Customer Reviews

John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do (Harvard Business Review Book)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Six of Kotter's articles published between 1979 and 1997 are prefaced by a substantial introduction under the title of Leadership at the Turn of the Century. The six articles are arranged in two groups of three, the first three grouped under Leadership and Change and the second under the heading Dependency and Networks. The first part contains the famous articles "What Leaders Really Do" and "Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail", which was the article behind the author's subsequent book "Leading Change".

I seem to be in a minority in thinking that Kotter's views of leadership are over-rated. Although his commentary recognises complexity, his prescriptions seem to me to be instrumental, linear and unduly inwardly focused. He takes a very analytical view of an intensely human art. One of the central features of successful leadership is passion, and another is a strong and well articulated sense of values. The author recognises both, but does not appear to be engaged by them. They appear to be treated as merely two more ingredients in the mix. Above all, it does not ask the questions that are becoming so dominant - questions about societal values, about balancing the need for profit with issues of sustainability and even about the role of the corporation in a globalised world.

Having said that, there is a lot of good material available. His '8 steps' are sufficiently well known not to need repetition, and the article "What Leaders Really Do" is a good summary of the distinction between leadership and management concerns.

The introduction is written largely around ten 'observations', which add up to saying that leadership and management are different, that high complexity and high rates of change make leadership increasingly important, with a large part of the leadership role being concerned with building vision, providing inspiration and building networks of relationship.

I look at the other reviewers comments and realize that there's another perspective. One that I think I may share with others who are not the other reviewers.

There's a niche of people out there who are "intuitive / analytical" people. The works of other leadership / management "gurus" seem, well, mystical or overwhelmingly positive.

I personally understand and practice the passion of leadership but personally had a hard time understanding the framework of human relationships and motivations that lead to most management hierarchies. In traditional management hierarchies, passionate people are also labelled as "over the edge". immature, unrealistic.

From an analytical engineering / scientist approach, what occurs in executive management just doesn't seem to make sense. Frankly, I'm blown away by the rampant "peter principle" in executive management. I've not understood why I who have significant leadership skills haven't made it into "the higher echelons".

John Kotter is the first author I've encountered who has been able to layout for me the framework of human interactions. He's the first author who feels to me like he is looking over my shoulder giving me useful guidance, not just pumping me up.

The article on "Leading Change, Why Transformation Efforts Fail" included in the book landed in my lap at a time when I'm attempting to lead cultural changes.

The chapter on "Managing and Power" helped me understand how my independent / contra-dependent leanings might actually be hindering me in a management hierarchy of over dependent managers.

I've gotten more condensed information from Kotter than from any other source to date. However, in this case, I must concur with one of the other reviewers: I'd like greater depth of information on how to better adapt.

Still, Kotter's terse, analytical perspective has been phenomenally valuable in giving me insights into my behaviors (that I'm not the only person who acts, feels, or believes in the things that I do) and a framework for understanding the behaviors of others.

Only time will tell if I've been able to take away anything of any real value and apply it successfully.

I bought this book on second thought because I was also buying "Leading Change" by Kotter. However, I picked up this book and could not put it down. As a long-time leader, this book validates much of what I already know and do. However, it also brings a lot of insight into the differences between leadership and management. The author really analyzes the complexity and interdependency and interrelationships that are faced by, and must be overcome or managed by leaders and managers. I liked what and how Kotter says it in this book that I bought one for each of my managers (I'm a CEO). I am hoping that this easy-to-read, and understandable book brings a lot of insight to them. I highly recommend this book to all current leaders and managers, and anyone hoping to go into leadership or management or both.

Prof. Kotter has done another superb job in vividly demonstrating the role of leaders. This book is authoritive and chock full of facts. I also suggest, as a supplement to this book, that you buy a skills-oriented book that I purchased at Amazon--------it will show new and experienced leaders "how" to be better leaders, easily and in a straightforward manner-----------This book is entitled "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills."

In a long working career I have observed numerous instances of the high management manage companies with very few examples of them leading the company somewhere. I worked for Univac for instance, saw them merge with Burroughs, and watched as they turned two five billion dollar companies into one six billion dollar (with a loss in 2006 of almost $300 million). I watched Digital Equipment completely misunderstand the impact of the PC and go from a major player to be part of Compaq, then part of HP.

While this was happening, Microsoft and Intel were truly exercising the leadership that took the computer world through what Andy Grove (of Intel) called an inflection point.

This book is a collection of six essays. The first three discuss leadership. The second three discuss the management aspect. It's a quick easy read, and while there is little practical 'do it this way' advice, the overall impact is just what a true leader needs.

John knows his stuff. I've worked for P&G, M&M/Mars and The NutraSweet Company and I know the halls, people and thinking Kotter discusses. He is spot on in his examination of what good leaders really do, something that can often seem like a mystery. I found it interesting that people were evenly split on this book between raves and pans. So much of what you get out of a book like this is related to personal experience. I don't know if I changed my paradigm after reading What Leaders Really Do, but I increased my empathy and understanding. Always a good thing, no?

Kotter, a professor of leadership at Harvard Business School, distinguishes between a leader and a manager. The former is someone who works thru people and culture; the latter works thru hierarchy and systems. Kotter points out the need to nurture leaders, and he writes of the interdependence of leaders and led. What is required to bring about change, he says, is starting with a sense of urgency, developing a team, communicating the vision, etc. A leader works with others to develop a vision as well as strategies to implement that vision. He or she empowers individuals to bring that vision to life. There are executives who don't lead; they thereby fall into predictable traps. Therefore they find themselves unable to bring about good, nonincremental change. More is involved in leadership than giving orders within an authority structure. The vision need not be original, but it must serve the interests of the constituencies.

Much here may sound like common sense, but it is organized and delivered in a helpful manner. This work is based on the runs, hits, and errors of many organizations and their executives. A solid treatment. Should be read together with Jim Collins's Good to Great.

In the reviews below, only Godfrey notices that this book is simply a collection of 6 previously published Harvard Business Review articles (1979-1997). As such, the book is a handy one-stop shop of Kotter's leadership and management writings over the years, and these articles contain nothing new. One might have wished for Kotter's current commentary on each of the individual articles.

His original contribution to this volume is the first chapter, where he retroactively imposes order on and draws lessons from the earlier works. Overall, this book is a useful compendium of Kotter's ideas from the past 30 years for those who are unfamiliar with his work.

This is a well-researched and cutting-edge book that shows what leaders are made of, what habits they have in common, and from where they come. Mr. Kotter blends well the facts we need to know with human-interest stories of several successful managers. Great book.

Also recommeded: The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills

This was an extra book I purchased for my class. it was a great addition to my class books.