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 Great Books About Business With Just A Click

Please Note: The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is open for curbside service. Visit www.steubenvillelibrary.org to order books, then call your library branch to schedule an appointment to pick up your library items. Library branch contact information and operating hours are available by clicking here on this link from the website.

Your link to success begins at the library. With each week of "In The Know," 
  you to a business book or magazine that will inspire, teach, inform, or elevate you, professionally and personally. This week:

Leadership Is Language
by David L. Marquet

It's time to ditch the industrial age playbook of leadership. In Leadership Is Language, you'll learn how choosing your words can dramatically improve decision-making and execution on your team. Marquet outlines six plays for all leaders, anchored in how you use language:

* Control the clock, don't obey the clock: Pre-plan decision points and give your people the tools they need to hit pause on a plan of action if they notice something wrong.
* Collaborate, don't coerce: As the leader, you should be the last one to offer your opinion. Rather than locking your team into binary responses ("Is this a good plan?"), allow them to answer on a scale ("How confident are you about this plan?")
* Commit, don't comply: Rather than expect your team to comply with specific directions, explain your overall goals and get their commitment to achieving it one piece at a time.
* Complete, not continue: If every day feels like a repetition of the last, you're doing something wrong. Articulate concrete plans with a start and end date to align your team.
* Improve, don't prove: Ask your people to improve on plans and processes, rather than prove that they can meet fixed goals or deadlines. You'll face fewer cut corners and better long-term results.
* Connect, don't conform: Flatten hierarchies in your organization and connect with your people to encourage them to contribute to decision-making.

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