This document summarizes key points about leadership from the book "Leadership In Action" by J. Keith Murnighan. It discusses that leaders must have vision and communicate well to help others see a better world. Effective leaders facilitate groups by allowing those most talented at the current task to assume leadership, as no one can do everything. While performance goals are important, leaders must also focus on learning to add to their knowledge, as outcomes depend on many factors beyond one's control. Leaders should ensure their values truly guide their actions by reflecting on them periodically. When taking action, it helps to think of leaders as team builders, decision makers, negotiators, and passionate.

1. Leadership
In
Action
by
J. Keith Murnighan
2006
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

2. Point #1
** Leaders must have vision and
communicate well**
** You must see a better world and help
other people see it, too**
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

3. Point #2
“One finger cannot lift a pebble.”
an old Hopi Indian saying,
quoted by Phil Jackson in Sacred Hoops
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

4. Point #3
The Leadership Dilemma:
1) People prefer democracy
2) Leaders feel responsible
… and take control
3) Reducing democracy
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

5. Point #4
Many decades of research on leadership tells us the same
result:
• Leaders must pay attention to the TASK
• Leaders must pay attention to PEOPLE
“People don’t how much you know until they know how much you
care about them” Jimmy Yaokasin, KH08
• One without the other is ineffective but most leaders are not usually
adept at both
• More pointedly, no one individual is an expert at every aspect of
leadership
Thus, groups must allow
Whoever is most talented at the current task to assume leadership
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

6. Point #4 (Summarized)
The Most Effective Leaders are
Facilitators
Because no one can do everything
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

7. Point #5
We all focus on performance (we must)
But performance goals, once accomplished, disappear
What lingers is learning. Thus, leaders must also
Focus on Learning
Don’t just achieve your Performance Goals: Add to What You Know
We can Control the Process. We can’t always Control the Outcomes. Why?
Outcomes = f(Ability + A Lot of Other Stuff)
“A good decision is like a high mark on an assignment, while the process is like
the knowledge drawn from working on it.”
Dorin Radu, Kellog-Suhulich EMBA class of 2005
Reward Effort; Knowledge Endures
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

8. Point #6
Your values should drive your action
But research tells us that we don’t often
focus on our values
Conclusion: Think about your core values
from time to time. Make sure that
they really are your guide.
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko

9. Point #7
When it comes to action,
it helps to think of leaders as:
Team Builders
Decision Makers
Negotiators
Passion
Prof. Tirupati Misra@ibslko