78 Important Questions Every Leader Should Ask and Answer

Average customer rating:

Well Organized and Insighful

Valuable Tool, Well-Done

I wish I'd read this before my first leadership experience

A must read for all leaders!

78 Important Questions Every Leader Should Ask and Answer
Chris Clarke-Epstein
Manufacturer: Amacom
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0814474144

Book Description

"Great leaders have many talents, but one critical skill -- often unrecognized -- is the ability to ask and answer questions. This unique book offers 78 questions that leaders at all levels need to ask and answer both inside and outside the organization. Leaders who master this question-response technique will gain much useful information about what is really going on in their businesses, as well as the admiration of employees, customers, and others with whom they interact. The questions and answers cover a range of common and uncommon situations, including: the need to connect employees' efforts to company goals; layoffs, business downturns, and mergers; personal crises of employees; coaching and mentoring sessions; and customer retention. The book even includes advice on answering questions when the answer is ""I don't know"" or ""I can't tell you."" With worksheets in each chapter, it prepares leaders to ask important questions of: * Customers (""Why do you do business with our competition?"") * Employees (""What's a recent management decision you didn't understand?"") * And even themselves (""What do I want to be remembered for?"")"

Customer Reviews:

Well Organized and Insighful.......2007-05-07

The book is well organized into questions for different stakeholders of the business and different situations a leader may face. The questions and the intended purpose of the questions are well explained. The book would be very useful for someone starting in a new leadership role or someone who has been in a role for a while and wants to recharge the energy of the role. The questions casue the leader and respondents to reflect and explore new possibilities. Excellent tool for business and other institutional leaders.

Valuable Tool, Well-Done.......2002-10-01

Leaders struggle today with the volume and complexity of human relationships as well as the aspects of their jobs that don't directly involve people. Increasing demands challenge us with continual complications, too many choices, speed of change and action, and the sense of being caught in a whirlwind that defies the concept of life-work balance. We're expected to have all the answers, preferably before anyone else thinks about asking the questions.

Combine this gerbil-in-a-cage metaphor with the uncomfortable fact that most leaders haven't learned enough about leadership, and you have a dangerous combination. What is leadership? How is it different from being a manager? How can leaders keep their finger on the pulse of what's happening, inspire others to high achievement, guide their team members through difficult decisions, and still have time to actually finish a cup of coffee while it's still warm?

The solution is disarmingly simple: Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Ask some more questions. Give good answers to questions asked by others.

Easier said than done. There's an art to effective move-us-forward questions and answers. The secrets are in Chris Clarke-Epstein's book. She provides us with 78 valuable questions, but doesn't stop there. In addition to gaining a fine list of questions , we benefit from an explanation of the importance of the question, how to ask it well, and what might be accomplished through the questioning technique. The style is friendly, conversational, and supportive, seasoned with short stories or vignettes that illustrate the many helpful suggestions and observations offered by the author.

The book's chapters are organized to categorize the questions and the commentary surrounding them. The first category, presented after a few pages of positioning, addresses questions leaders need to ask themselves. Chapter 2 presents questions leaders need to ask customers. The third and fourth chapters explore questions to be asked of employees-lots of creative stuff here.

In Chapter 5, we ponder questions to be asked in special situations: new employees, coaching and mentoring, newly promoted leaders, and crisis. Questions leaders need to answer are followed by answers for special situations. What a handbook! You can read this book straight through as I did, or use it for reference (as I will). The last chapter talks about delivering tough answers, sometimes a difficult proposition for leaders. More questions are suggested in the appendix and a website has been established to continue the question-building process. An index facilitates reference. The Suggested Reading list is a bonus.

The book is peppered with quotes about questions and answers that reinforce the points and/or give the reader something more to think about. At the end of each chapter are questions and worksheets for the reader, encouraging some deeper thinking and reflection. Overall, a worthwhile book for leaders-and aspiring leaders-to read, absorb, and keep handy.

I wish I'd read this before my first leadership experience.......2002-09-21

If someone had handed this book to me the day before my first leadership role, I would have been better at my job.

If I had read this book before the big crisis in my organization, I would have handled things differently, and been more effective.

If I had put to the test the questions that Chris Clarke-Epstein writes about, I would have been more satisfied with my work as a leader...and stayed with it.

This book is extremely readable, and yet challenging. It made me look at leadership not as a mantle to wear, but rather as a process of becoming. The act of questioning - in reality of questing - for what you, your organization, your employees, and your customers want, need, and desire is laid out with specific things to ask, and how to answer them.

78 Important Questions does not come with an answer section like a 10th Grade textbook. This is the kind of book where you have to find your own answers. Good thing the leader of the journey intersperses advice, stories, and encouragement in between queries.

