The Extraordinary Leader: Turning Good Managers into Great Leaders [Hardcover]

John Zenger (Author), Joseph Folkman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0071628088 | ISBN-13: 978-0071628082 | Edition: 2

People can learn how to lead. This was the position John H. Zenger and Joseph R. Folkman took when they wrote their now-classic leadership book The Extraordinary Leader—and it’s a fact they reinforce in this new, completely updated edition of their bestseller.

When it was first published, The Extraordinary Leader immediately attracted a wide audience of aspiring leaders drawn to its unique feature: the extensive use of scientific studies and hard data, which served to demystify the concept of leadership and get readers thinking about the subject in a pragmatic way.

Now, Zenger and Folkman revisit the subject to address leaders’ most pressing concerns today. The result is an up-to-date, essential leadership guide for the twenty-first century that includes:

• Late-breaking research on the psychology of leadership
• New information on leading in a global environment
• A breakthrough case study on measuring improved leadership behavior
• Studies revealing the importance of follow-through

The Extraordinary Leader is a remarkable combination of expert insight and extensive research. The authors analyzed more than 200,000 assessments describing 20,000 managers—by far the most expansive research ever conducted for a leadership book.

Zenger and Folkman have created the leadership book of the ages. The Extraordinary Leader explains how to build leadership skills that will take you and your organization to unimagined success.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A No-Nonsense, Battle-Tested Program for Developing Exceptional Leadership Skills—Both In Your Organization and Yourself

The ability to lead, far more than just a natural gift, is a concrete and learnable skill—one that can be acquired by studying and applying specific proficiencies and attitudes. The Extraordinary Leader draws on responses from 200,000 questionnaires to define the skills that comprise effective leadership, and then provides a systematic and innovative program for attaining, developing, and implementing those skills.

Praise for The Extraordinary Leader:

"The Extraordinary Leader attacks cherished but unsupportable assumptions, and does it persuasively, precisely, and professionally. Through their exceptional research the authors demonstrate and prove that leadership does make a difference, and that you can learn to lead."—James M. Kouzes, Chairman Emeritus, Tom Peters Company, Coauthor, The Leadership Challenge and Encouraging the Heart

"Extraordinarily readable! This book represents some of the best thinking on leadership I’ve seen in a long while."—E. David Spong, President, Military Aerospace Support, The Boeing Company

"This is a ‘must read’ for coaches, leaders, and those who develop them. The Extraordinary Leader goes beyond anecdotes or ‘war stories,’ it builds upon comprehensive research. It is destined to be a classic in our field."—Marshall Goldsmith, Named by Forbes as one of five top executive coaches and one of Wall Street Journal’s "Top 10" executive educators

"Our objective is to provide the reader with an empirical analysis of leadership, a simple and practical conceptual model of what leadership is, and an actionable guide to helping leaders develop ‘greatness.’"—From Chapter 1 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

An Updated Edition of the Leadership Clasic!

The Extraordinary Leader is a groundbreaking guide that helps you pinpoint and maximize the leadership qualities you already possess. This brand-new edition has been extensively updated to include the latest research into leadership psychology, case studies for leading in a global environment, and the necessary skills for guiding yourself, your team, and your organization to greatness.

Praise for the first edition of The Extraordinary Leader

“This is a ‘must read’ for coaches, leaders, and those who develop them. The Extraordinary Leader . . . is destined to be a classic in our field.”
—Marshall Goldsmith, named by Forbes as one of five top executive coaches and by The Wall Street Journal as one of the “Top 10” executive educators

“The Zenger Folkman philosophy has its eye on the right goal—real, measurable results. The Zenger Folkman leadership model is distinguished from others in that it is backed up by research and data.”
—Bill Blase, Senior Executive Vice President, Human Resources, AT&T Corp.

“Through their exceptional research, the authors demonstrate and prove that leadership does make a difference and that you can learn to lead.”
—James M. Kouzes, Chairman Emeritus, Tom Peters Company, and coauthor of The Leadership Challenge and Encouraging the Heart

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (May 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071628088
• ISBN-13: 978-0071628082
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I guess you need to buy the next book . . . February 22, 2009

By Dorothy M. Young

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

. . . to find out the HOW. The authors make great hay of defining the WHAT -- What is a good leader? What characteristics are essential, and which are nice-to-have? What are the fatal flaws that will torpedo a career and a team? But it's short on the Hows -- how can I develop these characteristics. My company has adopted the dimensions of THE EXTRAORDINARY LEADER for our evaluation and appraisal system for managers so I'm working through it with the managers who report to me. We are finding gaps in the text to tell us how to develop ourselves so we are filing in for ourselves -- being the extraordinary leaders we are! <grin>

Incidentally, I've gone through the 360-degree feedback the Zenger company offers. The company is having us do that exercise from the top down. I found it helpful, but it's not for the faint of heart. For a mediocre manager or for a manager with enemies, it can be absolutely devastating.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to Become Extraordinary October 12, 2009

By Larry Underwood

Format:Hardcover

In practically any athletic endeavor, executing a successful "follow through" is critical in achieving superior results. Now, John H Zenger & Joeseph R Folkman demonstrate that concept applies to developing good leadership skills, as well. Welcome to the world of 21st century leadership; extraordinary leaders are created through extensive research & development along with a willingness to learn.

In this extraordinarily pragmatic study of leadership, Zenger & Folkman shed new light on issues that were previously considered vague and difficult to measure. Their study corroborates Douglas W Hubbard's findings in How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business, as well as Daniel Coyle's conclusions in his groundbreaking book, The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.. Leadership can certainly be taught, and its effectiveness is tangible; measurable.

The significance of this study is, appropriately, extraordinary. The psychology of leadership is seen in a new light and gives us new insight, from a global leadershp perspective. In short, this could be the most comprehensive study of leadership, ever.

For any organization striving to train & develop a new breed of dynamic leaders, this is the handbook to guide them through that process.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Extraordinary Leader August 11, 2005

By J. L. Anderson

Format:Hardcover

One of the two or three better books on leadership in my opinion. Contemporary, based on recent solid research. As a management consultant, confirmed many of the principles and concepts I embrace while adding several new, valid ones. Very practical, with sound, "I can use now" applications.