Relax, It's Only Uncertainty: Lead the Way When the Way is Changing

Philip Hodgson and Randall P. White provide practical instructions for dealing with change, as all leaders must. Rather than assuming that only certain personality types and traits are suitable for leadership in changing times, they addresses the behavior patterns that mark a successful leader. The authors place their behavioral concepts in a familiar context with case histories. The true value of their book lies in specific exercises that will enhance your ambiguity-coping skills. Some level-headed readers may be slightly put off by the seeming wackiness of some of these notions (they range from "spend some time around children" to "analyze how you spend your time") and the light-hearted tone (they do refer to Star Trek). Lighthearted or not, the advice in this book may just save your job - or your company's future. We recommend this book to senior executives, regardless of industry, as well as to anyone who is concerned about the fast pace of change and wants some help keeping up.

"Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting." -Karl Wallenda (1904-78) Do you act intuitively and act decisively? In the world, everything is changing so fast that you can't always control your own destiny, let alone feel confident enough to lead others through seeming chaos. This book demonstrates how you can become at ease with change and how you can analyze your own strengths so you can deal with ambiguity. Aspects Covered Include: The real work of leadership Damaging illusions from the twentieth century Motivation by mysteries Risk tolerance Polishing your Personal radar The 8 Enablers - find out which type of enabler you are. Mystery Seekers - I started to highlight a ton of this area and figured I must be a mystery seeker. Risk-Tolerators Future-Scanners Tenacious Challengers Exciters Flexible Adjusters Simplifiers Focusers However, you might have qualities of a Restrainer/ There are 8 Restrainers. I'm more than likely part "Detail Junkie." These are negative and overplayed sides of enablers. Do you have trouble with transitions? Are you unmotivated by work? Do you fear conflict? Can you put all the pieces of the puzzle together. What are the signs of a "muddy thinker." How can you communicate more effectively. Are you hooked on detail? Do you focus on the here and now or do you see the future? Do you long for the bygone days? My favorite section was the Enabler Section on "Mystery Seekers." It is a section that explains how this type of enabler gets energy from not knowing. They might even appear strangely happy when things don't work out perfect the first time. When writing recipes, this was true, because then I could test the recipe again! Ha! "Imagine that everything was attractive. Imagine that the more you didn't know, the more you wanted to know. Imagine that maybe wanting to know was too weak a description, there was a hunger to know what drove you from whatever eles you were doing and pushed you to continually make further inquiries about the things you didn't know. Imagine insatiable curiosity. You are a Mystery-Seeker." pg. 30 More than likely, the "risk tolerant" segment is highly relevant right now. These types are not hampered by insufficient or ambiguous data. I think that the best way to use this book is to highlight your own qualities or areas you want to work on. I don't see why you can't be a bit of all 8 Enablers. It is like being a personality type with elements of each. I don't think anyone can be a specific type, but can be a combination and then certain aspects will be highlighted and more obvious. Complex at first and I thought this would be over my head, but once I started to read it became much clearer to me. I think you will enjoy this book if you are a business leader or just want to analyze your own qualities. In uncertainty, there is certainly room for change. ;> <br /> <br />~The Rebecca Review

This is an extremely useful book for its times. It comes along during (another) period of great unsettling uncertainty. Uncertainty never actually goes away, of course, but it's more pressing and obviously present at some times than at others.The book makes the central point that "The real work of leadership is embracing uncertainty," that the defining mark of a leader is confidence with uncertainty, along with the ability to acknowledge it and deal with it. The authors present a detailed recipe for anyone seeking to enhance their ability to manage and exploit the uncertainty that often precedes change or destabilization.The core of this book by Philip Hodgson and Randall White is a taxonomy of personalities that "enable" and "restrain" organizational change. Most of us will be able to quickly spot ourselves (and other key people) on their list. There are Mystery-Seekers, Future-Scanners, Tenacious-Challengers, Exciters, Simplifiers, Wet Blankets, and Muddy Thinkers, among the many. Case examples are provided for each type, along with recommendations about how to deal with them and take advantage of the possibilities that they offer. The book provides specific suggestions on how to grow into an "enabler" of productive change, aong with ideas about how to handle the restrainers.The book is written in clear language and format, its terms are well-defined, and the style is very accessible. It is the kind of book that could serve as a quick reference whenever things bog down or get strange.

"RELAX it's only uncertainty: Lead the Way When the Way Is Changing" is a terrific book - one that provides an answer for anyone worried about the future of their organization. And who isn't? "Innovate or get left behind" is the challenge facing most organizations, including those I am familiar with.. To meet this challenge organizations need leaders who can deal with uncertainty.For anyone who thinks that this is a "slam dunk" answer, let me assure you, it is not. Most people in leadership positions CANNOT deal with uncertainty. They avoid it by focusing on "business as usual", what is known and familiar. This is the path to trouble in a world where technology and marketplace pressures are demanding something different and much better than business as usual.In these conditions the work of leaders is not to follow the tried-and-true path, but to create the path forward in a world of "what-ifs".Leaders capable of doing this can be identified. In fact, most of "RELAX it's only uncertainty" is devoted to describing what these leaders think and do. The authors identify eight characteristics of such leaders, including: Having a curiosity about what is not known, Tolerating risk, Gathering ideas about the future, and Simplifying information. This description is tremendously valuable because it enables anyone to spot this kind of leader.The authors make this even more practical and useful. They identify behaviors indicative of each characteristic. For example, a forward-looking executive seeks out information about the future, formulates hunches or intuitions about future developments and listens constantly for "faint signals" of these developments. A list like this can be used to assess how strong or weak a leader is in a particular area and to coach and develop her/him to a higher level."RELAX it's only uncertainty" points out eight factors that block a leader's ability to deal with an uncertain future. One is a preoccupation with the past that is known and familiar.This book is a "wake up call" and guide for anyone concerned about the future of their organization. Organizations with leaders like the ones described here are much more likely to be successful. The others are heading toward tough times.