I don't think this is a book for the feint of heart. If you're the kind of leader who basks in the status quo, then stay away. If however, you're not afraid of some work, of some personal soul-searching, and if you embrace change as a way to stay alive in business, then you need these 78 Important Questions.

A must read for all leaders!.......2002-09-20

Not until I read Chris Clarke-Epstein's book did I realize how important it is for leaders to ask good questions. I great resource for how to build relationships and develop leadership skills. A quick read, a must read, for all leaders who want to be more effective.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive analysis of root loose that has impacted that world over.......2007-05-17

Undoubtly the most comprehensive report written on the root loose that has impacted almost every continent on the planet. An excellent guide for anyone interested in wine and history. Highly recommended for budding enologists and winemakers.

Product Description

An exciting & accessible mix of history & cutting-edge science, this book chronicles man s attempts to push back the frontiers of understanding. From a librarian in ancient Alexandria working out the circumference of the earth by studying the way the sunlight fell into a desert well, through Newton's estimates of the distance to the nearest stars, to the latest developments in theories as to what is beyond the borders of the observable universe, intelligent minds have asked questions about our universe, & our place in it. This is the story of their search for answers. The queries range from the mechanical to the metaphysical, but all are rooted in centuries-old curiosity. "An adventure story that whisks us through 3 millennia of scientific ingenuity & intellectual history."

Average customer rating:

Get Close to Nature

Go for it!

I was inspired!

Go on. Be an explorer!

Beautifully illustrated, practical, educational & inspiring!

Nature Journaling: Learning to Observe and Connect with the World Around You
Clare Walker Leslie , and Charles E. Roth
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Nature Journal: A Guided Journal for Illustrating and Recording Your Observations of the Natural World

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Get back in touch with the world around you by keeping a nature journal--it's not as hard as you might think, and you may find hidden reservoirs of peaceful creativity lurking beneath your busy, harried life. Nature Journaling is an excellent resource to get you started, with tips on how to really see weather, animals, plants, and seasons. Even if you live in the city, there's plenty to watch, sketch, and write about. As renowned naturalist E.O. Wilson writes in his foreword, "What is natural history? It is virtually the whole world around you. It is the vista of a great forest from a mountaintop, and a swath of weeds growing along a city sidewalk."

Nature Journaling is filled with words and pictures from the diaries of the authors' students. Some are polished and professional, others honestly amateur--no artistic talent is required to keep a beautiful record of your surroundings. Nature isn't somewhere else, it's all around you, and a scrapbook of ideas, maps, drawings, and clippings can help you appreciate it year round. END

Customer Reviews:

Get Close to Nature.......2006-04-19

I wanted to familiarize myself with nature in my new locale. As the homes spring up and push the wild spaces back, I feel the need to record some of it before it is gone.
This book, Nature Journaling, gives me the structure and the encouragement to start recording. My first attempt was a drawing of a lizard clinging to the screen. I'm so pleased to just get started with this book to inspire me.
The book suggests varied journaling styles, and asks questions to spark your observations. The drawing exercises also are varied (pencil, adding color, quick sketches, etc.). The book is delightfully illustrated with sample sketches from many different nature journals.
Journaling makes you really look at things and question what you are observing. I really recommend it.

Go for it!.......2002-12-10

An excellent book to get you started with capturing little pieces of nature to bring indoors with you. Truly helps diminish the "Oh, I can't do that" syndrome. Take the kids with you and make a project of it. You'll find it's easy and fun too.

I was inspired!.......1999-09-24

This book was recommended in our homeschool loop. I bought the book hoping for some ideas to get me started, always wanted to start but felt uncomfortable about just doing it. The book will end all your worries! I was very impressed by the books contents and how easy it was to get started. My 5 1/2 year old daughter and I have started with the very basics as part of our daily school lessons and I plan to add more as we progress. You do not have to be an artist to do this! This is your journal and you do what you want in it, nobody needs to see it unless you want to share it. It will make you become more observant to your surroundings and the way things are constantly changing. A great base for any homeschool program.

Go on. Be an explorer!.......1999-09-14

If you're into nature and you haven't lost touch with a child's wonder, you will enjoy Nature Journaling. A great book for families who like to wander together or for adults who want to reconnect with their natural surroundings.

Beautifully illustrated, practical, educational & inspiring!.......1999-06-08

For people interested in trying out the Nature Notebook or Nature Journal idea (it's a great activity for both children and adults), I highly recommend this book. Nature Journaling is written and illustrated by college-level science educators who use Nature Journals as their primary method of teaching people to learn about nature firsthand. A beautiful, inspiring book! I was first introduced to the idea of Nature Notebooks by reading the works of Charlotte Mason, an educator in England during the last century. Taking regular Nature Walks and keeping individual Nature Notebooks has been a happy and fulfilling family activity in our home for several years.

