personal experience to demonstrate how to reach a psychological state that elevates us and those around us to greater heights of achievement, integrity, openness, and empathy. It's the psychological equivalent of aerodynamic lift, and it is the fundamental state of leadership. This book draws on recent advances in positive psychology and organizational science to describe four questions that, when asked in any situation, will help us experience the fundamental state of leadership. Engaging personal stories illustrate how the Quinns and others have applied these concepts at work, at home, and in the community. --

Discover how healthy buildings, culture, and people lead to high profits Organizations and employees now spend an average of $18,000 per year per employee for health costs, a 61% increase in 10 years. Every indicator projects these costs will double before 2030. This is an unsustainable path. These costs are the tip to an even bigger iceberg, the hidden costs of time out of the office, distraction, disengagement, and turnover. The Healthy Workplace Nudge explains the findings of research on 100 large organizations that have tackled the problems of employee health costs and disengagement in five fresh ways: Well-being leads to health and high performance Wake up to the fact that 95% of traditional wellness programs fail to improve health or lower costs Behavioral economics has become a new powerful tool to nudge healthy behavior Healthy buildings are now cost effective and produce your strongest ROI to improving health Leaders who develop healthy cultures achieve sustainable high performance and employee wellbeing In addition to proving highly effective, these approaches represent a fraction of the cost sunk into traditional wellness and engagement programs. The book explains how to create a workplace that is good for people, releases them to what they do best and enjoy most, and produces great and profitable work. • Find actionable strategies and tactics you can put into use today • Retain happy, productive talent • Cut unnecessary spending and boost your bottom line • Benefit from real-world research and proven practice If you’re a leader who cares about the health and happiness of your employees, a human resource professional, or a professional who develops, designs, builds, or outfits workplace environments to improve employee health and wellbeing, this is one book you’ll want to have on hand.

"As Jack Groppel so aptly explains, the rigor of corporate athletics is often even more demanding than that of professional athletes. In my world, one does not have the luxury of an off-season. . . . This book is a must read for all those striving for the gold."-Arthur M. Blank, CEO and President, The Home Depot "Wow! This is an incredible book. Every person in business should read The Corporate Athlete from cover to cover and apply it every day."-Brian Tracy, author of Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed Today's corporate world is much like the world of professional sports-it is fiercely competitive and mentally and physically demanding, and it requires constant, vigilant training. More than ever, to maintain health, happiness, and career success, executives and employees must become Corporate Athletes. In this book, top business consultant, trainer, and lecturer Jack Groppel shows you how to use the training mentality of elite professional athletes. Based on the latest scientific research, The Corporate Athlete shows corporate competitors how to achieve maximum performance levels-both inside and outside the corporate world. Drawing on the parallels between sports and business, Jack Groppel reveals the integral roles that nutrition, fitness, and self-improvement-mental, physical, and emotional-play in giving Corporate Athletes their winning edge. It's an edge that's crucial if you need to come to a meeting fresh off the plane, pull out all the stops on a big presentation, cut the major deals-and still have the energy to enjoy time with family and friends. This practical and beneficial 21-day program will give you, no matter how overworked you are, the stamina and commitment to develop a world-class career. Learn to: * Have as much energy for your family at 8 p.m. as you have at the office at 8 a.m. * Be on when you need to be on * Respond to change, adversity, and crisis more constructively * Display more positivity and confidence * Eat properly on the road, in the air, and before and during business meetings * Slow down the aging process Take advantage of the same secrets that Dr. Groppel has used to help high-stress professionals-from Olympic athletes and NHL stars to fast-lane executives at major companies like Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Estée Lauder, and Bristol-Myers Squibb-get themselves in fighting shape. Here is the program that will train you to perform at the highest possible levels in both your professional and your family life-because taking optimum care of yourself, mentally and physically, is the best way to take care of business. "Outstanding . . . The Corporate Athlete is a truly comprehensive program to help you achieve both your personal and your professional goals. It will help you take control of your life and effect positive physical, mental, and spiritual change."-Darlene Hamrock, Regional Vice President, Clinique Why do so many top performers call themselves Corporate Athletes? "Today's challenging business climate requires every top executive to be perfectly fit both mentally and physically. The Corporate Athlete is must reading for everyone who wants to manage his or her business, career, or profession effectively while living a balanced life. Buy it-it's a great investment."-Leonard Lauder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. "This is the book to teach you how to perform your job at the highest level possible while maintaining maximal health and happiness."-Jim Courier, French Open champion and former world No. 1 tennis player

Leadership. Creativity. Innovation. When you put it all together, EVERYTHING CONNECTS. The constant cascade of new technologies and social changes is creating a more empowered population. Workforces are increasingly dispersed, demanding of self-expression, and quite possibly disengaged. Within this topsy-turvy context, leaders must spark creativity, drive innovation, and ensure sustainability. What are the remedies? The newest problems of the world find solutions in the oldest and time-less practices such as mindfulness, authenticity, and perseverance—because Everything Connects. Everything Connects is a kaleidoscopic view of the way humans—by being able to think out of the box—have been able to achieve greatness for themselves, their organizations, and the world at large. It is your step-by-step guide for working with yourself and others—for meaningful success. Using real-life practical experiences, serial entrepreneur and thought leader Faisal Hoque teams up with journalist Drake Baer to provide a personal and professional playbook that shows how to: Holistically connect the “when” and “what” with who you are Inspire and lead inside and outside of your organization Generate ideas, grounded decisions, and long-term value Part philosophy, part business, and part history, Everything Connects offers the wisdom of 2,500-year-old Eastern philosophies and the interconnected insights of Leonardo da Vinci. Couple that with Fortune 100 corporate cross pollination for creativity and startup thinking for how to adapt with ease, and you’ll quickly discover that Everything Connects. This isn’t just a quick fix for your next financial quarter; this is how you succeed in the long run. It is a systemization of the best practices of spirituality and entrepreneurship—loaded with knowledge, humor, and humanity.