Larry has worked his way up to his first big assignment as a manager. But now the work is piling up on his desk. His people can't seem to make decisions—certainly not the right ones. His mentor has been fired. Worst of all, his boss sends him out for leadership training. Larry never thought he needed all that "people skills" stuff to perform, and spouting buzzwords doesn't seem to work for him, anyway. I'm doing my job, Larry thinks. What does this company want from me? He truly feels lost.
After alienating his staff even more and incurring costly time delays, Larry is sent on a forced vacation, which begins with a comic but poignant fishing trip misadventure. Finally, miles from home and work, Larry opens his mind to new ways of thinking about leadership. He learns important leadership lessons in his daily life: planning a family trip, watching his son play ball, fishing with his daughter. He realizes that everyone needs to KNOW, GROW, and OWN, and that being a leader means helping and enabling people to fulfill those needs.
At last Larry has a credo that he can believe in, three powerful principles that all managers can use to get the best from themselves and the people around them.
Praised by executives and business experts, Lost & Found reveals the core of leadership through the power of an engaging and wonderfully told story. Managers will recognize parts of themselves and people they know in Larry Parks, a smart worker temporarily stymied by a new type of challenge. At the end of the book the authors provide tips for putting the KNOW-GROW-OWN credo to work in different types of jobs and in different kinds of companies and organizations. Combining inspiration and practical advice, Lost & Found will help talented workers transform themselves into great leaders.
"Deep, Sussman, and Stiber have created a poignant story that captures the true essence of leadership. You might think these lessons were obvious, but when you see the number of high profile leadership failures in the news today, you realize that leaders with these skills are sadly rare."
MICHAEL MANGAN, PH.D., STRATEGY AND CHANGE CONSULTANT, IBM GLOBAL SERVICES
"I thought I'd just start it, and found that I couldn't put it down. Once you get to the point where Larry is following Macon for the fishing 'vacation,' you really are hard pressed to stop the reading. Enjoyable! It is a very sound message for leadership in all walks of life."
LAUREN PATCH, CEO, WYNCOM, INC.
"If you are looking for a book that will take you and your managers to the next level of leadership effectiveness, this text is a "must read." Combine this with an enjoyable read, and you have a great buy in your hands."
THOMAS S. RITTENHOUSE, PRESIDENT & CEO, UNIFORM CODE COUNCIL, INC.
