
Mission First, People Always
The Definitive Guide to Balancing People and Performance
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Mike Patterson
-
By:
-
Mike Patterson
About this listen
Do I focus on accomplishing the mission or taking care of my people? How do I do both?
Life is about choices. Where you live, the schools you attend, your career path, who you marry - all affect your success and satisfaction. Many of these choices are dichotomous.
If I live here, I can’t live there. If I attend this university, I can’t also go to that one. Leaders often see their workplace strategy as an equally “this or that” choice.
Do I focus on accomplishing the mission and all of the tasks that support it? Or do I take care of my people, doing everything possible to help them flourish? Actually, the better question is, how do I do both?
Lasting success in leadership results from striking a balance between people and performance. Mission First, People Always is a practical guide for building dynamic and respectful workplace relationships, while also achieving the loftiest of organizational goals.
It’s about creating a culture where collaboration thrives, communication flows freely, and conflict is rare and brief. Each chapter provides practical tips that are supported by inspirational stories, personal anecdotes, and scholarly research, along with opportunities for reflection and developmental activities. All are designed to give listeners a clear path to achieving results with, through, and for people.
©2021 Michael L. Patterson (P)2021 Michael L. PattersonListeners also enjoyed...
-
Team of Teams
- New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
- By: General Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, and others
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The retired four-star general and and best-selling author of My Share of the Task shares a powerful new leadership model. Former General Stanley McChrystal held a key position for much of the War on Terror, as head of the Joint Special Operations Command. In Iraq, he found that despite the vastly superior resources, manpower, and training of the US Military, Al Qaeda had an advantage because of its structure as a loose network of small, independent cells. To defeat such an agile enemy, JSOC had to change its focus from efficiency to adaptability.
-
-
excellent book, very informative.
- By J.J. Gardona on 08-24-15
By: General Stanley McChrystal, and others
-
Crucial Conversations (Third Edition)
- Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
- By: Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, and others
- Narrated by: Emily Gregory, Joseph Grenny
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The book that revolutionized business communications has been updated for today's workplace. Crucial Conversations provides powerful skills to ensure every conversation - especially difficult ones - leads to the results you want. Written in an engaging and witty style, it teaches listeners how to be persuasive rather than abrasive, how to get back to productive dialogue when others blow up or clam up, and it offers powerful skills for mastering high-stakes conversations, regardless of the topic or person.
-
-
Great info; needs a cast, PDF and a website update
- By Kali on 04-25-22
By: Joseph Grenny, and others
-
She's The Boss
- 9 Powerful Steps To Mastering Leadership For New Female Leaders In Business; Hone Your Leadership Style, Coach High Performing Teams and Overcome Imposter Syndrome
- By: Noelle Ingram
- Narrated by: Samantha Novak
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Did you know that women only currently make up around 25 percent of the C-Suite? And they lead less than 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies? Hard to believe right? But things are slowly starting to change, and people are starting to realize that women can bring qualities to the table that men simply can’t.
-
-
Leadership empowerment
- By Diana Mikas on 09-11-23
By: Noelle Ingram
-
Essentials of Leadership
- The Power and Knowledge to Lead & Manage in a Position of Strength
- By: Alex Bermudez
- Narrated by: Kenneth Robert Hunt
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Transformative leadership is vital in maintaining sustainable long-term success, high morale, and good employee retention in any business. But only 18 percent of organizations feel their leaders meet organization goals, meaning there is a massive gap in competent-driven leadership.
-
-
This Book Is Essential
- By Laura J. Allewelt on 04-27-23
By: Alex Bermudez
-
The Speed of Trust
- The One Thing that Changes Everything
- By: Stephen M. R. Covey
- Narrated by: Stephen M. R. Covey
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship - from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction - and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time - killing, bureaucratic check - and - balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.
-
-
Good Information, Hard to Listen to
- By Marty on 12-23-10
-
StrengthsFinder 2.0
- By: Tom Rath
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more. While you can listen to this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.
-
-
The code is available.
- By R on 06-13-17
By: Tom Rath
-
Team of Teams
- New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World
- By: General Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, and others
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The retired four-star general and and best-selling author of My Share of the Task shares a powerful new leadership model. Former General Stanley McChrystal held a key position for much of the War on Terror, as head of the Joint Special Operations Command. In Iraq, he found that despite the vastly superior resources, manpower, and training of the US Military, Al Qaeda had an advantage because of its structure as a loose network of small, independent cells. To defeat such an agile enemy, JSOC had to change its focus from efficiency to adaptability.
