If the best definition of a leader is 'someone who has followers' Gardner very succinctly expains that great leaders have followers because they have values, cahracter and a story that others can believe in and wish to support or emulte.
But that world-view or story has to be borne out in the lives and actions of those leaders. Very thoughtful, well researched and convincing.
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Leading Minds: An Anatomy Of Leadership Paperback – June 14, 1996
by
Howard E. Gardner
(Author),
Emma Laskin
(Contributor)
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Drawing on his groundbreaking work on intelligence and creativity, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, developer of the theory of Multiple Intelligences, offers fascinating revelations about the mind of the leader and his or her followers. He identifies six constant features of leadership as well as paradoxes that must be resolved for leadership to be effective using portraits of leaders from J. Robert Oppenheimer to Alfred P. Sloan, from Pope John XXIII to Mahatma Gandhi.
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBasic Books
- Publication dateJune 14, 1996
- Grade level11 and up
- Reading age13 years and up
- Dimensions6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100465082807
- ISBN-13978-0465082803
- Lexile measure1330L
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Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
126 global ratings
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2013
- Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2015Great for use in my education career. Very helpful way of explaining leadership roles.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2018Thank you
- Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2010Gardner analyzes eleven individuals, throughout different periods of history and of different nationalities, as case studies to illustrate the power of stories in achieving leadership. Each historical figure relates and embodies a story that allows him or her to provide the leadership needed for historical change or achievement. Many of the eleven historical figures used are household names, such as Pope John XXIII, Martin Luther King, Jr., Margret Thatcher, and Mahatma Gandhi. I personally find Gardner's instructive descriptions of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Alfred P. Sloan, and George C. Marshall most beneficial and encouragement to learn more about their fascinating lives. Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer used his technical expertise as an academic to provide the leadership needed to guide the efforts of the Manhattan Project to develop the world's first nuclear bomb. Gardner recognizes Oppenheimer's story that allowed him to build a coalition of physicists as one that stressed making that which is complex, simple. Oppenheimer fought off a counter-story that cited the destructive capabilities of a nuclear weapon as reason to avoid its creation by embodying the professionalism (and egos) of the physicists involved in the Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer reminded his team that they alone possessed the special skills to produce a weapon capable of ending WWII. Oppenheimer also understood the importance of the ability to communicate complex, technical (scientific) concepts to the masses and spent much of his life working to educate the general public about the benefits and potential evils of nuclear science.
The ability of creative geniuses to relate sophisticated information to what Gardner terms the "unschooled mind" is central to the idea of a leadership story and ties directly to Gardner's central thesis. Gardner expands upon his earlier work, Creating Minds (1993), in Leading Minds (1996) by applying a cognitive approach as a framework to assess leadership. The five-year-old mind or "unschooled mind" is described in detail by Gardner, but it is sufficient to say that the story of a successful leader avoids the trap of attempting to convey complicated theories. The story should instead be simplistic in the sense that it speaks to a large group, encompassing the "unschooled mind". This is particularly revealing as successful leaders are often brilliant and always possess a vast amount of technical expertise, but leadership requires that they convey their ideas to an "unschooled mind".
Alfred P. Sloan used a M.I.T. education in engineering as a launching point to defining and perfecting organizational structure as a means to organizational efficiency. Sloan, as the CEO of GM, perfected the nuances of the science of management and became a pioneer and expert in the conduct of business, a large national/international corporation. Gardner recognizes Sloan's stories that spoke to both his employees and the nation as a whole as his most meaningful leadership contributions. Sloan conveyed a story to his employees that emphasized them as being a part of the world's most powerful and progressive organization, the GM Corporation. Sloan's story also spoke to the greater U.S. and international community stating that capitalism results in prosperity and speaking of, "the development of an industry that was to advance the economic and social status of humanity more than any other." Sloan was uniquely qualified to embody these stories that arose as the U.S., including his GM, began to assume the lead in the world's economy.
George C. Marshall used stories to leverage his military expertise as a leader, similar to Sloan's accomplishments in business. Marshall's accomplishments are well documented, and he is often thought of as a model soldier. Gardner recognizes both his ability to synthesize facts and speak his mind as key to his leadership success, citing confrontations that Marshall had with General Pershing (WWI) and President Roosevelt (WWII) as evidence of his willingness to engage superiors as an equal. Marshall ultimately drafted a story of national defense that overcame counter-stories based on isolationism. Marshall's story made the Axis powers a clear enemy and substantiated the need for a more robust defense force and U.S. action in WWII.
Oppenheimer in science, Sloan in business, and Marshall in the military, all possessed a unique ability to engage superiors as equals and create stories that they uniquely embodied and that spoke to the beliefs of large groups of masses ("unschooled minds"). Leading Minds is one of my favorite leadership works, and I now think of the creation and embodiment of stories as the key apparatus for accomplishing successful, visionary leadership. Leading Minds has also made me more personally aware of the importance of reaching the "unschooled mind," and I am now more mindful of my own writing and communication styles. Gardner provides useful lessons for all who seek a greater understanding of leadership.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2015Outstanding book on leadership. One of the best. Thoroughly enjoyed.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016Book in good condition. Difficult read; too deep at times.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2014Lots to think about.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015excellent!
Top reviews from other countries
Sunshine23Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 20195.0 out of 5 stars Item as described
Many thanks
Amazon CustomerReviewed in India on August 3, 20175.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Great book. Sadly GST has forced many sellers to withdraw and we may never see dealstar again.
Yehezkel DrorReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 20123.0 out of 5 stars INTERESTING, BUT IGNORING CORE ISSUES
This is an interesting book, though it innovates less than the author claims (page 280). Many important insights are presented. But the core issues of leadership are not taken up.
I will not dwell on doubtful statements, such as speculations on leaders losing their father while young (page 270), trust in the public recognizing after some time unauthentic leaders (277), "totalitarian impulses" of de Gaulle (page 232), and the right of leaders to privacy (page 283). Rather, my problem with the book is its focus on garnering of a following by effective communication of a story (page 59) - while claiming to do much more.
The author states correctly that a fundamental issue facing leaders is "how to understand the world in its complexity and subtlety, and yet communicate directly to dispersed individuals with limited expertise" (page 104). But he does not discuss how leaders can improve their understanding of the world. And the critical role of rulers in shaping the future and the capacities of the mind required for doing so well are not taken up. Instead, the book concentrates on "story telling" and related external features of leadership behavior (page 286).
The need for time to think is mentioned, but this is all. Not a word on qualities f the mind essential for good leaders, such as uncertainty-sophistication, thinking-in-history, and an "internal citadel." Even a discussion of the "intelligences" needed by leaders, which is to be expected from the expertness of the author, is missing.
Towards the end the book mentions some features of "an exemplary leader" (page 269 ff.). But, again, essential core qualities of the mind are ignored. Therefore most of this book is more relevant for those concerned with the techniques of leaders than with upgrading their substantive qualities.
Professor Yehezkel Dror
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
AngelaReviewed in Canada on July 30, 20241.0 out of 5 stars Arrived damaged
Listing did not show a used book, but that's what came. Markups and all.


