THE LEADERSHIP LIFECYCLE

Response to The 5C Leader: Exceptional Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Times (https://www.5cleader.com/) book has been remarkable. I couldn’t be more pleased. The book was authored to make a difference, and it has clearly met the mark. The book synthesizes the vast leadership resource base into a simplistic, but conceptually strong concept that students, leadership scholars, and current/aspiring leaders could understand and immediately put into practice. Based on the responses of readers and those offered by people attending a campus or community speaking engagement, the book has more than met the mark.
Responding to readers and audience members attending book signing events or speaking engagements has been a great pleasure. I was pleased when many told me the book has made a difference for them. However, I noticed that three questions seem to consistently emerge from these interactions, namely:
1. How can I best prepare and position myself for future leadership opportunities?
2. What can I do to work these 5C concepts into my leadership practices?
3. How can I get my boss to read this book and apply the concepts? Some phrased it as, “Can you sign this book and make it out to my boss? He (and sometimes She) really needs to read this book.”
These questions served as the genesis of this book, entitled The Leadership Lifecycle: How to Prepare; How to Excel, and When (and How) to Effectively Exit. Readers will understand the leader development literature and how they can best prepare and position themselves for leadership opportunities. Practicing leaders will better understand how they can embed the 5C Leader concepts into their current leadership practices. Practising leaders will also understand the signals that their influence is waning, and they must either change their approach, or depart from the role and move on to new challenges. They will better understand the signs and signals that their impact is diminishing. They will know that it is time for them to change (or consequently, be changed)? Rather than let others make decisions about them, this book was prepared to provide leaders with the necessary guidance to get ahead of the process. They can change and renew, or perhaps they will decide that it is time to leave the leadership role. Readers will be provided with the learn insights and strategies to do so with grace, dignity, and the assurance that the organization will continue to move forward.
There is a leadership lifecycle, and my goal was to help current and aspiring leaders effectively navigate each stage of their leadership journey. I shared the concept with participants in my leadership seminars and the leadership lifecycle model resonated with them. I could see it in their eyes and feel it in their body language as I delivered the content. Many participants publicly or privately admitted that they could have used some guidance to help them effectively navigate through the stages of the leadership lifecycle model. I was especially moved by the reaction of those nearing the end of their tenures. They desperately sought advice on effectively navigating this stage in their development and shared with me that they found very little on the topic. This was a revelation for me, and their reactions proved to be a nirvana moment for me. I was on to something, and we all knew it. This was all the motivation I needed to delve into the leader development and effectiveness literature, sprinkle in my own research and experience, and craft this new book, which I entitled The Leadership Lifecycle: How to Prepare; How to Excel, and When (and How) to Effectively Exit.
Those aspiring to leadership roles will be able to reflect on their preparation and adopt empirically validated strategies to best prepare for leadership roles and position themselves for opportunities. Those currently in leadership roles can use the tried-and-true leadership practices and make necessary adjustments to heighten their success in the role. Last but not least, leaders can assess their impact by more effectively identifying the unobtrusive signals that their leadership impact is waning. They can commit to making the necessary adjustments to reinvigorate their effectiveness or make the decision to effectively depart from the role and move on to new challenges and invigorating opportunities. Regardless of the decision, these leaders can help ensure that they manage the decision while ensuring a strong and effective leadership development program is in place to facilitate a smooth and successful succession. Leaders want to leave their units in better shape than it was upon their entry, leave the role with pride and dignity, and ensure that the unit they lead is positioned to springboard into future success.

I wish readers well in this incredible and exciting journey. Onward!!!