Customer Reviews

Ultimate Leadership: Winning Execution Strategies for Your Situation

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Russell E. Palmer offers a unique look at what often seems like cliched topic - Leadership.

Drawing on his varied experience as head of one of the world's largest accounting firms, Dean of the Wharton School, and an entrepreneur, Palmer identifies the leadership model most appropriate for your situation.

Ultimately, leadership boils down to inspiration. Your ability to help organizations weather stormy seas and mold its culture to change with changing times is the ultimate test of your ability to lead. Understanding and applying principles is not enough. Your approach needs to change with the context of the situation.

Palmer supports his view with insights from leaders as diverse as Gordon Bethune, Larry Bossidy, David M. Cote, and Jacob Wallenberg, P.X. Kelley, Erik K. Shinseki, Tom Ehrlich, David Reibstein, Michael Useem, and Yoram (Jerry) Wind.

Leadership is never a coincidence. Palmer stresses it is built on character and performance standards to which everyone is held accountable.

I would definitely recommend Ultimate Leadership if you are interested in leading and motivating people. It is enjoyable to read and includes inspiring stories from the author's own experiences and also from other well-known leaders who he has interviewed.

Author Russell Palmer contends that the "tool kit" a leader brings to the table, coupled with the factors present in each unique enviroment are key factors in leading with effectiveness--or not.

The author brings real-life situations to illustrate his points; I found the chapter on mergers and organizational changes most interesting as this is something that happens frequently in business and is a sweeping change with an almost storm-like effect on an organization and the leadership. The author contrasts the ineffective leader who only surrounds himself with people he can trust versus someone who embraces the change and takes risks, not only in whom he places on his team but in doing really deep investigation into things that could be deliberately hidden or played down (concealed debt, liabilities, failures in delivery, etc.) The author also discusses the necessity for personal recognizance even when there is no personal liability as a huge factor in determining if an organization will survive a change or go down like a house of cards.

The last chapter s a shopping list of traits an effective leader should aspire to, including following strategic plans, fostering innovation, exercising prudent and good judgment, building confidence, staying one step ahead and trusting and engaging contributors to release their potential.

A good set of advice with worthy examples of successes and failures.

This book interested me once I discovered the author and I both share experiences as CPA's, as being involved with nonprofits, and being entrepreneurs. I enjoyed reading it. The first three chapters were a bit of a struggle for me to get through because I didn't particularly like the author's writing style or repeatedly hearing about who he was. But I loved chapters 4 through 9 and 11.

I kind of expected the book to be a treatise on the traits and styles used by ultimate leaders. I was pleasantly surprised that the book was organized for the most part around the author's varied career and his work experiences. His first career right out of college was to quickly climb the ranks of the smallest of the Big 8 public accounting firms (Touche Ross). He labels that era of his leadership as being in an organization of his peers. Next he retired from public accounting to become the head of U. Penn's business school (Wharton) where he grew the school's reputation and he became an impressive nonprofit fundraiser. He labels that era of his leadership as being in an academic organization. It's my opinion that that era of his leadership was spent in a nonprofit organization. And lastly, the author moved on to leading in an entrepreneurial organization by starting his own company - The Palmer Group.

I loved the material included in chapters 5 (crisis) and 6 (change), but I found the content to be somewhat repetitive. I think the material could have been consolidated and made into one chapter. I think I would put that new chapter in an appendix since it did not relate directly to the author's three stories (Touche, Wharton, & Palmer). And chapters 3 (top-down management) and 10 (motivating employees) could be eliminated or relegated to appendix material, too. All three chapters seemed to be sideshows to me.

I would have liked the book better if Chapter 11 was moved to the front of the book as Chapter 1, and chapters 1 and 2 were consolidated to only cover the "basic leadership principles" and the "organizaton contexts." I didn't think very much of Chapter 1 added value to the book. There was too much telling me about what was to come later in the book.

All I wanted to learn from the book was the author's take on his leadership experiences gained during his three careers. The Touche Ross stuff was covered in chapters 4 and 9. The Wharton School stuff was covered in Chapter 8. And the Palmer Group stuff was covered in Chapter 7. Those four chapters were the real meat of the book for me. 4 stars!

As a political junkie, I regularly watch the news shows that feature political news and comment. Recently, I have heard several statements by political commentators that many business leaders would be more comfortable voting for Barack Obama than Hillary Clinton or John McCain. The reasons for this preference are clear in chapter 9, which has the title "National Cultures and Context: Leading in a Global Environment." On page 157 there is the paragraph

"Americans, however, should not be tempted to expect to dictate our business practices and customs in different parts of the world any more than we can expect to impose our form of democracy on Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan. These customs and cultures have developed in many cases over more than a thousand years. How can we believe that we can - or even should - change all this overnight?"

