The Magic Question

by David Cottrell

The business leader's toolbox for increasing morale, decreasing turnover, and contributing more than ever to your company's bottom line

"What if you could create a culture where everyone is committed to the greater good of the organization? Sound like a pipe dream? David Cottrell will show you the way . . . ."
-Ken Blanchard, coauthor of "The One Minute Manager" and "Lead with Luv"

"How can I help?"

Isn't that the question every leader longs to hear? What if every person on your team consistently asked you, How can I help? What if your team was totally in sync with and committed to achieving your organizations objectives? What if everyone on your team was willing to leave his or her comfort zone and take a risk to help your team win? Impossible? Unrealistic? Pollyanna? No. The team with the best leader usually wins.

Sounds simple ... but what does it take to be the best leader? Often what is missing is the understanding of how to lead others toward a common goal.

In its simplest form, leadership comes down to answering six key questions that are important to your team. When your teams needs are being met, they will want to ask you The Magic Question "How can I help?"

If you depend on results from others, this book is for you. It offers a proven method for creating an atmosphere in which employees willingly give discretionary effort. "The Magic Question" is not about a new leadership strategy. Strategies come and go. What you will learn in is tried and true regardless of the strategic focus of the time, and the principles apply to businesses in every industry, as well as schools, hospitals, churches, even homes. When you hear The Magic Question, you will know you are on your way to better results and to achieving them faster than ever before.

Every team asks the questions. Great leaders have the answers.

David Cottrell is President and CEO of CornerStone Leadership Institute, one of the nation's largest publishers of management and leadership resources.

Genres: Leadership, Professional Development, Business

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Marc Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Magic Question is a pearl of a book that is a quick read at just around 100 pages. The crux of the message centers on the question all leaders seek to hear: "how can I help?". There is much more to this read though. Each chapter focuses on a different question leaders should have a concise response for. I really enjoyed the perspective that the book was written from. Essentially, for people to ask the magic question, a leader needs to provide answers to the important questions that are asked of him/her. The information is not innovative, but it is presented in a way that will make sense to the leader; connecting important dots and concepts. I think all leaders, whether aspiring or in the trenches of managing change, will enjoy and benefit from The Magic Question.

[Jay French · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this similar to many other basic leadership books I've read. Nothing jumped out as novel. On reflection, not much was memorable. This was a good reminder of things to think about as a leader, but I'd consider it a short, casual read.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read with great insight. All managers should read this.

[Arranda Saputra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best finding of the month!!

First of all, i must say that i'm happy that i found this book on a clearance sale in a local bookstore. It went down from its original price 22$ to only 8$. The title really made me curious about the content, but still i read this book without expecting a lot of fresh knowledge. After all, it was an 8$ book. Turns out after i read every chapter, i got everything beyond my expectation. I will say that this little book is very powerful. Unlike other leadership books, this is really a mind opener. If people say "dont judge a book by its cover" then i'm also gonna add "dont judge a book by its price"

It breaks down most of leadership problems into six questions, then it helps us answering all those six questions. It really straight to the point and clearly defining all aspects that you need to be a good leader: consistency, communication, careness, trust, and integrity. I wont bother explaining each one of them in this review, it will be better for you to dig down deeper by reading this book yourself. Dont underestimate it just because it has less than 100 pages.

The best thing about this book is the author's way of explaining things using analogy and added example from his career experience, it totally make a lot of sense. I may have a little disagreements with some points but this book is a must read for every leader and every soon-to-be leader. 4 stars!!

[Theresa Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What are the Magic Questions when you are a leader of any kind? Well, there are several to keep in mind in order to reach your optimum potential. How can I help? What is really important? How am I doing? How is our team doing? Do you care? What difference do we make? Are you worth following? This book was enlightening and functional at the same time. I got a lot of pointers on how to motivate people in general. Also, I realized in some situations during my career it wasn't always my fault. Poor leadership might have created the situation, and my response to it was natural. Not to say, I don't take responsibility. However, the leadership of an organization will determine it's success. It is that simple. If the members are not successful, everyone needs to look at the leader. You hear the phrase, "The buck stops here." It really does. This book points to the facts behind it. I could not put the book down. It is highly recommended for everyone. Even if you are not a leader, this is just the tool you need to evaluate the leaders you have in your life.

[Efrem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very good book on leadership. It teaches (or reminds) leaders about several important questions that they need to answer--and in fact are answering, whether they realize it or not--for their teams on an ongoing basis. Once leaders give the right answers to their teams, then their teams will ask them the Magic Question, and that is when the organization can really take off. I am very glad to have read this book.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad -- a little more simplistic than what I was looking for, but could be a good intro book for a new manager. I did like that they kept all of the strategies and suggestions very doable.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

a simple and quick read with lots of great sense application. I could easily see this as something I could read with and apply with my staff.

[VENKATRAMAN C K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a handbook for building a High Performing Team.

[Shaggy91 · Rating 4 out of 5]

i worked in call center, if you a leader this is a great book with a great ideas for leading (y)