“As a leader, you must understand the soul of your business, have a clear vision for the future of the enterprise, and be able to passionately describe how you plan to take the organization to that ideal place.”
The Five Essential Leadership Questions
Business & Interpersonal Relations Hardcover
December 2007
29.95
978-0-9800373-0-2
Being Intentional
Business & Interpersonal Relations Hardcover
June 2014
29.95
978-0-9854070-6-3
The Five Essential Leadership Questions
Living with Passion, Leading through Trust
This is the book that all chief executives would like their up and coming managers to read! They know from experience that when an executive fails, it is most often not because of a lack of industry knowledge or technical expertise; rather it is because of their poorly developed knowing of themselves and others, their lack of respect for those they manage, hopelessly inadequate listening skills, clumsy communication, and, not surprisingly, a loss of trusting relationships. All of which erode the foundation for true profitability and organizational health.
As a leader, you must understand the soul of your business, have a clear vision for the future of the enterprise, and be able to passionately describe how you plan to take the organization to that ideal place. You must live with passion and lead through trust.
For over 30 years Dr. R. John Young has been using his proprietary models and techniques to develop trusted and effective leaders. His research into why some leaders flounder while others flourish has led him to the identification of the five essential leadership questions. All leaders must be able to answer these questions if they hope to be trusted by those with whom they must collaborate and by those they lead. These are the foundational questions whose answers separate the authentic from the inauthentic, the grounded from the lost, and the true leader from the word itself.
This book, together with its companion workbook, is a veritable self-assessment tool that will help you truly understand yourself, the people you lead, and, most importantly, your motives for wanting to lead. It speaks to the measurable effect that well-rounded and well-grounded leadership has on a company’s bottom line. This book expands the definition of profitability to include the often untracked and unmeasured elements of leadership.
Paradigm for Profitability©
Healthy organizations are led by trusted and effective leaders. Clearly, it will require a new paradigm if human capital is to enjoy its rightful place in contributing to enduring profitability. The essential questions that Dr. Young challenges you to ponder are predicted upon his Paradigm for Profitability©.
Being Intentional
Making Work and Play One and the Same
Despite all of the data that is being collected from around the world about happiness, there is little practical guidance, short of proselytizing, to help you be intentional and take control of your life satisfaction and well-being. If you hope to make work and play one and the same, you will be wise to pursue a deeper understanding of the most important relationships that determine success and happiness – in business and life.
In this powerfully insightful book, Dr. R. John Young shares his wisdom from over thirty years of experience as a scholar, entrepreneur, and adviser to some of the most influential leaders around the world. Too many professionals are oblivious to the human factors that shape their success until they are confronted by the stressors that impact their work, their marriages, their children, their employees, their customers, and their communities. It is no wonder that so many executives are downright miserable and do not know what to do about it!
Dr. Young introduces you to his proprietary models and concepts and shows you how they can guaranteed that you select the right career; sustain intimacy with the right life partner; raise emotionally healthy children; become a trusted and effective leader; attract and retain loyal customers; and relish the sense of satisfaction when you contribute and belong to a nurturing community.
Advance Praise
“[The Five Essential Leadership Questions] illustrates Dr. John Young’s signature approach of reaching into one’s personal foundational experiences to draw strength, vision and inspiration. The author is to be commended for his emphasis on leading an organization with trust and his framework for how this can be established.”
Carolyn Y. Woo
Dean, the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame“It is my belief that our students graduate with the foundational capacity to master each of the relationships that Dr. Young has identified in this unique book [Being Intentional]. He redesigns what it means to be a truly educated person.”
Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw
Head, Providence Day School“John Young has provided a road map to leadership success that touches issues and concerns that routinely confront managers. [The Five Essential Leadership Questions] is a book for leaders of every age and managers in every field.”
John Seigenthaler, Sr.
Chairman, Freedom Forum First Amendment Center and Diversity Institute“For many years Dr. Young has helped us nurture the best trained, most effective leaders in the nonprofit world. He works with every new cohort entering our Executive Development Program using the principles outlined in [Being Intentional]. Our leaders consistently note that uniquely integrates the personal and professional challenges they confront.”
Lane Schonour
Executive Development Program Director, Goodwill Industries International“I began my work with John some years back, respectfully believing that we already had a wholly healthy organization. Thankfully, I began a journey to apply the principles now described in [The Five Essential Leadership Questions] and, as a result, not a day now goes by that I don’t seek to exert my leadership in our organization in ways that will improve our organizational health.”
Craig A. Philip
President and Chief Executive Officer, Ingram Barge Company“Dr. Young not only guided and facilitated our organizational transition, he transformed our appreciation for what was possible, helped us confront both our strengths and some difficult realities, and brought us to a new level of trust and most importantly a collaborative, results-focused and responsive organization. [Being Intentional] provides valuable insights and wisdom directly relevant to elected officials regardless of the scale and scope of their communities.”
Don Borut
Former Executive Director, National League of Cities“It has been our pleasure to have Dr. Young work with our high potential and developing leaders. [Being Intentional] captures what it means to be complete leader and a responsible citizen.”
Allen Gant
Chairman, Glen Raven, Inc.“Leadership is a calling devoted to teaching, learning, and change. In The Five Essential Leadership Questions, Dr. Young probes deeply into the heart and soul of leadership and connects it directly to the mind and body of business.”
Lawrence D. McClure
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Liz Claiborne, Inc.“I had the immense pleasure of observing Dr. Young’s work with leaders of emerging democracies from across North Africa. Sponsored by the Bureau of International Information Programs, part of the United States Department of State, he helped them develop strategies to improve trust within their communities, develop the personal resiliency to cope with the stress and change the region is experiencing, and provide a ‘Third Circle’ for the organizations they lead. [Being Intentional] is a great addition to his toolkit.”
Riad Berdayi
Middle East Partnership Initiative Administrator, United States Embassy“[Being Intentional] truly helps the otherwise stressed out executive learn how to make work and play one and the same. It is a must read if you want to feel happy and fulfilled.”
Lance Mitchell
President and CEO, Reynolds Consumer ProductsI have known Dr. Young and his work for more than a decade. The principles and approach that he articulates in [The Five Essential Leadership Questions] can be transformational for the new leader and the experienced.
Craig Moon
President and Publisher, USA Today
About the Author
R. John Young, Ph.D., founder and chairman of the McLaughlin Young Group, is an international authority on leadership development. For more than 30 years he has been helping executives live with passion and lead through trust. Dr. Young conducts his seminar, Trusted and Effective Leadership–Reclaiming the Creativity to Lead Change, in his native country of Ireland and in other locations around the world. Dr. Young can be reached at mygroup.com.