The Way of Effortless Leadership: Ancient Secrets on Cultivating a Culture of Trust, Engagement and Flow - Paperback

by K. G. Johnston (Author)

This book takes you on one man's journey to follow a dream, and the unexpected and paradoxical lessons he gleaned about leadership along the way. Are you a leader who feels that lately, something just isn't right? -Are your people distrustful and disengaged? -Does much of what you implement fail because of lack of employee buy-in? -Do you resort to using your position to force employee adoption of change?" -Do you and or your people lack energy, self-expression and vibrant health? -Has leading lost its fun? -Do ideas and information fail to flow up to you? -Are there a lot of internal politics and lack of collaboration? -Are people not performing up to their potential? -Do you sleep poorly at night? Is stress having repercussions on your health? -Do you hear yourself uttering "it's not personal, it's just business" (but not buying into it) to justify your actions? So, "What's in it for me?" (and your people) you ask. -A simple, relaxed and effortless way to achieve results -Greater trust and harmony -More efficiency -Greater effectiveness -Better communication -Improved engagement -Greater productivity -More creativity and innovation -Better acceptance and resilience to change -Less stress -Peace of mind -More self-awareness -Positive energy and good vibes -More enjoyment at work WHAT is going on?! -Employee engagement has remained flat despite billions spent. -Up to 80 plus percent of change initiatives fail. -Many of our products and services damage our environment. -Productivity gains are hard to achieve. -Mental disability claims are skyrocketing. Are people lazy, crazy, or incompetent? Or... is something larger happening? K.G. draws from his training in human resources and his time as a consultant and coach in the people-side of change. He noticed that the rush of business DOING was not synonymous with effectiveness, and many leaders unconsciously cultivated an unhealthy culture of distrust and disengagement. Exceptional leaders focused on how they were BEING with their people. He realized that leaders define what we see as possible, and that for meaningful change to occur, we must help those in charge transform. K.G. suggests that conventional business wisdom is NOT wise because it is based on a faulty paradigm. He looks to science, ancient wisdom and the natural world for answers. This simple three-part transformational ecosystem "model" shows the leader (within all of us) how to do important internal work to cultivate their own energy, character and vision and then how to energize their culture and empower their people. His work is informed by his practical knowledge of eastern philosophy gained through teaching tai chi chuan and practicing yoga.

Author Biography

K.G. Johnston is a seeker, a big-picture-thinker and a quiet rebel. He loves learning, new experiences and challenging status-quo-thinking when it doesn't work. He has always had a passion for ideas and people that transform the world and make it a better place. K.G. worked as a consultant and coach in Toronto for transition consulting firms, in addition to maintaining his own clientele. He helped individuals and organizations flow with change. His first book was an accident waiting to happen. He literally followed a dream and took a long journey West to find it. He got a little lost along the way and couldn't see the forest for the trees, but they whispered to him, changed him and told him that they had something to share with us. He came upon a wise mentor who saw something in him and asked him to write a paragraph on his leadership philosophy. To his complete surprise, that one paragraph grew organically into a book. In the process, K.G. discovered that he loved to write. He now aims to use his writing to touch, challenge and inspire you to see, think and feel anew. K.G. lives in his cherished adopted home of "Super Natural British Columbia" with his wife and rescue dog (who chatters her teeth, trying to talk and make her opinion heard). He loves to challenge himself and finds inspiration from travelling, meditation, live music, yoga, tai chi chuan, reading, tennis and hiking trails with his furry friend and twanging away on his guitar. He and his wife are on a quest to find the best sushi and Indian restaurants the West Coast has to offer.