Title: The Leader of the futureFrances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, Richard Beckhard. Soundview The Drucker Foundation. (1996)Rating: 9/10. A very fun and insightful read, I very much enjoyed the diversity in this book.Summary: The Leader of the Future spotlights the ideas of an extraordinary set of visionary thinkers like Hesselbein. It showcases some of the leading business writers of our day, filled with their thoughts on the leadership skills necessary to take advantage of current day and future challenges.Chapter 1 PETER F.
DRUCKER: NOT ENOUGH GENERALS WERE KILLED’Leadership Can and Must Be Learned The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.? An effective leader is not some- one who is loved or admired. Popularity isn’t leadership; results are.? Leaders are highly visible. They set examples.? Leadership is not rank, privileges, or money. It is responsibility.Chapter 2 PINCHOT: CREATING ORGANIZATIONS WITH MANY LEADERS’Learn to Use the Invisible Hand’By replacing hierarchy with more indirect methods of leadership, you can allow greater freedom, better allocation of resources, and a strong force for focusing on the common good.
Offering workers more room to lead creates an organization ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges.Free IntrapriseDon’t force employees to use monopolistic staff services. Let them choose among service providers.Chapter 3 KOUZES AND POSNER: SEVEN LESSONS FOR LEADING’Help Lead the Voyage to the FutureSeven Lessons of Leadership:Lesson 1: Leaders don’t wait. Leaders don’t wait for permission to start new endeavors; they act with a sense of urgency.Lesson 2: Character counts.More than anything, people want leaders who are credible and can be trusted.Lesson 3: Leaders have their head in the clouds and their feet on the ground.The best leaders have a capacity to paint an uplifting and ennobling vision of the future.Lesson 4: Shared values make a difference.You must be able to build a community of shared values.Lesson 5: You can’t do it alone.Extraordinary achievement doesn’t occur without the active involvement and support of many people.Lesson 6: The legacy you leave is the life you lead.Credible leaders, in the eyes of followers, do what they say they will do. That’s the golden rule of leadership.Lesson 7: Leadership is every- one’s business.Leadership is not a title. It’s a set of skills and abilities that can be learned. Chapter 4 CHARLES HANDY: EARN AUTHORITYA belief in yourself This is the only thing that gives you the self- confidence to step into the unknownand persuade others to go with you.A passion for the job This pro- vides the energy and focus that drive the organization and sets an example.A love of people Those who find people a pain or a nuisance will not be willingly followed.Chapter 5 STEPHEN R. COVEY: THREE ROLES OF THE LEADER’Lead Based on Timeless PrinciplesA Changed WorldThe marketplace is demanding that organizations change. We all must be able to produce high quality goods and services and deliver them in a fast, friendly, and flexible way.Put Principles to WorkCorrect principles point the way. They don’t change or shift. They al- ways provide direction.Three Roles for a Leader:PathfindingPathfinding gets the organization excited about a transcendent purpose on behalf of customers and other stakeholders.AligningYou have alignment when they share a power- ful commitment to accomplishing the vision, and when you invite them to improve structures and systems.EmpoweringWhen everyone is aligned with a common mission and vision, you begin to co-mission with them. The purpose and mission of each person are commingled with those of the organization.Chapter 6 DOUGLAS K. SMITH: THE FOLLOWING PART OF LEADING’Lead from BehindNew IndicatorsTo ensure success, workers must now both think and do, manage others as well as themselves, and make decisions and do real work.Why Follow?Few who only follow can con- tribute. Nor can many who only lead. We all must learn to lead and follow.Leaders must learn to follow in three common situations:Individual performanceYou must follow a person, regardless of hierarchy, if that person knows best; if that person’s growth demands it; and if only that person has the capacity to get the job done.Team performanceAs a leader, you must follow the team if the team’s purpose and goals demand it; if the team, not you, must develop skills and self-confidence; and if the team’s agreed-upon approach re- quires you to do real work.Organizational performanceAs a leader, you must follow others, regardless of hierarchy, if the organization’s purpose and performance goals demand it; if the need to expand the leadership capacity of others in the organization requires it; or if living the vision demands it.Chapter 7 WILHELM: LEARN FROM PAST LEADERS’Characteristics of effective leaders Intelligence: the ability to see more faster and to reason effectively.? Clear and strong values.? High energy levels.? A thirst for knowledge.? Vision. Effective leaders have the ability to collect the same data as everyone but find new things in them.? Curiosity.? A good memory: to remember people as well as things.? The ability to help followers feel good about themselves.Effective leaders also have enabling behaviors:? Empathy. The best leaders have always been able to put themselves in the minds and situations of others.? Predictability. It’s easier for people to follow predictable leaders.? Persuasive ability.? Leadership by example. Effective leaders operate by higher standards of personal conduct.? Communication skills.Chapter 8 C. WILLIAM POLLARD: THE LEADER WHO SERVES’Provide Direction and PurposeServant leaders: Seek to recognize the dignity and worth of all people.Are committed. Their responsibility is for the long term and not for their short-term benefit.Go out and talk with the people they lead. As they listen, they learn.Make things happen. They initiate and at times create disequilibrium to maintain the vitality of the organization.Promote diversity, knowing that people’s differences can strengthen the group.Are value-driven and performance-oriented. They lead people to do the right thing the right way.Chapter 9 STEERE: FOSTER CREATIVE TENSIONConsensus without creative tension is dangerous, because:Dissent occurs outside meetings rather than in them.The gap between true consensus and perceived consensus widens.Thanks to passive resistance, difficulties increase when decisions are implemented.Managers begin to believe direct conflict is dysfunctional, so the ability to read nuances becomes key to survival and advancementChapter 10 DECRANE: A CONSTITUTIONAL MODEL OF LEADERSHIP’Timeless Core Leadership CompetenciesCharacterReal leaders, in the words of Thucydides, have knowledge of their duty, and a sense of honor in action. They are fair, honest, open, and trustworthy.VisionSuccessful leaders develop goals to achieve their vision. Their commitment to the goals is, by their actions, obvious to followers.BehaviorsGood leaders:Act. Moreover, they are unwilling to rationalize inaction.Create and shape change rather than accepting it passively. They challenge the status quo.? Seize present opportunities while remembering to invest in the future.? Evaluate and place people based solely on strength, performance, and potential.? Think positively and never give up. They seek the opportunity that lies in every challenge.? Communicate constantly by influencing, encouraging, listening.ConfidenceSelf-confident leaders aren’t threatened by the success of others, and they pay no attention to petty politics. They are consumed, rather, with achieving the vision.Chapter 11 GOLDSMITH: GET INPUT & FOLLOW UP!A study done by Goldsmith’s firm shows the benefits of getting feed-back on your leadership capabilities and doing something with it. In this study, eight thousand managers in a Fortune 100 firm asked for feedback on their leadership abilities from direct reports. After receiving a confidential report on the feedback, each manager was asked to pick three areas for improvement and develop an 8 action plan for change; respond to co-workers by thanking them for the feedback and discussing the plan with them; and follow up with co-workers to check on their progress. After eighteen months, people were asked again to provide feedback. The study’s findings showed that managers rated as doing consistent or periodic follow up showed a large improvement in effectiveness.