"When asking what is leadership, the answer depends on what one is looking for, and from where one is looking"
This has certainly been my experience of working in organizations. Some leaders are expected to be fearless and decisive, others are expected to be collaborative and thoughtful, everyone it seems has their take on what is best.
There is certainly no shortage of advice. A simple search of Amazon will give you 50 books on the subject, and that is the first clue to a more critical look at the subject of 'Leadership'
Leadership writing and advice falls into two camps:
1. The 'Leadership Industry' camp of executive training, business school qualifications, and so called quick fix airport lounge books.
and
2. The 'What Is Leadership' camp that takes a critical look at the whole social phenomenon of leadership and attacks the Leadership Industry approach for creating a superficial and 'faddist' approach and perpetuating the mistaken belief that as Henry Mintzberg says in his 2004 book - Managers Not MBA's - "..the graduate school of business is the principal source of top executive talent"
I used to think there was a clear and simple answer to what makes a good leader. Now I'm not so sure!
There is certainly no shortage of advice. A simple search of Amazon will give you 50 books on the subject, and that is the first clue to a more critical look at the subject of 'Leadership'
Leadership writing and advice falls into two camps:
1. The 'Leadership Industry' camp of executive training, business school qualifications, and so called quick fix airport lounge books.
and
2. The 'What Is Leadership' camp that takes a critical look at the whole social phenomenon of leadership and attacks the Leadership Industry approach for creating a superficial and 'faddist' approach and perpetuating the mistaken belief that as Henry Mintzberg says in his 2004 book - Managers Not MBA's - "..the graduate school of business is the principal source of top executive talent"
I used to think there was a clear and simple answer to what makes a good leader. Now I'm not so sure!
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