Transforming leadership through Rockstars
RockStars is a story about transformational leadership. It is a story of personal growth, finding fulfillment within one’s self, and about the realities of bringing about change in organisations, according to its authors, Rozaine Cooray and Pujitha Silva.
The book is written based on the P3 GROWTHS Model; a model that has been tried, tested and validated over many years, in creating change and growth in people.
The storyline in RockStars is weaved around this model, and takes the reader through the journey of growth as described in the model, the authors said in a statement after the book was launched on Thursday in Colombo.
They said that while there are many books about leadership and achieving success in the organisations, this one in particular deals with the aspect of growing people in the organisation, in order to create sustainable change. The principles and ideas that are offered in the book are not only relevant for the organisations, but can be useful in transforming communities as well, they said.
The main message in the book is that ordinary people have the potential and capacity to bring about lasting change in their environments. The book drives the idea that if individuals are able to drive themselves towards a life purpose that is larger than themselves, they will be able to make a greater impact on society. In the book, such people are defined as RockStars; individuals who lead themselves for a cause that’s bigger than themselves, the authors noted.
On the topic “Rockstar”, the duo explained that a RockStar is a person who can unite people towards a cause that is bigger than themselves, for the benefit of the community.
The book was primarily targeted towards people working in the organisational sector. However, it can be read and enjoyed by a diversity of audiences – from a university student to a retired professional. The storyline and the concepts highlighted in the book can be understood and applied in many contexts, their statement said.
The biggest inspiration in putting together this book has been the P3 GROWTHS model itself. “The model was put together in 2011, and the experiences of testing and validating the model in different settings and communities to bring about transformation have been a huge source of inspiration. The idea of writing a book based on the model was something we discussed for a very long time, but when it finally came together, the storyline came together in a short period to be what it is today. The walks we used to take in the early mornings on the beach at sunrise was another source of inspiration for the backdrop of the book,” the authors said.
On the question of what do they hope to achieve through this book, the authors said: “We hope that by reading the book, people will be led to shift their mindsets to embrace a sense of purpose that they can live for something that is larger than themselves. If many people are able to drive themselves toward a purpose that is for the betterment of others, we as a community can collectively believe in a better future.”
(Feizal)
| Rockstars: Creating stellar performers in organisations | |
| REVIEW Rozaine Cooray and Pujitha Silva’s latest book project is like a movie unfolding. In fact it has all the ingredients for a gripping tale of failure, success, determination, anger, hatred, bitterness and a happy ending – in the workplace and at home. The story is related by Roy, a company manager who has a challenging task ahead in bringing change to an organisation, and Ed, a doctor whose past failures became lessons to succeed and revolved around the axiom – “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” The talks amidst walks on the beach, watching the fishermen at work, at one point some great passages: “Fishermen going out to sea are fearless; they go against the tide. Leaders do that too,” makes this a must-read for all those learning to manage change in an organisation. Among the other key points:
Rozaine and Pujitha’s effort is a masterpiece of balancing an, often complex and to the average reader, highly technical theory of management —- through an enthralling conversation between two characters, one advising the other on his (Ed’s) success based on failure — laced with light moments; the Petti kade; walks on the beach, kicking the sand; and looking at the stars in the sky on a moonlit night. As if to say, the sky is the limit. It’s a nice narrative, written in simple, easy-to-understand English and provides some great learnings for those not only in management but also home-makers. |