Nobody in Charge: Essays on the Future of Leadership - Softcover

Cleveland, Harlan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0787961531 ISBN 13: 9780787961534

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2002

Synopsis

One of the most renowned thinkers and insightful writers on leadership of our time, Harlan Cleveland has seen numerous trends come and go and weathered many drastic changes in leadership and management-from the rise of the "company man" to the advent of the leaderless, self-managed organization. In this collection of essays-the newest addition to the Warren Bennis Signature Series--he draws on his vast experience to apply his thoughts to leadership. In each essay, Cleveland focuses on an intriguing insight about leadership-illustrated by stories from his own experience --offering thoughtful perspective on what 21st century leaders will face in the new knowledge environment.

About this title

From the Publisher

"The latest book from one of the wisest men of our time!"
--John W. Gardner, founder of Common Cause and of The Independent Sector

"Most books on leadership are written by people who themselves haven't led anything. This book is written by one of the most effective executives who, from a very early age, has for a half-century provided outstanding leadership in American government, higher education, and business."
-- Peter F. Drucker, business philospher

"A rare, readable blend of exceptional experience, wisdom, and wit ¾ for those perplexed about the present or concerned about the future, especially those with responsibility for others."
--Dee Hock, founder, Visa International

"We have entered a new and different world-richly interconnected and radically multicentric-in which the traditional holders of power have to move over and make room for new stakeholders, new players, and new leaders of many kinds. Nobody in Charge, drawing on the learnings of a wise and widely experienced public executive, offers some priceless insights into how things have changed, where they are now, and where we may be going next in this bewildering terrain."
--Walter Truett Anderson, president, the World Academy of Art and Science

From the Inside Flap

Harlan Cleveland, one of the world's top thinkers about leadership, developed his way of thinking as a successful executive leader--in government under four presidents, in three universities, and in private enterprise. In this book, drawn from writings around the edges of a leader's life during half a century, he distills his insights and wisdom on the future of leadership-"the get-it-all-together profession."

The fourteen essays in this collection have an underlying theme: with everything getting more complicated, nobody can possibly know enough to be in general charge of anything really interesting or important. Cleveland argues that this means everybody has a chance to be partly in charge; but since most people won't reach for the brass ring, those who do will be leaders, mostly self-selected.

Nobody in Charge suggests how and why the worldwide spread of knowledge, speeded and enhanced by information technology, is fundamentally changing what it takes to bring people together to make something different happen-in business and government and education and in international affairs. Sprinkled with stories from his own experience and observation, Cleveland describes the attitudes, qualities, and learnings that will work best for people who point the way, create networks, build organizations, and inspire others to act. He also examines the ethics of public leadership and the education of citizens-in societies where a rapidly growing proportion of citizens will opt for leadership.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0787961531
• ISBN 13: 9780787961534
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272