Leaders Don't Command: Inspire Growth, Ingenuity and Collaboration

Commanding will get people to work, but it won't get the best out of them. And in the current climate we need a spark to create an innovative blaze. According to Jorge Cuervo, good leaders need to activate the talents of individuals plus the collaborative ingenuity of the group, and that's where this book comes in.

In "Leaders Don't Command," Cuervo offers a leadership model that helps leaders tap more creativity in their teams. He starts with the idea that good leadership is all about relationships. Quite simply, it's another set of relationships to add to the many we already maintain, and it involves the same two-way communication, nurturing and trust. With this book, Cuervo provides leaders with a set of practical strategies to initiate and maintain these relationships.

"Leaders Don't Command" will appeal to those who recognize their role as facilitator and coach and are in it for the long haul – the sort of leader who wants to support and empower team members and delights in seeing them grow and flourish.

Leaders wanting quick results will find some good advice here. But the book is mainly aimed at those who want to take the time and effort to create the kind of relationships that encourage exponential growth and creativity.

A professor of leadership and change management at Barcelona Activa, Cuervo holds a degree in pharmaceutical sciences and an MBA. He describes himself as an aggressive executive, a consultant, trainer and coach.

Although he says he's a "boring writer" in the preface to the book, don't be fooled. "Leaders Don't Command" has made the transition from Spanish into English well, and is a very good read. Cuervo writes as a kindly, reassuring mentor. But he doesn't mince his words about the tough challenges leaders face – adding useful pointers to help you deal with the rough stuff.

So keep listening to learn how to really get to know your team, how to define and build trust, and why self-awareness is the key to successful leadership.

"Leaders Don't Command" is structured in three parts. In Part One, Cuervo gives an overview of current and past thinking on leadership. He suggests we read this first, since it provides the foundation for the rest of the book.

In Part Two, he analyzes and dismantles some myths about leadership. And in Part Three, he hands over his leadership tools. These last two sections are the ones we can dip into. He invites us to read them in any order and revisit as and when we feel the need.

And it is an easy book to skim, since each part is divided into subsections with catchy headings like "What the Heck is Leadership?" and "Leadership From Within." These give a clear idea of content so that pinpointing the section you want is quick and easy.

The layout of the book is similar to a magazine. The author presents us with bite-size chunks of content using short chapters, text boxes, bullet-pointed lists, and diagrams, and ends each chapter with a brief summary of what we've just read. Occasionally Cuervo uses case studies, but only when the idea he's trying to get across is complex.

The examples he includes are globally recognizable: from the late South African president Nelson Mandela to the TV crime show "CSI Miami." When he supports his ideas with academic research, he explains and demystifies. This is great if you're fairly new to leadership theory but may rankle with readers who have extensive knowledge.

Running throughout the book is the idea that people use only a fraction of their potential at work. Cuervo invites us to imagine what could be achieved if we could tap this amazing resource. When a leader does harness the collective creativity, knowledge and skills of the whole team, everyone benefits. And competitors – watch out!

But don't start booking your team building trip just yet. Cuervo doesn't believe off-sites foster good relations in the workplace. Instead, he advocates using good communication and trust where and when you need them – at work. So forget your paintballing adventure or night out on the town.

If you want to be a Cuervo-style leader, you'll need to be willing to commit to forging good relationships by interacting properly with your team on the job. Watch and listen, watch and listen... and learn.

In Part One, Cuervo explores the role of emotion in the workplace, maintaining that it plays a far greater role in decision making and teamwork than authoritarian styles of leadership suggest. We may believe we're making rational decisions based on logic, but our initial response to a situation is usually emotional. First we feel, then we think.

A good leader needs to get people on board emotionally first. Capture the hearts of your team members, and they'll use their collective experience and creativity to come up with practical and rational solutions. To gain people's emotional commitment, the leader firstly needs to manage self-doubts, fears and frustrations.

And this is where self-awareness is crucial. If you know how your own insecurities and doubts are triggered, you can learn to manage those feelings. This is why Cuervo insists that good leadership starts with you.

But in Part Two – titled "Ideas That Do Not Help" – we learn that it's not quite that simple. According to Cuervo, the worst thing you can do is see yourself as "The Leader." Once you start thinking of leadership as a quality you possess, you're in danger of taking over and thinking for the team. This may swell your ego, but such self-centered thinking plunges the team into dependency, and switches people off. Cuervo's advice is: don't confuse self-awareness with self-centeredness.

Another idea Cuervo examines in Part Two is flexibility. Many of us include it as an attribute on our personal or business profiles when we want to imply that we can react quickly and are open to change. Cuervo doesn't argue with this but asks us to tweak our thinking a little. Beyond simply reacting, he believes we should embrace change enthusiastically and be inspired by it. This will give us the right attitude to help us keep pace with technological advances. Our capacity for change is high – provided we're optimistic about it.

