When Opposites Dance: Balancing the Manager and Leader Within - Hardcover

Roy G. Williams; Terrence E. Deal

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0891061797 ISBN 13: 9780891061793

Publisher: UNKNO, 2003

Synopsis

Captures the essence of what it takes to develop new skills for success today: a manager-leader who can balance the coolness of analysis and the warmth of the heart.

About this title

From the Publisher:

The four styles are explained through profiles of these notable figures:

Rationalists (Richard Nixon, Robert Crandall, Pat Summitt) focus on details and leave little to chance and often come across as cold and impersonal.

Politicsts (Lyndon Johnson, Frank Lorenzo, Hillary Clinton) are shrewd and astute in their determination to implement chosen agendas.

Humanists (Jimmy Carter, Donald Burr, Betty Friedan) champion people, facilitate meeting personal needs, and work to liberate human potential.

Culturists (Ronald Reagan, Herb Kelleher, Oprah Winfrey) are symbolic leaders who communicate through stories, rituals, and ceremonies rather than facts or figures.

From the Author:

On many dimensions, we the authors of this book occupy polar positions. Williams was a guard in basketball; Deal a linebacker in football. Williams was a Wall Street whiz; Deal a school teacher and professor. But instead of acrimony, these difference produced harmony. In our cooperative endeavors together, we began to see parallels in the world of work. The separation of management and leadership in today's organizations too often results in antagonism and opposition. Management and leadership are different but each is essential for top performance.

Our travels through these diverse environments identified many managers and leaders. Some whose styles were successful, others were counterproductive. Our observations provoked two questions: Do management and leadership differ so much that separate individuals must practice each? Or can they be integrated and balanced within an individual man or woman?

In our journeys we encountered few who could do both. Reflecting on these observations, we concluded that the roots of successful managing and leading reach deeper than the step-by-step tasks offered in most books, one-week training sessions, and other quick-fix approaches. Our experiences taught us that balancing management and leadership is an ongoing effort. It first requires one's awareness of his or her strengths and weaknesses. Next, it's a matter of embracing one's internal opposite and learning new steps or finding someone who can compensate for your Achilles heel.

Dancing with your opposite is about finding wholeness in every area of your life. We did and believe you will as you journey through the book.

About this edition

• Publisher: UNKNO
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0891061797
• ISBN 13: 9780891061793
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240