And the best thing about Duane’s theories is that they aren’t just theories. They are practices. And they work. Over and over. They work in Utah, they work in Arizona, they work in New Mexico, and they will work anywhere for you.
How do I know they will work for you? Because over the years I have integrated many of them into my own work and teaching. I have taught other leaders and managers Duane’s way, and other leaders have benefited and experienced increased productivity when they used these practices and ideas.
They work.
Some of his practices found their way into some of my recent books; some were only hinted at. But now they are all here for you, laid out in ways you can use right away for management and leadership. And the beauty of Duane’s practices is that they can be applied to any form of leadership, at home or on the job, in the community or in the workplace.
I spent the better part of a year visiting with Duane at his home on early Sunday mornings, tape-recording his thoughts, discussing his concepts, and listening to his experiences. He and I worked from an outline he had meticulously prepared about his leadership principles and why they function as they do. This book is really his book, and I am very grateful to be along for the ride.
Duane is the one who is there on the job every day as chief operating officer of SunCor, overseeing and managing large numbers of people and projects. SunCor has grown and thrived over the years, and these methods have led the way.
—Steve Chandler
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Duane Black lets his people know the deepest truth he knows: All you need to be successful is already in you.
—Steve Chandler
* * *
Steve Chandler is generous in his praise and passing along the credit to me for the success of the community development and homebuilding division at SunCor. But he has actually played a greater role in our success than he is taking credit for.
I attended seminars he taught many years ago that helped me form much of my hands-off philosophy and style. His ability to take my concepts and put them into words that bring them to life in numerous seminars and speaking engagements at our company has contributed greatly to our success.
The information in this book, should you choose to apply it, will help you create an organization that functions and performs in a way you never thought possible. Imagine a workplace environment that functions as well or better when you are not there. You may think this is impossible. You may think that unless you are there to monitor and oversee every aspect of the work being done, it will not be done properly.
But what kind of life does this management style offer you?
If you are the kind of a leader who gets satisfaction from being so needed that your group can’t function without you, this book is probably not for you. But if you truly want to create a great independent team, read on. If you want a management system that empowers your people and allows them to grow and prosper, this book will serve you well.
Most managers today are so trapped in daily stressful details that they have no life.
This book was written to give you (and your people) a new life of freedom and real success.
You will find ideas, methods, practices, ways of thinking, and ways of being that will allow you to create a team that functions as well without you as it does when you are there.
You can get your life back.
And you can spend your time staying current on market trends. You can fine-tune the way you do business; you can create innovative new services and continuously improve the process in your systems. But mostly, you can become the inspiration behind your team’s success.
Ask yourself a simple question: Would you rather inspire your people or control them? Put another way: Would you rather facilitate and guide their success or would you prefer to force the results? You may think force will get you there more quickly, and it may, but it will never withstand the test of time, and your success will likely be short lived.
If you will learn to trust as I have that people already have greatness within them, and that you can help them unlock their potential, they will perform at a level they never imagined.
This has been my experience.
And so now in this book I share that experience with you so that you can learn to see that potential, learn to communicate what you see, and learn to help your people realize and experience the best of who they can be.
—Duane Black
INTRODUCTION