Relationship Based Leadership has been written primarily for child-care leaders looking for a better way to manage their agencies—one that emphasizes cooperation rather that control; motivation from within rather that from without; and accountability to a team, more than to a boss. Such changes not only require fundamental shifts in how managers and workers think, but even greater changes in their relationships to one another. It carefully explains the basic changes needed to bring about relationship-based leadership, including principles of motivation, managing social situations, principles of team leadership, strategic planning, keys to being more effective in relationships, staff development strategies, and working through personality conflicts at all levels of an organization.

The text illustrates these concepts with case studies (derived from on-site interviews with early childhood program directors) and anecdotal experiences in actual childcare settings. The book's applied focus utilizes learning exercises that allow the reader to apply the principles and skills presented in each chapter.