-
-
excellent book, very informative.
- By J.J. Gardona on 08-24-15
By: General Stanley McChrystal, and others
-
Crucial Conversations (Third Edition)
- Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
- By: Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, and others
- Narrated by: Emily Gregory, Joseph Grenny
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The book that revolutionized business communications has been updated for today's workplace. Crucial Conversations provides powerful skills to ensure every conversation - especially difficult ones - leads to the results you want. Written in an engaging and witty style, it teaches listeners how to be persuasive rather than abrasive, how to get back to productive dialogue when others blow up or clam up, and it offers powerful skills for mastering high-stakes conversations, regardless of the topic or person.
-
-
Great info; needs a cast, PDF and a website update
- By Kali on 04-25-22
By: Joseph Grenny, and others
-
She's The Boss
- 9 Powerful Steps To Mastering Leadership For New Female Leaders In Business; Hone Your Leadership Style, Coach High Performing Teams and Overcome Imposter Syndrome
- By: Noelle Ingram
- Narrated by: Samantha Novak
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Did you know that women only currently make up around 25 percent of the C-Suite? And they lead less than 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies? Hard to believe right? But things are slowly starting to change, and people are starting to realize that women can bring qualities to the table that men simply can’t.
-
-
Leadership empowerment
- By Diana Mikas on 09-11-23
By: Noelle Ingram
-
Essentials of Leadership
- The Power and Knowledge to Lead & Manage in a Position of Strength
- By: Alex Bermudez
- Narrated by: Kenneth Robert Hunt
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Transformative leadership is vital in maintaining sustainable long-term success, high morale, and good employee retention in any business. But only 18 percent of organizations feel their leaders meet organization goals, meaning there is a massive gap in competent-driven leadership.
-
-
This Book Is Essential
- By Laura J. Allewelt on 04-27-23
By: Alex Bermudez
-
The Speed of Trust
- The One Thing that Changes Everything
- By: Stephen M. R. Covey
- Narrated by: Stephen M. R. Covey
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship - from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction - and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time - killing, bureaucratic check - and - balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.
-
-
Good Information, Hard to Listen to
- By Marty on 12-23-10
-
StrengthsFinder 2.0
- By: Tom Rath
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more. While you can listen to this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.
-
-
The code is available.
- By R on 06-13-17
By: Tom Rath
-
Everyday People, Extraordinary Leadership
- How to Make a Difference Regardless of Your Title, Role, or Authority
- By: James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the authors of The Leadership Challenge, Everyday People, Extraordinary Leadership is a TLC for individual contributors. Leadership is not about position, power, or place but about behavior. It's about what you do, not who you are.
-
-
Great for growing as a leader!
- By Adrienne Avery on 12-03-22
By: James M. Kouzes, and others
-
The 8th Habit
- From Effectiveness to Greatness
- By: Stephen R. Covey
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Covey
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Stephen R. Covey, bestselling author of The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, comes the accompanying personal workbook that will help you further realize the power of this new habit. The world has changed dramatically since Covey's classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was published.
-
-
A Real Disappointment
- By Mark on 03-08-07
By: Stephen R. Covey
-
The Making of a Manager
- What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
- By: Julie Zhuo
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker, Julie Zhuo
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having managed dozens of teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, Julie Zhuo knows the most important lesson of all: Great managers are made, not born. The Making of a Manager is a modern field guide packed with everyday examples and transformative insights you need to be the kind of manager you wish you had.
-
-
Drink the Facebook Kool Aid
- By Amazon_Customer on 03-29-19
By: Julie Zhuo
-
Primal Leadership
- Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
- By: Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daniel Goleman's international best seller Emotional Intelligence forever changed our concept of "being smart," showing how emotional intelligence (EI) - how we handle ourselves and our relationships - can determine life success more than IQ. Now Goleman and company apply that knowledge to leadership in a must-hear presentation.
-
-
This opened my eyes
- By Mike on 10-22-07
By: Daniel Goleman, and others
-
Strengths Based Leadership
- Great Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow
- By: Tom Rath
- Narrated by: Barry Conchie
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Strengths Based Leadership, best-selling author Tom Rath and renowned leadership consultant Barry Conchie reveal the results of their research. Based on their discoveries, the book identifies three keys to being a more effective leader: knowing your strengths and investing in others' strengths, getting people with the right strengths on your team, and understanding and meeting the four basic needs of those who look to you for leadership.
