Several months ago I had the pleasure of meeting the author of this month’s book at a presentation she was giving. It only took me a few minutes meeting with her prior to her presentation to know she was the real deal. Cy Wakeman’s book, "Reality-Based Leadership" - Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, and Turn Excuses Into Results is a bit of a wake-up call for organizations and individuals who are struggling with what real leadership is and should be to succeed in today’s global economy.

My favorite chapter in the book is titled Lead “First, Manage Second” because I believe it does a very good job of delineating the difference between leading and managing. In keeping with the theme of generational diversity, I can recount many situations involving multiple generations where the leader was really managing when they should be leading. In some cases, the leader was the only one not aware of the mismatch! I especially like the author’s Six Principles for Leading First, Managing Second. They are:

1. Resist the Urge to Add More Value
2. Coach the Person in Front of You
3. Work on Confidence First, and Competence will follow
4. Forget Logistics and Focus instead on Hearts and Minds
5. Allow People to move fully in their Roles
6. Disregard any and all attempts at Emotional Blackmail

Enjoy the Book!