Leadership - People Management

Conversation, an essential leadership tool.	What does a leader do most of the day? Talk! But make no mistake; this is not a waste of time! The authors of Leadership Unplugged emphasize that conversation is an essential tool of leadership. In a world where leaders can no longer simply make decisions and persuade people, conversation is the key driver to get others to cooperate willingly in changing their way of thinking. To use this tool effectively, leaders must master the various facets of conversation, i.e. debate, discussion and dialogue. The authors offer many helpful suggestions on how to do this.
Leadership Unplugged, Jacqueline Moore and Steven Sonsino, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Developing leadership qualities	What is a great leader? Peter Koestenbaum addresses this difficult question from the point of view of a philosopher who worked with company executive for many years. According to him, leadership is more than a set of skills; it is a state of mind. In Leadership: The Inner Side of Greatness, he invites us to develop qualities that may seem contradictory, but are all critical to exercise "great" leadership, such as being visionary while staying in touch with reality, being focused on results but attentive to others, showing courage while admitting your fear, etc. He offers many suggestions on how to accomplish this.
The Inner Side of Greatness, Peter Koestenbaum, Jossey-Bass, 2002

Rally People Around a Vision	With the failure of many corporate initiatives and difficult economic times, people tend to smile at the very idea of proclaiming a vision for the future of their company. Nonetheless, organizations have a real opportunity to mobilize people in a world where citizens are more vocal in demanding their rights, and employees are increasingly disillusioned with their employers. The author of The Committed Enterprise explains why organizations should seize this opportunity, and how to do so successfully.
Hugh Davidson, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002.

The Cycle of Leadership	Top-performing companies stand out for their ability to develop leaders at every level of the organization. They know that they need hordes of responsive, dynamic leaders to succeed in a fast-changing, increasingly competitive world. The Cycle of Leadership describes the practices of companies that have been effective in developing leadership in their managers. The author emphasizes the key role of company executives, who must see themselves primarily as “leadership teachers” to their employees. He also insists that teaching and learning must be reciprocal, because the best teachers are those that are willing to learn from their students.
Noel M. Tichy, with Nancy Cardwell, Harper Business, 2000.

Leading Quietly	Adopting a heroic stance to deal with ethical dilemmas can be more suicidal than effective. The author of Leading Quietly uses ten detailed examples to show that reality is much more complex that it is usually portrayed in theory. To address these seemingly inextricable situations, he exhorts managers to adopt a modest, pragmatic attitude. "Be aware of your personal motives, learn how to stall for time, proceed with caution, find compromises, etc." A somewhat unorthodox but how realistic advice, which will help you resolve dilemmas more effectively.
Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr. Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership	The collective unconscious attributes good leaders with certain qualities, such as quick decision-making ability, firm opinions, natural authority, strong values, etc. The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership rejects these clichés and shares a certain number of unorthodox ideas derived from years of practical management training. Among these are the principles of putting off decisions for as long as possible, and never blindly trusting experts. This book should provide ample food for thought for any leader.
Steven B. Sample, Jossey-Bass, 2002.

Clear Leadership	High-quality interpersonal relationships are more important than ever to organizational efficiency. In a context where decision-making in increasingly shared, where everyone is expected to take initiative, and where teamwork plays a predominant role, the ability to communicate clearly is essential. Clear Leadership nevertheless observes that few organizations possess this ability to a sufficient degree, as demonstrated by how often things go awry as a result of misunderstandings. The author recommends concrete methods to resolve these problems.
Gervase R. Bushe., Davies-Black, 2001.

Credibility	This book describes what characterizes a leader, based on several surveys of over ten thousad executives and employees in Europe and the U.S. that resulted in the identification of four attributes that executives must necessarily possess to be respected as leaders.
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Jossey-Bass, 1994.

Visionary Leadership	The author, Burt Nanus, holds that leaders are primarily people who have forged a clear vision of the future of their company. He consequently offers a method to build a relevant vision of the future of a company, and proposes a scenario-building approach to accomplish this, starting with methods and tools to create and select target scenarios, followed by explanations on how to define scenario paths to attain desired goals.
Burt Nanus, Jossey-Bass, 1991.

