John Baldoni is an internationally recognized executive coach and leadership educator. He's the author of thirteen books on leadership published by the American Management Association and Mc-Graw-Hill, some of which have been translated into Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, & Korean, and has authored some 200 columns for Harvard Business Review as well as over 400 columns for Forbes, Inc.com, and FastCompany.com. He is called upon by major media outlets around the country for his opinion on a wide range of leadership issues. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he received his AB in English from Georgetown University in 1974, a Diploma in Film from the London Film School in 1976, and an MA with honors from the University of Michiganin 1999. He began his career in corporate communications and worked in many different sectors including automotive, financial services, health care, and pharmaceutical, specializing in executive speechwriting. In the late 1990s, he transitioned from corporate communications to executive development. His firm, Baldoni Consulting, LLC, is an executive coaching and leadership development firm.
Themes
Two key themes are present in Baldoni’s work as a consultant and author. The first is influencing upward. “If your boss is open-minded and you have a good relationship, you owe him the straight talk,” Baldoni said in an interview with Harvard Business Publishing. Not all bosses may welcome such feedback and so Baldoni advises “fram the feedback in the form of your perceptions,” that is what you observe and can put into context for the boss. Part of the influence process relies upon credibility. “Demonstrate initiative.” During times of uncertainty, as Baldoni told the Star-Ledger," is an opportunity for people to move into leadership positions by gaining more responsibility, show how you can handle crises…" The second theme is the power of example. “Leaders,” Baldoni said in an interview with HR Management Report, “Leaders have to be prepared to be available to do whatever the organization needs… Leaders need to understand that they need to be there for the organization and do whatever it asks of them.”
Recognition
According to the Harvard Business Review, Baldoni's "Lead Your Boss" provides useful advice on how to handle all of this with aplomb. Just as important, it offers encouragement and inspiration. The book breaks its lessons down into simple steps that are no less valuable for being, in many instances, predictable." In 2012, Leadership Gurus International ranked him as #10 on its list of global leadership experts. In 2014, Trust Across America named him to its list of Top 100 Thought Leaders In Trustworthy Business and Inc. included him as one of the Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts.