-
-
Difficult to get access code
- By Andrea on 03-05-17
By: Tom Rath
-
Unlock Your Leadership Skills
- 30-Day Leadership Course for Beginners, New Business Leaders, and Managers in the Workplace: Inspire, Empower, and Influence Teams
- By: Olalekan Asipa
- Narrated by: Bryce Dolan
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you an introvert? Are you unsure of how to lead? Do you have a fear of leading? Leadership doesn’t have to involve a fancy title or position. Anyone can be a leader regardless of their current skills or abilities. To become an influential leader, you must learn leadership traits and the essential skills needed.
-
-
A good way to learn leadership
- By Anonymous User on 08-21-22
By: Olalekan Asipa
-
Trust and Inspire
- By: Stephen M. R. Covey
- Narrated by: Stephen M. R. Covey
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen M.R. Covey has made it his life’s work to understand trust in leadership and organizations. In his newest and most transformative book, Trust and Inspire, he offers a simple yet bold solution: to shift from this “command and control” model to a leadership style of “trust and inspire.” People don’t want to be managed; they want to be led. Trust and Inspire is a new way of leading that starts with the belief that people are creative, collaborative, and full of potential.
-
-
Excellent book
- By W. Wang on 05-23-22
-
Impact Players
- How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact
- By: Liz Wiseman
- Narrated by: Liz Wiseman
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Impact Players, New York Times best-selling author and researcher Liz Wiseman reveals the secrets of these stellar professionals who play the game at a higher level. Drawing on insights from leaders at top companies, Wiseman explains what the most influential players are doing differently, how small and seemingly insignificant differences in how we think and act can make an enormous impact, and why - with a little coaching - this mindset is available to everyone who wants to contribute at their highest level.
-
-
A must read/listen
- By Tiffany on 03-30-23
By: Liz Wiseman
-
More Than a Boss
- Six Indispensable Leadership Tools For First-Time Managers
- By: Nick Brzozowski
- Narrated by: Joe Scalora
- Length: 3 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is an audiobook about the basics. I won’t tell you how to become CEO or double your salary, but if your hope is to become the boss that you would have wanted, this is the audiobook for you.
-
-
one large advertisement
- By Matthew on 05-07-25
By: Nick Brzozowski
-
Leadership, Motivation & Mentoring: 28 Day Boot Camp for New Managers
- The 63 Essential Tactics for Taking Your Team from Mediocre to Magnificent!
- By: Tony Ortega
- Narrated by: C.D. Gabbard
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leadership, Motivation & Mentoring: 28 Day Boot Camp for New Managers is a true fountain of knowledge for any new or seasoned manager or aspiring leader. This go-to resource teaches first-time managers everything they need to know to tackle challenges and take on new and unique responsibilities. The information is given in easy bite-sized chunks by the author, Tony Ortega, who has 30 years of experience of leading teams at all levels within global organizations. This is a trusted reference guide that will guide you through the maze of the first month of leading your new team.
-
-
Helpful guidance
- By Ellen Santos on 09-02-20
By: Tony Ortega
-
Rookie Mistakes: Advice from Top Executives on Five Critical Leadership Errors
- By: Mike McHargue
- Narrated by: Mike McHargue Steve Doud Meg Forest
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are Your Critical Leadership Errors Undermining Your Team and Organization? After working with more than 300 teams as a Principal Consultant for The Table Group, Mike McHargue recognized an emerging pattern.
-
-
Mistakes corrected, lessons learned
- By C. Adams on 04-14-20
By: Mike McHargue
-
How’s the Culture in Your Kingdom?
- Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey
- By: Dan Cockerell
- Narrated by: Jody Maberry
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Dan Cockerell started his Disney journey as a parking attendant. Over the next 26 years and 19 different jobs, he became the vice president of the biggest theme park in the world, The Magic Kingdom Park. During the course of his Disney career, Dan learned many life and leadership lessons, and teaches those learnings within How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? Dan explains how to lead yourself and how to lead your team and organization by using relevant stories and practical examples from his 26-year Disney leadership journey.
-
-
Very much like his father's message.
- By Alyssa on 02-28-23
By: Dan Cockerell
A Fantastic Audiobook
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book for managers!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.