Why Should the Boss Listen to You: The Seven Disciplines of the Trusted Strategic Advisor

237 Pages·2008·1.01 MB·English

by  Lukaszewski J.E.

Why Should the
Boss Listen
to You?
The Seven Disciplines of the Trusted
Strategic Advisor
James E. Lukaszewski
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More Praise for
Why Should the Boss Listen to You?
“Jim Lukaszewski has personally helped resolve more corporate cri-
ses than anyone I know of. His experience ‘in the trenches’ equals
the high quality of his judgment.”
—Chester Burger, American Public Relations Leader Emeritus
and PRSA Gold Anvil Winner
“This book is all muscle. It will challenge even the most trusted
advisors to improve their skills. Hats off to Jim Lukaszewski for an
actionable playbook and a good read.”
—Lynn Casey, chief executive offi cer, Padilla Speer Beardsley
“I have both worked with Jim and learned from him. With his
experience, intelligence, and grit he says what the client needs to
hear, in the way it needs to be heard. Reading this book provides
valuable insights and guidance to help you navigate the often
treacherous waters swirling around management.”
—Douglas Cooper, co-managing partner, Ruskin Moscou
Faltischek, P.C.
“Lukaszewski, a brilliant strategic advisor, gives the secrets that
can mean success for you.”
—Robert L. Dilenschneider, author, Power and Infl uence: The
Rules Have Changed
“If you want to be in your organization’s inner circle and if you
want to stay there, this book is a must-read. Jim Lukaszewski is
hands down one of the brightest business strategists on the scene
today. This is the handbook to your career success.”
—Bob Frause, chairman and CEO, Frause, Seattle
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“Jim Lukaszewski is a master at both giving advice to leaders and
coaching others to become trusted advisors. This book provides
v aluable tools and techniques to help enhance anyone’s advisory
skills, and to help earn the trust and confi dence of those at the top.”
—Helio Fred Garcia, executive director, Logos Institute for Crisis
Management and Executive Leadership, and adjunct professor of
management, New York University
“Jim Lukaszewski is widely regarded as one of the country’s preemi-
nent authorities in crisis communications and issues management.
What I admire most is Jim’s innate desire to teach others. Through
his professional practice and his writings, Jim relentlessly chal-
lenges us to elevate our thinking and our skills in order to drive
strategic thinking throughout our respective organizations.”
—Karen Muldoon Geus, former vice president, communications,
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Primestar Partners
“Jim Lukaszewski is the best strategic thinker I know. But what
makes him even more valuable to clients is his ability to sell his
recommendations to CEOs and senior management. That combi-
nation of talents is exceedingly rare.”
—Robert E. Gorman, Robert E. Gorman Communication
“I’ve been a communication consultant to all types of organiza-
tions for more than thirty years, and I thought I knew all there
was to know about offering advice to my clients—until I read Jim
Lukaszewski’s book. What a treasure trove of insights, experiences,
and practical advice on how to become and remain a valued advi-
sor. Read it and learn.”
—Carole M. Gorney, director, Center for Crisis Public Relations
and Litigation Studies, Lehigh University
“When your company is faced with a dire situation, there is great
comfort in picking up the phone and hearing Jim Lukaszewski’s voice.
When we get in a tight spot, we rely on his wisdom and advice.”
—Deborah L. Grant, vice president, university communications,
Tulane University
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“In Why Should the Boss Listen to You? Jim Lukaszewski draws on
his long and successful career as a counselor to senior manage-
ment in a clear and straightforward way. No matter what your pro-
fession, the Disciplines will help you see higher and further.”
—Stephanie Harwood, S. M. Harwood Consulting
“One of the most ‘trusted strategic advisors’ I know is Jim
Lukaszewski. If you want your boss to listen to you, read this
book—and everything else Jim writes.”
—Richard Jernstedt, chief marketing offi cer, executive vice
president, senior partner, Fleishman-Hillard
“In this book the magician reveals his secrets. Guess what? Some of
it is magic, but most of it is integrity in action. You can do it, too.”
—George Kroloff, George Kroloff & Associates
“Jim’s diverse background, depth of experience, and hands-on
battle skills in the trenches deliver superior results; his strategic
