The Boss's Challenge: Manage Well, Lead Well, and Listen

The Boss s Challenge: Manage Well, Lead Well, and Listen begins with the following problem statement: Diverse indicators demonstrate that many people do not quit their job they quit their boss. And organizations can be tough places to survive. Key to solving both these problems is a more effective leadership team. And yet, being an effective boss can seem impossible to achieve given the conflicting demands that are placed on supervisors. The author, Mark Scureman knows his subject. He is a retired US Army Colonel, and a West Point graduate with an MBA and a Master s degree in Education. He has held leadership positions (military and civilian) for over fifty years and spent more than twenty years presenting leadership seminars throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, federal, state, and local governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations. Col. Scureman s premise is that people in supervisory positions are often ill-prepared for the demands of their leadership role. Their superiors expect them to be good managers by increasing efficiency and productivity. Their subordinates expect them to be good leaders by treating them with respect, establishing healthy working conditions, and creating a compassionate organizational culture. And their peers expect them to act as effective team players. The core message of The Boss s Challenge is that when you become a Boss, at whatever level, you must become proficient at a range of complex skills that fortunately can be defined, learned, and continually practiced. The book describes fifteen fundamental differences between being a manager and a leader, delineates the skills required in both skill-based disciplines (managing and leading), discusses how they can be learned and continually practiced, and gives frequent anecdotal examples on how they should be applied. Lieutenant General (Ret.) David Palmer, a former West Point Superintendent, states in the Foreword, His writing is marked by common sense delivered in plain English, his prose stands free of military, academic, or technical jargon. That rare style alone nudges the book toward classic-hood. Notably, and insightfully, the book s focus is more on developing leaders than merely addressing leadership in theory, another factor making it stand out starkly among the genre of leadership publications. General (Ret.) Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe in NATO offered the following: Col. Mark Scureman says it all about how to be a good leader! Drawing from both his own experiences in the military and business, as well as the most distinguished thinkers on leadership, Scureman has written a jewel: succinct, insightful, and most of all, wise. The Boss s Challenge: Manage Well, Lead Well, and Listen will serve as a well-grounded and practical touchstone for anyone who aspires to lead others.