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Lead Like a Pirate! Offers Professional Development With a Twist

Syracuse, NY (PRWEB) October 4, 2007 -- Attention on deck! Captain Tiger Eye Taylor and the Crew of the Ebony Ghost are ready to take you and your team on a hunt for leadership treasure. Set sail from the Caribbean island of St. Croix on one pirate adventure after another as the wise old Captain shares his five Secrets to leading effective teams. Discover why diversity is strength, decisiveness an advantage and no-excuse performance is the final word. Author, motivational speaker and leadership coach, Christopher Novak, has his third book, Lead Like a Pirate!, published this month by Cornerstone Leadership Institute. While its official release date is November 1st, pre-release copies are available through the publisher's website (www.CornerstoneLeadership.com) or www.Amazon.com or by calling (888) 789-5323.

Novak's new book is a themed-learning gem set in the golden age of pirates and blends old world imagery with real-world insights on leading effective teams. The quick-read, 88-page soft-cover book ($14.95 +s/h) is ideal for leaders at all levels but is particularly helpful for new or frontline leaders looking for an entertaining twist on professional development. Lead Like a Pirate! is perfect for organizations or groups that want to engage and energize the learning process with a concept that everyone is familiar with and enjoys.

As a professional facilitator, Novak has led leadership training for thousands of professionals through his company, The Summit Team. Lead Like a Pirate! is based on one of Novak's most popular training curriculums titled, Pirates of St. Croix. In that classroom module, participants explore critical team leadership characteristics against the backdrop of 17th century buccaneers before concluding with a fast-paced, out-of-your-seat competitive activity that reinforces delegation, creative problem-solving, attention-to-detail, communication and other leadership skills. "Pirates of St. Croix is consistently my highest rated training program," says Novak, "and so many people would ask if there was a book that they could get that would share these concepts with their team that I knew I had to write one."

Written as a log, the book introduces five Secrets to team leadership - the Captain, the Crew, the Mission, the Strategy and the Treasure. Captain Taylor's Secrets are each developed inside a pirate adventure complete with an entertaining storyline and illustrations that bring the characters to life. Written with a hint of old English dialogue the main chapters end with challenges that ask the reader to choose the best course of action from among three alternatives, awarding doubloons depending upon the choices made. The book concludes with an analysis of key learning points and tips to reinforce and implement the insights in the workplace. In addition to the book, the publisher will offer a downloadable slide presentation for leaders who want to facilitate their own Lead Like a Pirate! training session.

"Chris has succeeded in finding a fun way to learn and teach leadership and team building skills!" according to Amy Diamond Barnes, Associate Vice President for Human Resources at Colgate University. "This book takes the reader through real life lessons on leadership, vision and strategy and teaches characteristics of effective leadership while providing ideas for bringing those lessons into the workplace," she continues, "it is a must-read for every team leader looking for an entertaining way to begin a dialogue about building a successful team that maximizes the contributions of its individual members."

Novak's first book, Conquering Adversity: Six Strategies to Move You and Your Team Through Tough Times, was also published by Cornerstone Leadership Institute in 2004. It has become a popular resource for organizations, teams and individuals facing change, challenge or adversity and is a sought-after keynote presentation for conferences, executive training or special events. Information on Conquering Adversity can be found on the author's website at www.Summit-Team.com. Organizations that have added Conquering Adversity to their leadership arsenal include Swissport, Harrah's Entertainment, Syracuse University, Wal-Mart's Walton Institute, TIAA-CREF, ExxonMobil and many more. Novak has presented Conquering Adversity both nationally and internationally to groups that include Nike, Florida Hospital Association, Crowley Foods, SHRM, CUPA-HR, Colgate University, United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Attorney's Office. Conquering Adversity is also available as a CD audio-book.

Novak also authored, 4 Circles of Good Business, which was published in 2006 by Core Concepts, Inc. and is available at www.4CirclesofGoodBusiness.com or www.Amazon.com. The book explores the interdependence of four critical business criteria - capital and finance; products and services; operations and management; and governance - with the needs of the primary stakeholder in producing and sustaining good business practices. The 4 Circles model presents eight essential questions that everyone from the CEO to the frontline need to understand about their operation and team. West Virginia University's Entrepreneurial Center and United Therapeutics are two of many organizations to embrace its principles.

Novak's professional background includes director of human resources at Cornell University and human resources manager for a ceramic manufacturer. In 2001, he founded, The Summit Team, whose focus is leader-to-leader training and executive coaching. The Summit Team has provided informative, interactive and inspirational leadership guidance to organizations that include Hess Corporation, Lane Construction, Ithaca College, and Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. He has a master's degree in business management and a dual bachelor's degree in aeronautics-mathematics.

For more information, visit www.Summit-Team.com or call (315) 673-1323.

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