advice and counsel made the difference.”
—Seth Kursman, vice president, government affairs and commu-
nications, AbitibiBowater Inc., Montreal
“As the CEO of my own fi rm today, and as Jim’s mentor and col-
lege advisor years ago, I am reminded of the depth of perspective
Jim has always displayed in operating as a trusted advisor to so
many, even as he completed his education. This book will open
up his wise and inventive approaches to guiding and advising to a
much wider business audience. I encourage you to read this book
and be inspired by it.”
—Judith Pendergrass, chief executive offi cer, Martin McAllister,
Consulting Psychologists, Inc.
“Jim is well known for helping those in the C-suite deal with crises.
With his new book, Why Should the Boss Listen to You? he teaches
us how to build the kind of trusting relationship needed to be the
fi rst person the CEO calls when there’s a situation b rewing—or
when he or she just wants to hear some straight talk.”
—Mela Sera, account supervisor, IMRE Communications
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“Jim’s ability to quickly assess issues and offer pragmatic solutions
in a clear, understandable fashion makes him a valuable partner in
running a business in these fast and turbulent times. Many of my
line managers still comment on how his counsel helped them, and
how they use his tenets of communication every day.”
—Robert M. Sherwood, division human resources lead, Flavours,
Givaudan Schweiz AG
“Jim Lukaszewski is a premier counselor to CEOs for one simple
reason: he knows how they think, what matters to them—and
what does not matter to them. Too many who contend for infl u-
ence in the executive suite attempt to impose their notions of
what the boss should know about their functional area. Far bet-
ter that they put themselves in the boss’s shoes and bring useful
insight that helps the leader move the organization forward. Jim’s
book shows aspiring counselors exactly how to do this.”
—David J. Therkelsen, executive director, Crisis Connection
“Jim often is at the table with spot-on counsel and laser-focused
strategy that CEOs and other experts and advisors can quickly
embrace, and an intensity that makes the difference in the fi nal
outcome.”
—Marilyn Waters, director of media relations, Fortune 100
Company
“Every senior leader worth his or her salt should listen to what Jim
Lukaszewski has to say. Often it has been Jim’s unique experience,
insight, and counsel that made the difference between success and
failure for leaders facing the most challenging problems and issues
of their careers.”
—Richard J. White, vice president, corporate communications,
Wisconsin Energy Corporation / We Energies
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Why Should the
Boss Listen
to You?
The Seven Disciplines of the Trusted
Strategic Advisor
James E. Lukaszewski
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Copyright © 2008 by James E. Lukaszewski. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lukaszewski, James E.
Why should the boss listen to you? : the seven disciplines of the trusted strategic advisor /
James E. Lukaszewski. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7879-9618-5 (cloth)
1. Business consultants. 2. Leadership. 3. Decision making. 4. Management. I. Title.
HD69.C6L855 2008
650.1'3—dc22
2007029342
Printed in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION
HB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Preface xiii
My guess is that you picked this book up because you are in
fi nance, the law department, public relations, human resources,
strategic planning, security, marketing, IT, or compliance, and
you deserve to be heard much earlier, more often, at higher
levels. You hold in your hands the disciplines necessary to
achieve your objective.
Acknowledgments xxi
About the Author xxvii
Introduction: Leaders and Their Advisors xxix
If you are going to advise bosses and leaders, you need to change
your perspective. Having a better sense of the disciplined
approach required and how these seven disciplines mold you
into a strategic advisor will be essential to your success.
Part One: The Realities of Advising
Top Executives
1 How Leaders Think and Operate: The Pressures, What
Matters, the Obstacles, and the Solutions 3
First, know whom you are advising, their environment, and
what they care about. Here, I analyze the world in which leaders
currently live, what is different today in what they do and
what is expected of them, and how this applies to the trusted
vii
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