Visionary Leadership (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Bill Gates, Girl Scouts (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The survival of the planet in the '90s, according to Nanus, coauthor of Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Over, depends on whether world leaders are able to envision critical changes in both the public and the private sectors. Using a pet-food company as an example, Nanus contends that the ideas and methods involved in developing a "vision" are equally applicable to a product, a government, a public service agency, a church, a school and a penitentiary. Success, he argues, depends on the originator's capacity to "attract, commit and energize people." But Nanus only partially succeeds in defining these intangible attributes, and his proposed ways to realize one's vision--including lists, "vision audits" and tables--differ little from common-sense strategies typically advocated in how-to-succeed guides. Fortune Book Club main selection; BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Nanus, coauthor of the best-selling Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge ( LJ 4/1/85) and author of The Leader's Edge: The Seven Keys to Leadership in Turbulent Times (Contemporary Bks., 1989), continues clarifying the elements of this elusive skill for the reading public. In his latest effort, he presents a step-by-step approach to the development of vision. To do this, he divides his book into three parts and explains what vision is, how to develop it, and how to implement it. Well written, practical in approach, and laced with numerous examples, this work should prove popular with readers. Recommended for public and academic libraries. Fortune Bk. Club main selection; BOMC alternate.
- Robert Logsdon, Indiana State Univ. Lib., Indianapolis
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (July 28, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787901148
• ISBN-13: 978-0787901141
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #369,475 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top quality insights to meaningful leadership., December 3, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Ipswich, MA) - See all my reviews

It's not often that an author keeps "topping" previous work in terms of refining intricate concepts, but that is what Nanus has done here. If you are in a leadership position, the diagram of the essential components of leadership in the first chapter is alone worth the price of admission. These are insights by someone who has studied and analyzed what it takes to be a "facilitative" leader--not a boss leader, not a manager, but a true "inspirer" of others who can harness the energies and maximize the focus of an organization--a "leader of leaders"--this book essentially lays out how to maximize BOTH alignment and empowerment----this is a great book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sourcebook for Organizational Visioning, January 22, 2001

By	Bruce Graham (Chicago) - See all my reviews

I have used this book as a guide to visioning in a higher education environment, specifically, health care professional education.This book is the definitive resource for leading an organization to a new future. It clearly delineates the steps the leader should follow to bring the organization to a shared vision of its future which is inspirational yet achievable.The supporting rationale for the advantages of Visioning over conventional Strategic Planning is explained by the author.The progression from Vision to implementation of strategies is also treated in depth.I have used his book for nine years in two different institutions and consider it to be an indispensible part of my personal approach to leadership.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!, May 19, 2007

By	Anthony Toupuissant "Toup" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Burt Nanus is very humble in his writing style. The feel of this book is almost bible like. This book is designed for individual leaders to develop their own vision statement, this book guides readers through the mechanics of forming a vision, guidelines for developing the scope of the vision, and processes for implementing that vision.

You will be influenced and exposed to high quality material with the same attention to detail you found in the late Peter Drucker's work, however you will not gain an instant vision by reading this book. It is definitely a good book to keep in your collection. Visionary Leadership is an indispensable guide for leaders at all levels. It will always help you to retrace your steps.