We may now have an idea of our destination, but we also need some practical advice to get us going on our journey. If you've ever been disappointed by training sessions that give you plenty of idealistic vision but no practical tools, you'll love Cuervo. He doesn't dangle a dream scenario before you and then leave you without the means to achieve it. Rather, he tells us: this is what it looks like and this is how you do it.

These practical tips form the bulk of Part Three, and we'll look at a few of them now.

Tool number one teaches us how to link a task to the appropriate team member. You'll only do this effectively if you really know the people on your team. What makes them tick? What will excite, stretch and motivate them?

Most of us have experienced disillusionment with our work at some point or another. The tasks become routine and we're plodding along just to pay the bills. According to Cuervo, a good leader notices this and steps in. He or she gives the project meaning for the individual, based on their skills and knowledge – like a trainer encouraging an athlete to greater success. Yes, we should be able to do this for ourselves. But sometimes it helps to have a prod and a smattering of encouragement to kick start us into action.

We also need to know how to "create a vision." After all, it's something we do all the time, both inside and outside the workplace. Whether it's a first date or an important presentation, we visualize how we would like it to go. "If we can see it, we can do it," as the old adage goes.

Creating a vision for your team helps people work more productively and creatively. It also makes it easier for you, as leader, to really live the project. Your vivid and detailed vision will inspire commitment and creativity.

But don't be too prescriptive. Your vision needs to be loose enough to allow individuals to contribute their ideas.

Cuervo argues that underpinning both of these tools is trust. For a successful and innovative outcome, the team needs to trust the leader and the leader has to believe in team members. If people feel their shortcomings might be used against them, they won't risk saying what they need to say. But, when everyone feels secure enough to contribute, decisions will be based on whole group participation and commitment will grow.

So what is real trust and how do you achieve it?

According to Cuervo, trust is when you're able to show your vulnerabilities to your colleagues. It's when you can be truly sincere without fear of reprisals. This can be risky so the leader needs to do it first, setting an example. By owning up to personal weaknesses in difficult situations, the leader opens the door for team members to do the same.

Cuervo's next tip also advocates an honest approach. He calls it "articulating." Let's say sales are down and the team needs to come up with possible solutions. As leader, it's your job to manage the situation.

First, create a realistic picture of the situation in the minds of team members. Don't leave out information you think may upset people. Be honest – your colleagues will know if you're hiding anything and will fill in the gaps themselves, usually with a scenario far worse than reality. If you're not completely open with people, you may lose their trust.

Cuervo says when you're articulating, you need to go back to basics. Communicate visually through diagrams on a whiteboard or flip chart. Use computers sparingly and PowerPoint presentations only for very complex concepts. And allow the team to contribute. Work together to create a picture of how you would like the situation to be.

Ask questions and listen. You need the team's input, support and trust.

Present what you have to say confidently. This is where you'll need to manage your own fears and limitations. Here, again, self-awareness matters.

In fact, self-awareness is at the heart of Cuervo's idea of good leadership. It's therefore no surprise that he ends the book with self-help exercises to start aspiring great leaders on the road to self-discovery. His mantra is: even small steps can have dramatic effects.

These exercises are designed to help leaders think more effectively under pressure, perform with increased energy, and manage any fears or insecurities. He starts with simple breathing and mindfulness techniques, and takes you on a journey deep into yourself – a journey that will take practice and patience. Some leaders may not have the time or inclination for this, and Cuervo offers no "quick fix."

The exercises are grouped together in the appendix, so they're easy to find. Cuervo gives a rationale for each exercise and the instructions are clear. Plus, you'll find each one is flexible enough to suit individual needs.

Cuervo set out to help leaders face the challenges of today's uncertain world and, in our view, the book achieves that aim. His core message is that good leadership isn't about putting on different leadership hats: rather, it's a way of life. It's organic and needs to be constantly monitored and adjusted to fit the intricacies and challenges of communicating with very different people. And it starts with the leader working on his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

Of course, this will take some effort. But you get the sense it'll be worth it. Cuervo seems like a man who walks his talk. He says he sees his own failures as "learning experiences" and encourages us to do the same.

One of the strengths of "Leaders Don't Command" is its readability. Cuervo's conversational style, reassuring voice, and easily accessible examples make it easy to follow and learn from. He presents a vision of leadership that seems achievable, offering readers both the theoretical background to back it up and the practical tools to make it happen. The rest of the journey is up to us.

"Leaders Don't Command: Inspire Growth, Ingenuity and Collaboration" by Jorge Cuervo is published in paperback by Association for Talent Development Press.

That's the end of this episode of Book Insights. Thanks for listening.