The Thoughtful Leader: A Model of Integrative Leadership

Leadership is a quality that is difficult to define. Some believe that it is innate, the gift of a selected few. Others believe that it is a skill that can be learned but don’t agree on what, exactly, should be taught.

In The Thoughtful Leader, Jim Fisher provides an invigorating, inclusive and positive framework for teaching current and aspiring leaders in all walks of life. The author has incorporated various apparently opposing leadership ideas into an integrated model. In order to successfully meet the challenges of a fast changing world, leaders can no longer choose between managing, directing or engaging. The thoughtful leader is someone who simultaneously, consistently and coherently manages, directs and engages their followers. The framework provides a way for anyone who is motivated to lead, has the courage to act and is willing to think about their actions to become more effective. Thoughtful leaders can maintain integrity in their actions and activities regardless of the situations that they encounter day-to-day.

The model developed in this book applies to many settings, including corporate and public service environments. The Thoughtful Leader offers a fresh and forward thinking framework that allows active and emerging leaders to be better prepared to live as a leader day to day.

Jim Fisher is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto. He was formerly the Vice-Dean and Marcel Desautels Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management. He joined the Rotman School after a successful career.