“Many people struggle at work because they want more authority.

It turns out you can get a lot done if you just take more responsibility instead. It’s often offered, rarely taken.”

(And you can get even more done if you give away credit, relentlessly).

Reference Seth’s Blog.

by Inder Sidhu

Inder Sidhu is the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Planning for Worldwide Operations atCisco, and the author of Doing Both: How Cisco Captures Today’s Profits and Drives Tomorrow’s Growth. Follow Inder on Twitter at @indersidhu.

As I was preparing for another (virtual) Sales Meeting this year I was very fortunate to be sent a copy of this book.  It really is a remarkable history of Cisco Systems told from the perspective of a great business analyst.  As one might expect from a Cisco SVP, there was a bit of selling going on (which I firmly embrace) but you get a look a peek of the dirty laundry as well.  We all know that everyone makes mistakes and Cisco has been no exception.  What is so remarkable is how the company learned, reacted, and has continued to be on the leading edge of market transitions time and time again delivering consistent innovation and strong business results.

At the start, I was reminded of another book The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking by  Robert Martin, which present a similar concept (integrative thinking) at a more clinical level.  He describes the habit of parallel or complex thought – instead of  a simple succession of thoughts in linear order, the procedure is complex, and the mind appears to be possessed of the power of simultaneous vision from different standpoints.  Martin suggests that integrative thinking can be taught, although largely it is not, certainly something we might consider.  Integrative thinking produces possibilities, solutions, and new ideas.  It creates a sense of limitless possibility.  Conventional thinking hides potential solutions in places they can’t be found and fosters the illusion that no creative solution can be found.

Inder takes integrative thinking to the business level through his magnificent stories exploring ways to do both:

• Sustaining and Disruptive Innovation
• Existing and New Business Models
• Optimization and Reinvention
• Satisfied Customers and Gratified Partners
• Established and Emerging Countries
• Doing Things Right and Doing What Matters
• Superstar Performers and Winning Teams
• Authoritative Leadership and Democratic Decision Making

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I’m sure you will too.

When we assume the role of a manager in an organization we are already destined for failure.  Let me qualify that by saying that as managers, we will make mistakes and lots of them.  Management is not an easy job when done right and there is no field manual to tell you what to do in every situation.

So…  what you want to learn is  how to be  effective in the organization.  To do that, you need to be as prepared as you can be, use common sense, and have a good understanding of the fundamentals of the trade.

No one has much free time anymore so I’ll keep the reading list short and in priority order.

• The Five Dysfunctions of a team by Patrick Lencioni – if you do nothing else, read this one.  I often encounter new managers who clearly have not taken this to heart and are ineffective in their current role.
• The Powell Principles by Colin Powell – short, easy to read, the bible for managers.
• The Secret by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller
• Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute
• The Starfish and the Spider – this is a more advanced topic but very relevant for managers today

That’s it for the reading.

Now for the basics:  Use the Manager Tools Podcasts.  Don’t just listen once and forget them, keep them on your iPod or computers as a tool to help with your job.

This is the best gift I can give you.

I have been doing this for years and I still go back and listen to these both as a refresher, or if I need some advice about a current situation.  The hosts are Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman, and both can be found on twitter/linkedin.

Best of all, they are available for free on Apple iTunes.

Happy Managing!