THE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP COMPASS

A management consultant advises corporations on developing strong and effective cultures.

In this debut business book, Ausmus explains the framework of the volume’s title, which is designed to guide companies through developing strong cultures, measuring the right results, and aligning employees toward unified corporate goals. In chapters (which the author calls “installations”) dedicated to each element of the Transformational Leadership Compass, the manual takes readers through the process of identifying values, creating a shared sense of mission, setting and measuring achievable goals, and making these performance improvements part of the ongoing culture of the company. Each chapter opens with the story of John, a composite character based on several of Ausmus’ clients, who leads a struggling company through a successful turnaround by implementing the TLC. Through effective communication, self-actualization, and appropriate but not overzealous management, John turns a dysfunctional workplace into a thriving and self-sustaining business. Guided exercises appear throughout the book, and appendices include additional questionnaires and worksheets. The author covers territory that will be familiar to readers of management books, emphasizing authenticity, engagement, and clarity as key elements of an overall strategy that has buy-in from employees at every level. But his enthusiasm and involvement (Ausmus invites readers to email him directly at several points in the text) make him a compelling advocate for implementing the well-known concepts. The volume’s effectiveness is somewhat hampered by its insistence on using the TLC terminology, which provides nonstandard meanings for several ordinary words (“Assets are the clear, agreed-upon commitments to outputs of the events”). This is particularly noticeable with games, an acronym (goals, actions/activities, measurements, examples/expectations, support) that has nothing to do with recreation. The components of games are listed in full 10 times throughout the text, contributing to the somewhat repetitive nature of the book and making it feel overly long. Still, those who find the author’s narrative style appealing will appreciate the detailed discussions of what goes into making a successful company with an engaged workforce, with plenty of examples of every facet of the TLC.

An informative and valuable, though lengthy, guide to creating robust organizational cultures.