THE
LEADERSHIP
QUOTIENT

Anthony Marolt

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, Not so good when people obey and acclaim him; Worse when they despise him. ‘Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you.’ But of a good leader, who talks little, When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, They will all say, ‘We did this ourselves’.”

— Lao-Tzu, Chinese Philosopher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Originally hailing from the northern lands of Minnesota, Tony Marolt graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1981. He then served nine years as an officer in the US Navy on three ships, USS Barbey (FF1088), USS Bristol County (LST 1198), and USS San Bernardino (LST 1189). He also taught naval science from 1986 to 1988 at his alma mater, the US Naval Academy. Following his service, Marolt entered the corporate world and enjoyed a twenty-five-year career with the world’s largest social expression company, including multiple leadership assignments across the supply chain organization. He is currently the president and chief leader at Lead Left – Grow Right, LLC. He has served as an adjunct professor teaching leadership, supply chain and project management courses at the MBA and undergraduate level – both online and on-campus. He resides in Kansas City, MO with his wife Julia.

ABOUT THE BOOK

You are already a leader, even if you don’t yet know it. You can become a great leader, which the world desperately needs-leaders with courage, compassion, and the ability to raise each unique individual to their highest levels of performance. Leadership is a learned series of skills and behaviors; however, the path to becoming a great leader first begins with the acknowledgment that you are one, followed by your strong desire and commitment to be a great one. The leadership quotient is built on the premise and promise that everyone is a leader and that only by increasing the degree of mastery in all four critical areas can an individual transition from ordinary or mediocre into the more aspirational, urgently needed realm of truly great leaders. This practical guide to leadership is filled with tools and real-world examples that you can quickly add to your repertoire and immediately apply within your organization. These tools can be leveraged by every reader, from those who have never led before to those who have been leading for years.

The Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu captured the essence of the leadership quotient principles in his quote, which ends with the line, “But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, We did this ourselves.” If you aspire to become that kind of leader, to add tools to your belt that position you to lead extremely well, then this book and those tools are your path to achieve that aspiration.

BOOK REVIEWS

“Great leaders, like great photographers, know when to apply the right lens to bring clarity and drive organizations in specific directions.”

A persons leadership quotient is comprised of four elements Those elements are the persons intelligence, emotional ability to engage others, decision-making capacity, and ability to take and follow up on action. The premise of this book is that these four elements work together and can be applied in the format of an equation to help measure the leadership quotient and identify areas for improvement.

Each chapter includes one or more quotes from the author and then a discussion of the quote and the leadership principle from which it is derived. These discussions often use analogies or business scenarios to illustrate their point. Typically, a chapter closes with a brief summary and call to action or commitment of some sort for the reader. These often take the form of a graph or worksheet with blanks the reader can fill in as they set goals concerning the leadership principle discussed.

With many years of experience both in the Navy and in top businesses, Marolt brings a wealth of information to snare His discussions are in-depth in their scope and thoughtfully crafted from one end of an idea to the other, utilizing precise language Although leadership is often broadly defined and applicable, the contints of this work focus most specifically on leadership’s value and execution in business management. The context of the examples will resonate most effectively with others in middle to upper-level management in larger corporations.

There are countless leadership books and courses made available each year, but often readers and presenters return to the classics. Authors like John Maxwell, Napoleon Hill, and Dale Carnegie spring to mind. It is hard to imagine a leadership offering not influenced by Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey gives a simple presentation of his seven habits but then becomes more philosophical once the reader gets into the heart of each principle. Marolt is similar in that he takes relatively simple concept and expounds on it at length. His text is full of theory, observation, and analogy and will greatly interest like-minded readers.

This latter element, analogy, is one that the author employs extensively. It can be an effective tool. and those familiar with the book Shackleton’s Way will likely remember how the technique was successtully used in that account to give a continuous base on which the leadership lessons could be grounded as well as showing the leadership elements used in areas ourside 1h6 boardroom or factory floor. Leaders already in positions of power and familiar with the typical leadership fare available to them mav find Marolt’s detailed analysis of leadership principles and theorv a welcome addition to their library and a chance to have a deeper conversation with themselves about their fundamental beliefs on the subject.

Many excellent insights can be pulled from this book. For example, process-solving rather than problem-solving is one interesting and possibly transformative concept with which the reader will engage. Marolt has written a solid and thought-provoking work on the subject of leadership, and it will likely be thoroughly appreciated in the hands of the appropriate reader.

Mark Heisey

Congratulations Tony on a well written, thought provoking book! Excellent utilization of your personal case studies, and action planning for leadership results.

Margaret Keating

Book came along at a great time when grappling with structural/leadership changes in my business. Strong focus on virtues and principles. Book contains exercises which should be followed per the author’s instructions. A great read, inspiring.

Amazon Customer

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