$24.95 / Perfectbound
ISBN: 9781608440344
312 pages
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Pick up any newspaper; watch the evening news; tune in to news-radio. No matter the medium, the headline stories are sadly the same: “Billions needed for bailout of another mismanaged industry.” “Social Security to be cash flow negative & Medicare bankrupt within 10 years.” “Governor impeached for putting senate seat up for sale.” “Medical errors implicated as major cause of patient deaths.” “Regulators nap while Ponzi schemers trap unwary investors.” “Our legacy to the next generation—trillions in national debt!” With all the advances of modern society, one might reasonably expect these headlines to belong to a bygone era. Alas, decade after decade, the stories only seem to get worse. Now, more than ever, we must ask: Why do our social problems recur over and over again?

Some would argue that these problems represent symptoms of a decaying civilization. Others might blame them on permissive parenting, the failure of public education, or perhaps even the excesses of capitalism. In truth, there are a variety of reasons for unethical, antisocial, uncivil, and unproductive behaviors. However, there is one aspect of society that stands out as a potential root cause—the absence of effective leadership. You and I both see leaders everywhere—in the executive suite, at the legislature, in the boardroom. But do these leaders consistently use managerial best practices? Hardly! As a result of ineffective management at the top, an ever-increasing spate of serious problems in government, business, and society go unresolved year in and year out with no fundamental change in sight.

First, we should acknowledge that most managers are oblivious to their capacity for causing social harm. This ignorance is partly explained by the general public’s lack of awareness regarding the role that aptitudes play in leadership excellence. Aptitudes are the innate abilities or talents people have for doing or learning certain things quickly. When utilized fully, aptitudes give individuals a competitive edge over others, which leads to greater fulfillment and success. There are aptitudes for virtually every job known to humankind…and for many jobs not yet invented. “Manager” is just one of the jobs for which there are identifiable and measurable aptitudes. When a manager possesses a full complement of strong managerial aptitudes, his exceptional abilities allow him to bring fulfillment to his employees, success to his organization, and harmony to his community. This kind of leadership excellence truly benefits society. On the other hand, when a manager possesses limited or weak managerial aptitudes, his potential to do harm is magnified by his leadership inadequacies. Unfortunately, this latter type of manager has been in charge for a very long time, resulting in recurring societal dysfunction.

The world is struggling with escalating problems. Academicians, research scientists, senior executives, and government leaders must step up, adopt, and support a new managerial paradigm. In order to enable organizations to compete and excel in a global marketplace, we must research, analyze, develop, and redefine our strategic organizational asset—MANAGERS.

To meet the challenges of this millennium, I propose a new leadership framework, one that I believe will spark a renaissance of managerial excellence. I call it Accountability Management. Accountability Management is a leadership framework that fosters an accountable and ethical workplace where managers balance diverse stakeholder interests to achieve long-term organizational success. The manager who promotes and sustains this brand of leadership excellence is called an Accountability Manager. How does one become an Accountability Manager? For those who are lacking managerial aptitudes, the challenges will be too great to warrant the effort. However, for those who possess the aptitudes for leadership, they will need only a little help to advance their knowledge to the next level.

Like most successful professionals, the Accountability Manager equips himself with the right tools. Natural Born Manager is such a tool, a managerial knowledge tool. Although suitable as a primer for those who wish to learn more about Accountability Management, this book also serves as a reference tool for those who seek real solutions to real management problems. My intent is to provide a handbook fresh in perspective and practical in approach that offers effective solutions to many everyday managerial challenges. What’s more, the ideas presented herein are not available in traditional business management texts. In writing this book, I eschewed dependence on classical management theory. Instead I took an interdisciplinary approach, leveraging concepts from behavioral science, business communications, human engineering, leadership development, management science, organizational development, and pragmatism. The result is a management handbook that presents the best of the many lessons learned from my extensive background in leadership and management consulting.