Palmer then goes on to describe some of the experiences he has had in doing business internationally. This includes having the raw courage to fly into Beirut, Lebanon during the height of the Lebanese civil war in order to conclude a business deal. While there, he heard bombs going off and a person foolish enough to walk out on a nearby hotel balcony was shot. Since he was the only one willing to meet the potential clients on their turf, Palmer completed the deal.
It is clear that this man is very cognizant of how to successfully deal with other cultures, which any executive of a major corporation must be able to do. It is also clear that the companies that have benefited from the no-bid contracts in places like Iraq and Afghanistan have benefited enormously from the U. S. military actions in those countries. However, the backlash of anti-American feeling around the world as a direct consequence has been detrimental to the international business interests of almost everyone else. One can see how the leaders of businesses with major international dealings would believe that Barack Obama would put a much better face on America as it faces the world.
I was also very impressed by another accomplishment that was the subject of chapter eight. Even though he only had a bachelor's degree, when Palmer was named the dean of the Wharton School of Business, he was able to convince academically minded people with Ph. Ds that he was a rational choice and effective at the job. As someone who has worked in academia, I can appreciate the magnitude of this success and results like this are an object definition in what leadership really is.
Given how high these two points are, the remainder of the book appears weaker, not because it is, but because the two chapters I have cited are so strong. Leadership is one of those characteristics that cannot be precisely defined, yet when it is present, everyone knows it. In this book, Palmer comes closer to giving a precise definition of leadership than anyone else I have ever read, and that list is considerable.

"Leadership alone is the key differentiator between organizations that succeed and those that fail," writes Russell E. Palmer in "Ultimate Leadership." Palmer demonstrates the truth of this thesis by taking his readers through situations in his own, very impressive, career and as well as through those of others in the elite offices of business, academia, government, and the military.

Leadership is about people, he insists, and his scenarios are about how "leaders" inspire, lead, and get the best from their employees, boards of directors, and colleagues. A major focus of "Ultimate Leadership" is how essential it is for leaders to realize that different leadership styles are demanded by different contexts. Defining the extremes, he says the military requires "top-down" leadership, while an academic institution must be lead in a peer-to-peer collegial style. Although he doesn't address how these principles apply to everyday life, it's easy to make the leap.

The autobiographical aspect of "Ultimate Leadership" demonstrates the importance of a leader's ability to understand different contexts and to change his leadership style to fit the context. At age 37, Palmer became the youngest managing partner of Touche Ross, then one of the Big Eight CPA professional services firms. After that he became Dean of the Wharton School of Business, where through his "Plan for Pre-eminence" he led Wharton to become one of the top business schools in the nation. Believing no one should stay in a job for too long, he did not accept the Wharton's offer for a second term and he began a search for his next endeavor. He writes that he wanted to: "Have fun and do something meaningful, do something of excellence that I could be proud of, be successful and make some money." The Palmer Group is the result and it seems to be filling those needs.

Palmer writes lucidly and interestingly, with touches of humor that make his ideas accessible. The qualities and skills he cites as essential for leadership can also be important for everyday life; among them are integrity, careful listening, and good communication skills. How many parents would like to be able to inspire our children to achieve their greatest potential?

I especially enjoyed chapter 4, in context with leading partners - it is a challenge. The author's discussion of "context" in which to apply different leadership styles is right on. Although not the leader that Russell Palmer is, I find myself shifting gears and adapting to different leadership styles in different contexts - whether it be with: my national buying group, my CEO Forum of local manufacturers, my networking groups, with my partners, my employees, or on a board of directors of an organization. I enjoyed the read and the perspective that Russell Palmer shared in this book.

his book is written to the business culture in America. Books with a business mindset can be helpful or pointless for the ministry context. A helpful book from business is "Good to Great" and a unhelpful book from business is "Winning" by Jack Welch. This book falls between these two examples. The book is written by a man who knows how to lead. This is a nice difference from some of the current leadership books that are written by experts in academic organization. This author is a leader who has been successful in multiple leadership contexts. Some of the situations that are discussed are not applicable for a minister in a congregation. Churches do not run like top down leadership organizations. The best chapter and the most helpful was the section on "Peer to Peer" leadership. This chapter dealt with the common situation in most congregations. It would be a great chapter for preachers and elders in the church. Peer to Peer leadership is the mode of operation in most congregations because people are volunteers. People are free to come and go as they will. The last section of the book is worth the price of the book. It talks about how to properly motivate workers, but is easily applied to motivating the servants in a congregation.

