Backstage Leadership: The Invisible Work of Highly Effective Leaders

Most of us would recognize a star leader by their charisma, emotional intelligence and public communication prowess. What is truly impressive but often overlooked is the silent work of leadership that garners real results. Exercising influence in a complex and global organization – whilst also shaping and executing strategies across borders in a disruptive age – is the true mark of success as a leader. Backstage Leadership takes a comprehensive look at the background processes that leaders must master in order to shape the culture, direction and capability of a successful company. With an emphasis on strategy, the author provides an integrated toolkit for developing your knowledge and skills as a 'backstage leader.' You will learn how to:

•      Mobilize people towards new strategic directions
•      Scan your business environment for threats and disruptive forces
•      Diagnose and help to shape the culture of your organization
•      Develop talent and capabilities towards a specific goal.

Focusing on the key and consistent underlying processes of leadership, this book is essential reading for managers who wish to bring focus and coherence to their leadership role and integrate themselves within the engine of the organization.

Charles Galunic is a Professor of Organisational Behaviour and the Aviva Chaired Professor of Leadership and Responsibility at INSEAD. He directs one of INSEAD’s flagship Executive Education programs, The Transition to General Management Programme (TGM) and has been a pioneer of several courses including the core EMBA course on Leading People and Organisations. He also teaches in a variety of INSEAD Executive Education programmes, both in Fontainebleau and in Asia, and has been recognized often for his teaching excellence.

He has published in various academic and practitioner-oriented journals, including the Journal of Managerial and Decision Economics, Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Organisation Science, Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, and Research in Organisational Behaviour. He has also worked with numerous companies and executives, across various industries and continents, in order to help them develop their senior leadership skills and solve pressing cultural challenges in practical ways.