After purchasing Nature Journaling, the book totally changed the way our family approached our own Nature Journals -- this book provided us with so many new ideas and creative uses for our notebooks. The first day we read through the Nature Journaling book, my 12-year-old daughter and I spent two hours at the local beaver pond sketching red-winged blackbirds, Canada geese, rough-skinned newts, turtles, lily pads and wildflowers. My husband has even decided to start keeping a Nature Journal of his own after seeing the newly inspired work in my personal Nature Notebook. To anyone reading this review who has an active interest in enjoying and learning about nature, I hope you'll seriously consider adding a bit of nature journaling to your family's summertime activities. You may even find yourself starting a rewarding and educational life-long hobby.

Book Description

This inside look at the athletic recruiting process reveals exactly how the athletic recruiting game is played by coaches, prospects, parents, administrators, admissions officers, and even college presidents in the Ivy League and NESCAC. This book tells how Trinity College became better than Harvard, Princeton, and Yale in squash by recruiting around the world to capture the national title; why a Brown lacrosse coach left the Ivy League recruiting rat race to seek a more sane lifestyle at Bates; and how the admission deans at Princeton, Brown, and Dartmouth view the whole athletic recruiting process. A compelling combination of profiles, stories, and excerpts of interviews reveals why Ivy League coaches have to work so much harder than their Division I peers to identify qualified student athletes.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, but will need updating in 2007.......2006-11-10

An excellent book for high school students and their parents interested in Ivy League and even NESCAC schools and how sports recruiting at those schools works. I learned about "likely letters", "supports" and other details that are otherwise difficult to learn, even from the coaches.

My only reservation is that with Harvard's recent decision to stop early admissions, and I assume others will follow, the book will need updating to reflect the changes in sports recruiting due to this.

An invaluable resource.......2006-03-03

If you have a high school aged son or daughter who hopes to be an Ivy League athlete, this book is a must read.

My daughter, after reading Chris' book, learned what motivates the coaches and how to approach them in a straight-forward and ethical way. At the same time she was able to take control of the process and ultimately achieve her desired outcome, a scholarship offer from Stanford and a "Likely Letter" from her first choice, Dartmouth. She couldn't have done this without this resource.

Provides Insight for the Prospective Ivy Athlete (& their parents).......2005-10-07

I have a high school senior son who is looking to participate in college sports after graduation and I was looking for a book that would help provide some understanding of the whole Ivy recruiting process. This book provided great insight into the Ivy recruiting process from both the college coaches and administrators perspective. It provides the insight though true experiences of athletes, coaches and administrators. It also sheds light on the conflicts within the Ivy League about the process.

A must read for all parents of high school athletes.......2005-01-20

A great learning tool for anyone connected with a high school athlete looking to play sports in college. Unfortunately, I read this too late to help. Just witnessed first hand a scenario whereby a "solid commitment" did not materialize at an Ivy - putting a student athlete in a very precarious spot. To the reviewer claiming that Lincoln was "creating a controversy and scandal that does not exist", I can personally tell you that Lincoln is right on the mark. I have already re-read the book and advocate that all who are ever thinking about entering the recruiting process should take detailed notes.

Playing the Game.......2005-01-18

I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was well written. The author received fantastic access to Ivy League coaches, told good stories, is a good writer, and provides a lot of information that will be both useful and informative to parents of aspiring Ivy athletes.

However, while this book is about Ivy League athletic recruiting, it is not really a step by step guide on how to get recruited (at the Ivy level or for any college really), nor is that it's intention. The book will not teach you how to contact coaches, what questions to ask, how to evaluate a school or program, how to rate your ability, or how to put yourself in a better position to be recruited, It is largely about the Academic Index, the scale the Ivy league uses to recruit athletes, how the scale can be manipulated, and how coaches are fiercely battling eachother and other NCAA schools for many of the same recruits.

The most troubling aspect of this book is that I feel it is trying to take a controversy that doesn't even exist and that no one is talking about and turn it into a gigantic recruiting scandal going on at the Ivy Level.

The first half of the book is used to make us feel like there is a huge problem at the Ivy League with teams recruiting dumb athletes, and other non-athletes getting passed over for Ivy admission slots. There is a lot of emphasis placed on football, basketball, and hockey recruiting and how by and large the male athletes in this sport perform at a lower academic level than their non-athletic counterparts. We are made to believe that Ivy schools exist solely for education and that athletics should play no part in that and that the dumb jocks at the Ivy League are giving the schools a bad name and reputation. The second half of the book is partly spent on explaining how successful some of the student-athletes are academically both in college and how successful they are after college and we are made to feel that participating at the college level in a competitive athletic environment while trying to take rigorous academic courses is an incredible learning experience and offers life skills. According to the book, the Harvard women's basketball team has produced more doctors than any other team in the country and 100% of the teams athletes have been offered athletic scholarships (which are not offered at the Ivy League) to other D1 institutions. The fact is that all Ivy athletes are extremely hard working, athletically gifted, and usually very strong academically and while some athletes that are recruited have lower academic records than other applicants, most student-athletes are academic achievers (a trait built into the Academic Index) and contribute to the growth and exposure of the University. The fact that Ivy athletes often finish lower than other Ivy students is purely a product of having 3,000 academic achievers in one place and only one student can be the top student and the rest will all be below them no matter what. Not to mention the 30+ hours a week athletes spend practicing and playing their sport.