Beyond the Hype	This book uses an original approach to help readers rediscover the fundamental principles of management, namely, rhetoric, action, and identity. Based on these principles, the authors construct an interesting treatise on strategy, structure, and management drivers that eschews trendy influences.
Robert G. Eccles, Nitin Nohria and James D. Berkley, Harvard Business School Press, 1992.

The Working Leader	In this book, the author seeks to demonstrate the limitations of the traditional «ideal manager » model inherited from the scientific management principles of the mass production era, and then proposes an alternative «action leader » model that would place managerial focus on maintaining cohesion and coordination within today’s complex organizational systems.
Leonard R. Sayles, The Free Press, 1993.

Leadership Without Easy Answers	Companies are often said to need visionary leaders, but this book offers a completely different perspective that merits some reflection. For the author, the test of a good leader is how well he helps his organization adapt its values and behavior to changes in the environment. This approach certainly has social merit and should help executives avoid common traps into which visionary leaders often fall.
Ronald A. Heifetz, Harvard University Press, 1994.

Right from the Start	High stakes are always involved whenever power changes hands at a company, both for the company and for the individual involved. Right from the Start serves as a guide for those confronted with this challenge. The authors focus on a new managing director's first six months on the job. These first few months are shown to be a crucial "grace period" after which the executive must have won the trust of company employees and the chairman. Based on an analysis of numerous real-life situations, the authors offer precious advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and successfully "take the helm."
Dan Ciampa and Michael Watkins, Harvard Business School Press, .

Power Up	Many executives are disappointed with the way their top management team functions, and ask themselves, «Why don't executives simply mind their own domain of responsibility? » «Why are so many decisions made on the sidelines, without any chance for discussion? » The authors show traditional leadership precepts are behind many of the ills suffered by these teams. Based on this analysis, they describe an alternative approach involving shared leadership, and offer many tips on how to successfully negotiate this difficult but promising path.
David L. Bradford and Allan R. Cohen, Wiley, 1998.

The Leadership Triad	In the course of recent decades, leadership conditions have changed significantly; knowledge has become a key component of competitive advantage, and leaders are no longer expected to guide those who execute their orders, but utilize all of the collective and individual knowledge and intelligence that exists within the company. This book draws conclusions on the practical implications for on leadership behavior.
Dale E. Zand, Oxford University Press, 1997.

Managing With Power	Jeffrey Pfeffer treats the question of power in management in this book, which explains that successful executives rely less upon their own skills than the status conferred by their position. The keys to getting and keeping power are then outlined and analyzed using supporting examples from political and corporate circles.
Jeffrey Pfeffer, Harvard Business School Press, 1992.

The Leadership Engine	Companies now encourage their people to be autonomous and make decisions as close the field as possible. In this context, developing leadership at all levels of the organization becomes a crucial factor in successful performance. The author presents the key managerial qualities that companies should support to do this, i.e., the ability to solicit ideas, promote the fundamental values of the organization, and liberate employee energy. The book then presents examples of companies that have successfully developed these leadership abilities at all levels.
Noel Tichy, Harper Business, 1998.

Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will	This book takes readers into the heart of Jack Welch's reorganization of General Electric in the eighties. One man--Jack Welch--was the driving force behind this «Welch revolution, » and the author makes a detailed description of the character traits that helped him lead it, as well the methods he used.
Noel M. Tichy and Stratford Sherman, Currency Doubleday, 1993.

High Flyers	The author of this book points out the limitations of traditional methods used to select and promote corporate executives, and recommends an approach to managing the careers of future leaders that would more fully develop their leadership abilities.
Morgan W. McCall, Harvard Business School Press, 1997.

Leading Out Loud	This book is a guide for managers who must speak to convince an audience. The author explains how to build each part of a speech, how to communicate before an audience, how to establish credibility, and how to make a point through example, analogy, and metaphor.
Terry Pearce, Harper Collins, 1995.

Leading Change	This book describes the role of leaders in managing change programs, i.e., create a sense of urgency; form a strong coalition; develop a vision; communicate the vision; eliminate obstacles to change; demonstrate quick wins; build on initial wins to accelerate change; embed new practices into the corporate culture.
John P. Kotter, Harvard Business School Press, 1996.