Leadership in My Rearview Mirror

With a Foreword by Howard T. Prince II, Director of the Center for Ethical Leadership, The University of Texas at Austin.

Shared inside these pages are the leadership insights of a man who rose from reluctant draftee to decorated Army colonel, helped build the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and now works to develop IBM’s most senior leaders.

Using concise, anecdotal chapters, author Jack Beach reveals what it takes to be a superior leader. He asserts that the primary task of leaders, especially those in senior positions, is the creation of organizational climates characterized by 360 degrees of trust and deep engagement. In service of this principle, he explains the importance of intrinsic motivation, explores the concept of principle-based leadership, introduces tools such as The 5 Trust Vital Signs, and promotes the idea of collective leadership.

Ultimately, leadership is not some set of accumulated skills, but about human development and personal reflection. It is about understanding ourselves and those around us. Being in tune with others requires being in tune with ourselves—and continually examining the frames of reference through which we view the world.

To further guide you along the path to leadership excellence, Jack includes his 19-tenet Personal Leadership Philosophy.

If you aspire to become a leader, want to improve your leadership skills, or simply enjoy good stories, then this book is for you. Its reflections and observations will change your view forever.

Contents
INTRODUCTION: Title Fight

PART I: The Reflective Leader: Leadership and Other Things I Learned Along the Way
Chapter 1: Out of Control
Chapter 2: The Face in the Mirror
Chapter 3: The Cost of Leadership
Chapter 4: Values: It's All in the Feet
Chapter 5: Leader of Rebels
Chapter 6: Trusting the Untrustworthy
Chapter 7: “I Am—Somebody!”
Chapter 8: It's All You
Chapter 9: Of Frogs and Leaders
Chapter 10: Talk
Chapter 11: It Pays to Treat People Unjustly
Chapter 12: Just Names
Chapter 13: On Leadership and Kite Flying

PART II: Leaders in Search of Leadership
Chapter 14: Leader in Search of Leadership
Chapter 15: Packing Parachutes—Leadership Isn't What It Used to Be
Chapter 16: Leading Kindergarten Recess
Chapter 17: On Their Knees at 2 A.M. in the Drugstore
Chapter 18: “I Can't Get No Satisfaction”
Chapter 19: Turbulence Creates Leaders / Leaders Create Turbulence
Chapter 20: Leadership: It's Just Talk

PART III: Leaders in Their Own Words
Chapter 21: Leaders Are Full of Hot Air!
Chapter 22: Crisis at 35,000 Feet

EPILOGUE: Your Leadership Book

Appendix I: IBM's Leadership Framework
Appendix II: U.S. Coast Guard Principles
Appendix III: U.S. Coast Guard Values

Index

Jack Beach Johnston (Jack) Beach is a Senior Leadership Development Consultant at IBM, where he manages the Leadership Strategy and Research Group and has oversight of the Executive Leadership Development Programs. In that role, he has had a great impact on IBM’s recognition over the past several years as the #1 corporation in leadership development.

More About the Author

Jack Beach