Leading the Unleadable Quotes

“Exceptional leaders know that when encountering some behavior or action that appears unacceptable, their first thought should be to wonder what they don’t understand about the person and the communication process.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“To be able to best manage the mavericks, cynics, divas, and other difficult people and situations, we have to first change our frames of reference in how we think about them. This”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“When you have a difficult employee who is challenging you, learn to relish this as an opportunity to grow others and yourself in the process. 5.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“I was finding work difficult because I was being a victim. I was not choosing to be there. My big realization was that my mindset was simply wrong. Every day that I went to work was a choice. No”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“After we realized with great clarity that our career belonged to each of us as individuals, we returned to work on a different mission.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Before offering ideas of what they could do differently, ask if they would like to hear your ideas. This is a good courtesy to give to people. It is also a very useful one. It gives the person who is going to listen a chance to prepare to receive. With that preparation, you are more likely to be heard. Be careful that your suggestions are not criticisms. Just asking questions may lead the person to figure out the best way to handle it. Employees often figure it out after you have walked away and given them time to think.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“When you do hear about trouble, first ask what the person is doing about it. Then ask for suggestions on how you can help.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“The first goal is to find out if there are any situations that need your help to ensure the achievement of the project goals. The second goal is even more important. That goal is to build trust in a way that people will come to you without fear about difficult situations.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Know that excellence is achievable. Be courageous and set the bar of excellence high. Provide the investment and belief in your people that they can learn how. The results will amaze your organization and your customers.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“They also know that in spite of any whining that may occur initially, in the end people are proud of producing great products and great results. People crave the high bar of excellence. These leaders are fearless in setting that high bar.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“The exceptional leader, in addition to ensuring that the lessons learned document is a living document, reflects on how it became situation normal to deliver late. This leader asks what in the environment, including her own leadership, may have contributed to this.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“The exceptional leader, in addition to asking for clear problem statements, later reflects on why cynicism was the response by the team to the situation. This leader asks what in the environment, including his own leadership, may have contributed to this.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“The exceptional leader is always looking for ways to create teams of people in which the team can figure out how to address the trouble without management involvement.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“The real role of exceptional leadership is to create a culture where people do extraordinary things! One of the best ways to do this is to understand the power of gelled teams.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“For the example of a quality problem, exceptional leaders will push themselves and others to investigate every opportunity to improve the situation. Further, they will engage with others beyond the project as well. They will not allow the current reality to be the definitive outcome. Exceptional leaders relish this step because they know that dealing with reality is the only way to achieve excellent results.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Most people actually have good intentions and are working toward what they believe is the greater good of the organization. Even if they are annoying, or doing things that you believe are counter to the good of the organization, it is unlikely that they are damaged, stupid, or evil.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“This is important! Exceptional leaders know that when encountering some behavior or action that appears unacceptable, their first thought should be to wonder what they don’t understand about the person and the communication process.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“To be able to best manage the mavericks, cynics, divas, and other difficult people and situations, we have to first change our frames of reference in how we think about them.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“When you have a difficult employee who is challenging you, learn to relish this as an opportunity to grow others and yourself in the process.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“One of the measures my best clients use when leading their critical projects is the “energy equation.” Are you ready for high math? During checkpoints for the project, the question is asked, “Is the energy you are getting out of doing this project greater than the energy you are putting in?”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Constructive conflict builds on ideas and will actually build more trust between people. Constructive conflict creates energy, passion, and greater belief in the team.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Some organizations have a hard time distinguishing between constructive and destructive conflict. Destructive conflict becomes more about the people than the idea. It breaks down trust even if a good idea emerges. The lost trust creates more conflict.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Steve Jobs, who said, “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?” • Susan B. Anthony, who worked tirelessly for decades in support of women’s right to vote. She was often derided and even arrested. A woman’s right to vote was ratified four years after her death. • John F. Kennedy, who initiated the mission to the moon and said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“I would talk with them until I understood the goals and then I would say, “If I achieve the goals, do you really care how I get it done?” Freedom in how to achieve the goals improves the efficiency and the results.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“I was now treating myself as a business of one person who was choosing to provide services to my employer in exchange for the company’s choice to pay me.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“I was finding work difficult because I was being a victim. I was not choosing to be there. My big realization was that my mindset was simply wrong. Every day that I went to work was a choice. No one was forcing me at gunpoint to go there. Further, I realized my work life could be full of fascinating, rewarding challenges. It was up to me.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“After we realized with great clarity that our career belonged to each of us as individuals, we returned to work on a different mission. We had chosen the path of exceptional leadership.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“I realized that the mental model I had of my job as an endless marathon of slogging through mud was simply my projection onto the situation. I was choosing that mindset.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Projects such as the ones just mentioned can get in trouble because of things like technology issues or incorrect requirements. However, those are often excuses. Projects are successfully completed by people—not by methodology or technology. If a project is in trouble it is most likely to be a people issue.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People

“Before we can listen to the call we first must understand and accept the following facts about leadership: • The call to leadership is a choice. • Whatever you lead, leadership is about leading people. • Leadership comes with a taxonomy of trouble. • The trouble is your fault, even when it is not. When we accept these facts, we are ready to learn how to lead the unleadable, including our own troublesome selves.”
― Alan Willett, Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People