Customer Reviews

The Will to Lead: Running a Business With a Network of Leaders

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Too many book talk about leadership with hyperbole and abstraction. They view leadership as a set of mechanical traits that one can possess, or they perform hero worship by telling stories about various leaders. This book does neither.

Bower provides the right amount of stories as well as his views on what it takes to lead. The books conversational style and well thoughtout ideas make it well worth the time. This work causes introspection that is more valuable and more action oriented than the other tomes on leadership, self help, etc.

The Will to Lead greatest benefit is that it is a first person account of a proven business leader in a dynamic business. What is surprising about the book is that it is very non-consulting-ease even through the author is a former Managing Partner from McKinsey & Co. The first person account and stories contain mulitple nuggets of what it takes to be a real leader. You may have to wade through a few stories that seem a bit self serving of the author. However, these are only the recollections of a lifetime of leadership so they are certainly allowable. Other books on leadership (Kotter et al) provide a more scientific view, however Bower's been there and this is what its like approach gives the book credibility and value

If all managers and bosses could read this book the world would be a better place. Marvin Bower has a simple and engaging style of writing that sets him apart from other business writers. I highly recommend this book for those looking for insight regarding their management styles.

In my last job I worked for the owner, a manager of the style who believed that if your were always concerned about getting fired today that you would work harder. His style yielded a lot of turnover, much grumbling and a family business where senior positions were held by family members who were loyal regardless of their competence.

This book is based on observations of businessmen who have gone beyond the 'my way or the highway' approach. These new managers are not so concerned with their own status that they refuse to listen to their employees. They look for change, especially as they see the world changing around them and forcing ther companies to change to stay competitive. Here are companies and managers that estalish a firm position towards hiring and keeping talented people.

Bower's resume includes acting as leader of the esteemed consulting firm Mckinsey & Co. for 17 years. He shares an business model ideal based on a leadership structure rather than a pure authority sturcture. Appoaching this ideal, a business would flourish from the increased exercise of initiative, expression of opinions and even disagreement.

He challenges, "People don't need better bosses, they need better leaders," and "What if people truly liked their work?"

This book gives many imaginative examples of how this vision could be accomplished. There is no current real business example that we can look to. He has set the bar high... sort of an ideal, like a virtue, where the striving never ends. He does point out hints of this effort in some of today's businesses though.

From his life experience and research, he delineates fourteen qualities an ideal leader would have. They include trustworthiness, fairness, unassuming behavior and the willingness to listen.

This is a great book if you are not 100 percent happy with your company's health, and are looking for a possible positive ideological shift in becoming more leadership oriented and upgrading your mission statement.

Five stars

There is no arguing about the value of leadership versus "command and control" management. If you have read General Electric's annual reports over the past decade, you can probably skip this book. Jack Welch has been on a leadership crusade for years at General Electric, and results speak for themselves. But even at GE,and certainly elsewhere in corporate America, there are significant pockets of "command and control" managers and CEOs, who go through the "leadership" motions, but prefer a good old fashioned "I'm the boss", "do-as-you're-told" approach. Why? As Martha Peak explained in Management Review ("Mission Control", Management Review, April 1996), "the people now at the top got there because they do their best in a command-and-control environment". The "successful" CEOs are where they are today because "command and control" did so well under the old model. Which brings me to a suggestion for the author. "Change" should be on the top of his list of 14 qualities of true leaders. Not just the ability to change, but willingness to seek out change and use it as a tool. Jack Welch has been successful at GE not because he has kept his "neutron Jack" image throughout his tenure, but because he has shown a willingness (or rather, a passion) to change. I once had a "command and control" manager who said "Sure you're empowered, as long as you stay within the rules". I would restate that in the context of leadership as "You're encouraged to break the rules and change them to be more productive and better at everything you do". The book is worth reading, especially if you're not yet convinced that we need more leaders and fewer managers. But don't believe that without adding "change" to the "14 qualities" it will become reality.