Deputy Director Sadhana Hall's Book "Leadership Blueprints" Released

Deputy Director of the Rockefeller Center, Sadhana Hall, has just released her second book "Leadership Blueprints," available on Amazon today. In preparation for the book's launch, Sadhana sat down to answer a few questions about her latest book. The book can be found online here.

What does Leadership Blueprints mean to you?

Leadership Blueprints means everything to me. It is a compilation of so many ideas thoughts, reflections, and wonderful experiences. I was able to add a few alumni reflections on their time at Rocky and it was a joyful moment each time I heard from a student or alumni about how our leadership programs have had a lasting impact on them.

What is something that you always had by your side while writing the book?

Many books on leadership have inspired me while writing the book. A book about writing called  Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark, in particular, allowed me to find my own voice to write and compile what I felt needed to the shared with others.

If people could read only one sentence from Leadership Blueprints, which one would it be and why?

“A good idea becomes a great idea with the input of many.” I strongly believe in the power of collective energy to create something that becomes better than the sum of its parts. I have seen this over and over again. It creates a sense of community, cooperation, and collaboration. Done right, people learn to deal with how to compromise, address conflict, and feel immense pride in the final product.

Can you explain the process of creating your book?

I have always wanted to share how we have created the leadership programs at Dartmouth’s Rockefeller Center. When the idea began taking shape, Cat Zhao ’20 created the cover and a template for session designs now featured in Chapters 3-7 of Leadership Blueprints. Student assistants from different class years (Madeleine Bernardeau, Dylan Giles, Gia Kim, Leeza Polselski, and Kristabel Konta) helped me to finalize the format and worked with me to bring it to the final stages. An initial draft of the book was reviewed by faculty and professionals from different fields of endeavor. This gave me the confidence that the book can be adopted, adapted, and adjusted in any setting. All the feedback I received led to the expansion of the book from six chapters to ten chapters. I felt reflections from students, alumni, and facilitators of the program would provide deeper insight into learning and our commitment to continuous quality improvement. A draft of the book was reviewed by Christine Peterson, who not only copy-edited the book, but provided wisdom about structuring chapters. I decided to self-publish this book because many colleagues told me that this is a trend and my sister-in-law, Mary Ann Hall, connected me to Satya Parmarty from eBookburners. My husband, Rick Hall, helped me to upload the e-versions of the book and I am so excited to see it on Amazon today. I hope people will take advantage of this resource and adapt it to their needs.

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

 Leadership is for everyone. Whether the reader is a professor, a student, a manager, or an employee, Leadership Blueprints shows that leadership is about bringing “talk into action.” The book can either be used whole or in part. For those looking to create a full curriculum for leadership at a school or workplace, there are full descriptions of leadership programs at Dartmouth College’s Rockefeller Center. For those who can only dedicate an hour of a staff meeting on the topic, they too can use the detailed individual exercises and adapt them to meet individual circumstances. It is an opportunity for the book’s readers to experiment, learn, and grow.

The book can be found online here.