Most managers are reasonably competent at managing tasks or processes. It’s when they come to leading people that they come unstuck. Leadership can seem an intangible, aspirational skill - best left to the kind of high-profile people at the top of the organization.

The reality is that, not only can any manager learn, practise and develop their skills as a leader; but these skills, used at all levels in the organization, will have a big impact on its future competitiveness.

Rod Storey’s collection of activities are based on this premise. They cover key techniques, for example decision making, delegating and motivating, which are recognized and understood by all managers. Such techniques, however, are at the heart of improving the way in which managers lead their people.

The collection includes exercises, case studies, simulations and games for:

• assessing or evaluating skill levels
• exploring and understanding new skills
• practising and observing leadership
• evaluating ideas
• communication skills
• discussion leading/reaching agreement/consensus
• planning and working to targets
• monitoring and controlling activities
• organizing the team.

At least half of the activities can be run in an hour or less, and no activity runs for more than two hours, which means that you can build them into any leadership programmes you are running, or use them in shorter 'bite-size' events, or even team meetings.

A detailed Appendix to each activity offers the less-experienced trainer some extra help on when to use it, how to make sure it works and any pitfalls to watch out for.

If your managers have any doubts about their ability to become effective leaders, then these activities will provide them with a series of thought-provoking, enjoyable and non-threatening exercises that will give them a new and inspiring perspective.

Reviews
‘The exercises are interesting and well sign-posted and can be modified or customised to suit specific requirements ... I have used some of the exercises with groups of staff on teacher training courses and feedback from them has been very positive ... These activities provide some very useful means of addressing some basic and key management skills in an enjoyable and non-threatening way and are useful for all leadership levels. There is clear guidance about the importance of effective debriefing’. Journal of the National Association for Staff Development, June 2000

Contents
Introduction; Index to activities; Summary of activities; Time checklist; How good a leader are you?; Key skills of a leader; The new team leader; Leadership style; Leadership in your own organization; Front page; House move; Company TV guide; Alaska!; The rice race; Business Consultants Ltd; Who was at fault?; The do it yourself builder; Feedback; Decisions, decisions!; Motivation in practice; Influence style; Problems with people; The delegator; Delegate that task; Crisis plan; Reorganization.

About the Author
Rod Storey is a widely experienced training and management development specialist. He works with a number of well-known large- and medium-sized organizations including some blue-chip companies. He has been a specialist in leadership and team building for over 16 years, and frequently runs courses in these areas for professional bodies and major UK companies. His other main areas of interest are negotiation skills, the development of trainers - including the design of training courses - and interview skills. He set up his own management training consultancy in 1982, which he still runs.