Dear Readers,
I have made a point over the years not to promote myself or CO2 Partners in the Leadership Newsletter. Maybe I did that too well! When I was in New York presenting recently, a newsletter subscriber said, "I like your writing on leadership, but what is it you do?" Soon after, I gave a speech in Scottsdale and got the same question. For those of you who are still wondering, I am an executive coach.

I work primarily with entrepreneurs and their team members. Most of my clients are very high performers who have taken on too much, moved ahead too quickly, or been in one position too long. They want to become better leaders--of others, the organization, and of themselves.

As a former entrepreneur, who built a company up from 2 employees to 2,200 with my business partner, Rick Diamond, I am familiar with the challenges of leading others and organizational growing pains. As a coach, though, I don't presume to know the answers. My role is to listen and ask questions that open up possibilities, improve decision-making, and motivate others to action.

I take on only a few new clients a year, but CO2 has a wide collection of coaches, all of whom have experience running small and/or large organizations. While everyone has different skills, we all subscribe to the Just Ask approach.
Enough with the self-promotion. I'll leave you with a recent discovery and a question. Research has shown that coin flips aren't truly 50/50 propositions. The results are more like 60/40 in favor of the side of the coin that is facing up right before the toss.

When trying to resolve a dispute fairly, ask, "What side of this argument is facing up?" Be sure, in other words, not to let the person present or the most visible evidence unduly influence your decision.
Gary

Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win by Michael Useem - Book Review

By Gary Cohen

Michael Useem makes a compelling case for when and how "followers" ought to lead their bosses. Since roughly 70% of organizational leaders report to higher-ups, Useem's book isn't aimed just at low-level employees. I often coach leaders who must lead upward and downward in their organizations. It's no easy feat, and it's nice to have models to follow. Useem provides quite a range, some who succeeded and some who came tantalizingly close: Lincoln's cabinet members, United Nations workers trying to prevent the Rwandan genocide, Mount Everest climbers, Argentinian economic advisers. The story that resonated the most with me was about a mid-level worker who convinced the CEO, Chairman, and Board of Charles Schwab to commit to online trading (with billions of dollars at stake).

I met Michael last month when we were both presenting to the American Consulting Firm in New York at the Union Club. By chance (and Kindle), I had just started his book. Michael energized and inspired the consultants at his presentation, and he inspired me to carve out time to finish his book. He's brilliant! Not surprising, considering he's a professor of management and the director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Like Malcolm Gladwell, Michael shares rich, detailed insights into fascinating and transformative people and events. He rewards patient readers with a taste for history, in particular.

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