In the past year, we have witnessed a college player shoot his own teammate and have the coach try to cover it up, we have seen Rape allegations, players being paid with money, cars, and fake jobs, schools that recruit players with criminal records and 25 arrests, coaches taking tests for players and forging grades. The most controversial thing Lincoln digs up in his 250 pages is an athlete who gave a verbal agreement to go to Dartmouth and at the last minute decided to attend Harvard instead, an event frowned upon by Ivy coaches or at least the one's on the losing end of the decision.

The last part of the book is spent in an exhaustive story about the Trinity College squash coach recruiting foreign players so he can win national championships. Trinity isn't an Ivy school.

The book concludes with this "Even if the Ivy League offers no athletic scholarships, the league can take a lesson from the top academic institutions that do, including Duke, Stanford, Notre Dame, Southern Methodist, and Michigan. - Michigan coincidently, is the same school that forfeited 112 games over 5 seasons because of the alleged cash payments made to Chris Webber and other Michigan players during the "Fab 5 era". If Michigan is a reflection of the academic and recruiting model that Lincoln thinks the Ivy League should live up to, I think they should stick to what they are doing now!

Book Description

This book's design, content review, and test questions have been updated and carefully organized to help the student prepare for this important test.

Customer Reviews:

LPN Pre-Exam Study Guide.......2007-09-14

This study guide was excellent. The math and algebra preparation was especially useful. The practice tests in the study guide prepared me to take and pass the LPN entrance exam. It would highly recommend this text book to anyone who plans to take any LPN/LVN entrance exam. I purchased three study guides. The LPN/LVN entrance exam prep was the best of the three.

LPN LVN Pre-entrance Exam, 2nd edition.......2006-11-10

It is a helpfull book that provide all the information that a student need to remember many aspects of knowledge in a easy way, and guide the student to succeed in the entrance exams

Better than nothing-- but buy it "used".......2006-04-29

This book was written to help you prepare for the LPN pre-entrance exam, and is divided into Math, Vocabulary, and Science sections. There are plenty of practice questions for each section as well as 3 complete practice tests. Answers are explained. The reviews are very basic and assume you already have a strong background in Math/Science. You may have to supplement the review with other material, as I did, say, for Biology.

Shortcomings:
(1) Many practice questions cover material not reviewed by the book, which was annoying.

(2) There are errors in some of the answers given for the practice questions. For example, the definition and explanation of wave amplitude was factually incorrect. So was the definition of a coverslip.

Good points:
(1) You get to try and answer a wide variety of questions on math and the sciences of Chemisty, Biology, and Physics.

(2) The book gives you somewhat of a guage by which to tell which topics you may need further materials for review.

Bottom line: the book is better than nothing, but if you are thinking of buying one, get a "used" copy and save yourself a few bucks.

Customer Reviews:

Trash: Good Girls, Bad Boys.......2004-02-11

I love this book! This is the first book in my life that I have not been able to put down. I cannot wait to read the series over again. Cherie Bennett is my favorite author and I am going to read other books by her as well. I highly recommend this book. Especially for teenagers because I really think that people could relate to it. I also recommend other books by Cherie Bennett.

read it for yourself!.......1999-08-29

this book rocked. anyone who can read should read this series. the next 3 books are #4 Dirty Big Secrets from Nicks point of view about Chealsea and Jazz and stuff, #5 The Evil Twin about Karma and her twin and #6 Truth or Scare where Lisha has to choose between 2 guys, supposedly the most romantic book of trash yet. I'm not sure if you can buy them yet though and i cant wait!

A Great Book!.......1998-07-09

This book was a lot of fun to read. It had a lot of surprises (I really thought Lisha would end up with Sky) and suspense (I never knew what to expect next from Harley). I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I loved this book!.......1997-11-09

It was really fun, wild, and surprising. I love the relationship problems, it adds reality. I think Sky and Lisha should go out though...

This book is great!.......1997-07-18

I really liked this book. It has a lot of adventure in it and the ending is certainly surprising! (I thought Lisha loved Sky, not Alan!) I think that what Lisha did, ignoring Harley, was very stupid, although it came out okay, so I guess what she did was okay. This was very well-written with lots of suspense. I reccommend it to everyone

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