Читать книгу The Together Leader - Heyck-Merlin Maia - Страница 12

Lots of good resources already exist on time management and leadership. Check out my website, www.thetogethergroup.com, for my ongoing list of favorite books, articles, and blogs. So why write (or read) another one? What's out there seems to split into two camps: the technical and the philosophical. On the technical side are outstanding titles such as Getting Things Done by David Allen and Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook by Michael Linenberger. For those who want to focus on prioritization and the philosophy of leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First, both written by the dearly beloved Steven Covey, and 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam, are amazing. And I'm a big fan of Your Best Just Got Better by Jason Womack and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg for routines, habits, and efficiencies.

Yet none of these speaks directly to the unique challenges faced by leaders in mission-driven settings. Effective writing and training on Togetherness has to be practical – focused on tools and rituals – and neutral – applicable to anyone who leads people – whether in a school building, nonprofit, central office, or volunteer organization. I can't tell you what your goals or priorities should be, but I sure can help you achieve them by helping you ask the right questions, build the right tools, and develop the right rituals for yourself.

My work is rooted in this mind-set: What is good is what works. I draw best practices from many of the cited titles, but the bulk of my research and examples come directly from the thousands of workshop participants and many coaching clients I have been privileged to learn from in the past decade. I've been welcomed into high-performing nonprofits, strong school districts, advocacy organizations, and rural schools. And I've been fortunate enough to coach leaders of all levels directly in their own environments, which enables me to bear witness to every single emergency, interruption, and crisis that can throw off a well-planned day. You will see many of my past clients featured in this book. Quite deliberately, I have chosen people and organizations who get strong results but are not wild perfectionists.

One of my biggest observations is that the Togetherness journey is personal, specific to one's own habits, preferences, and organizational culture. I am not going to sell you a particular gadget, lock you into one specific app, or require you to purchase a certain planner. I'm remarkably indifferent about specific tools, but I'm a staunch believer in strong routines, planning, boundaries, and communication. And I'm going to really push you to ensure your goals are clear and your actions are aligned to meet them.