In the game of golf, the principles of the golf swing, the putting stroke and the short game are essential for good play. These principles, though, must be adapted to the weather and course conditions or the golfer will play poorly. Author Russell Palmer in his "Ultimate Leadership" builds on this concept and, with his personal experience as a backdrop, highlights the importance of applying leadership principles to the context in which the leader is operating.

Palmer has excellent credentials. He served as Managing Partner and CEO of Touche Ross & Company before leaving after ten years to become the first non-academic Dean of the Wharton School. Most recently, he founded the Palmer Group, an investment company focused on entrepreneurial opportunities.

"Ultimate Leadership" outlines the basic principles of successful leadership (judgment, character, tenacity, and resilience to name four) then shows, through personal and third party examples, how these should be applied in varying contexts, including: command and control organizations - (the military and corporations); partnership of peers; entrepreneurial organizations; academic institutions; foundations; non-profits; business roundtables and other peer groups; and organizations in crisis.

Palmer concludes with chapters centered on "How Leaders Transform Organizations," "National Cultures and Context: Leading in a global environment," "The Heart of Leadership," and "Putting It All Together." He feels that the best training for business leaders is a strong liberal arts (the study of history and the reading of biographies) program followed by business school. He also believes leaders must play to his/her strengths and not to conform to someone else's image of leadership.

This is an excellent read for those who aspire to be leaders. For those who want to learn more about leadership in the social sector and entrepreneurial leadership (they have many similarities), I highly recommend Jim Collin's "Good to Great and the Social Sectors."

When it comes to introducing new products and services, the key to success in today's market is the ability of manufacturers and providers to be able to customize them to meet the needs of the potential buyer. In his stimulating book, author Russell E. Palmer raises the valid question as to why such optimization practices could not be applied to one's leadership abilities. He recognizes how leadership principles can be effective in a wide variety of situations but also need to be applied in a specific, predetermined manner depending on the unique combination of circumstances and individuals involved. Palmer should know since he has a proven track record in three distinct leadership roles that have required him to adapt his principles - first as managing Partner and CEO of Touche Ross (now Deloitte & Touche) for a decade, then as Dean of the Wharton School for seven years, and now as the Chairman and CEO of his own corporate investment firm, the Palmer Group.

Instead of allowing us to believe that the mountain came to Mohammed with each role, Palmer shows how deliberately he adapted his leadership style to fit the contours of each context. The breadth of his experience is reflected in the informed way he organizes the book by context within an organization - top-down, leading your peers, a company in crisis, a company whose culture is transforming significantly, an entrepreneurial venture, an academic setting, and leading in a global environment. In each case, he provides practical advice on how to fill the gaps that exist in existing organizations, for example, when surrounded by peers or direct reports who have relatively narrow specializations, the leader needs to focus on becoming a generalist who supplements value from a broader perspective. Even though he lends quite a bit of his own personal experience to each context, Palmer wisely recruits sixteen others to weigh in and validate the principles through illuminating interviews that encompass the various contexts. Among the more intriguing are three leaders in the private sector - Larry Bossidy, retired Honeywell CEO; Gordon Bethune, former Continental airlines CEO and current Chairman of Aloha Airgroup; and Tony Kobayashi, chairman of Fuji Xerox - as well as former Marine Corps Commandant General P.X. Kelley and John McKernan, former two-term governor of Maine.

Much of Palmer's message may come across as plain common sense, but it's his impressive background that lends his points the necessary resonance. He also recognizes the burgeoning failure rate of CEOs whose own hubris has taken over when it came to achieving the desirable business results. In the meantime, the company devolves into a dysfunctional organization in which board members and shareholders are alienated, and the chain reaction is felt by not only regulators and Wall Street analysts but also an employee base looking elsewhere to apply their talents and skills. It has become so common to see crestfallen ex-CEOs with golden parachutes that a cottage industry has developed to recruit high-level executives as temporary CEOs. More fundamentally, the author does not ignore the basic leadership principles that provide the foundation for success regardless of the context - consistent display of integrity, direct involvement in execution, flexibility bound by good judgment, fostering innovation, and encouraging proactive communication, among other skills. At the end of the day, despite what the profit picture may look like for a company, Palmer knows it comes down to how a leader values the people around him/her. It's good to see such a seasoned leader validate that crucial point.