What Do Leaders Really Do?: Getting under the skin of what makes a great leader tick - Softcover

Grout, Jeff; Fisher, Liz

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841127574 ISBN 13: 9781841127576

Publisher: Capstone, 2007

Synopsis

An enormous range of literature on leadership and management theory has been produced over the years, some of it highly academic and much of it contradictory. What Do Leaders Really Do? takes the basis of the best-known management theories to see how they fit with the practical reality of leadership. How do leaders spend their time? Are they really preoccupied with strategy, vision and inspiring people? Do they lead by accident, or design? The book challenges the assumption that leaders are born, not made and explores the theory that female leaders are fundamentally different from their male counterparts.

What Do Leaders Really Do? Looks into the everyday working lives of well-known leaders in a variety of fields - business, sport and the armed forces - in order to identify the elements that encourage people to follow where they lead. Drawing on the experiences of a wide range of leaders with varying backgrounds and roles, as well as a range of respected academics and management writers, this book will closely analyze the background, experiences and behavior of a diverse set of leaders. A central part of the analysis will be a detailed examination of what these leaders do on a day-to-day basis.

It is not a book about management theory but an accessible, no-nonsense guide to those theories and how they translate to real life. Many people lead effectively without knowing how they do it; this book will isolate and identify the core skills and behavior displayed by effective leaders.

What Do Leaders Really Do? is intended to be a refreshing alternative to the hundreds of academically-oriented leadership books that are available. The tone will be straight-forward, accessible and sometimes humorous, rich with first-person evidence and anecdotes. It will dissect popular leadership theory into the easily understandable basics, with reference to the practicalities of real-life leadership situations. After all, what good is theory if it doesn't work in practice?

About this title

From the Back Cover

"This is a book about experiences. Thankfully, it is not telling us to 'do' anything. It is not a 'must do/should do' tract of management speak.

It offers insights and philosophies from people who have been in significant leadership positions. I personally found it helpful to check off some of the strengths and weaknesses I have, and simply reflect on the way others approach similar situations that I face. I spent half the time reading and the other half asking myself challenging questions!"
—Adrian Moorhouse - Chief Executive and co-founder of Lane 4 Management Group, The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to work for 2007 - 'Best for Leadership' award

If 'command an control' leadership is no longer relevant what are the best modern leaders doing and saying that is really working? What do leaders really do? asks the key questions of the best leaders around and comes up with some surprising and insightful answers. Leadership insights are drawn from those in the frontline of business, sport, media and the military, including:

• Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games for 2012.
• Greg Dyke, former Director-General, BBC
• Charles Dunstone, CEO and co-founder, Carphone Warehouse
• Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi
• Dame Stella Rimington, former Director-General of MI5
• Major General Patrick Cordingley, Former Commander of the Desert Rats during first Gulf War
• Martin Johnson CBE, World cup Winning England Rugby captain
• Sue Campbell, Chair of UK Sport
• Martin Glenn, CEO Birds Eye Iglo Group
• Field Marshal Lord Inge, former Chief of Defence Staff
• Heather Rabbatts CBE, Executive Deputy Chair, Millwall FC and Chair of Millwall Holdings

What do leaders really do? is leadership straight from those who know first hand what it's all about. This is how it really is.

From the Inside Flap

EVERYTHING it seems, from sporting success to the collapse of a society can be traced back to leadership good o0r bad. Little wonder then that there is an obsession with unlocking the secrets of what makes a truly great leader. Despite a plethora of theories, a neat and tidy one-size-fits-all definition of leadership remains elusive. What better way then to assess what great leadership is all about, but to examine, question and play devil's advocate with a group of the most successful, diverse and inspired leaders of our time? Each leader featured here has a different background, personality, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. All have learned, often through trial and error, how to get  the best of their people  and their organisations. All are united by a desire to make a difference in their chosen field, even if that means standing alone for what they believe in. All are human and have made mistakes. There is no single, magical recipe for successful leadership. The best leaders have a portfolio of styles and skills and the instinct to know when to use them. What do leaders really do? will help you make sense of leadership and allow you to apply the best and brightest ideas back to your own situation.

About this edition

• Publisher: Capstone
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1841127574
• ISBN 13: 9781841127576
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224