Living Leadership:A Practical Guide for Ordinary Heroes

Description

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction to the new edition

Part 1 – What it is

1.  Living leadership – Find yourself in leading people                               

2.  The end of superman – Don’t be a hero                                         

3.  Getting connected – You depend on others                                   

4.  Context, context, context – Practise the art of the possible         

5.  Coming alive as a leader –  Use all your senses and experience                     

6.  Surfing, sinking and swimming – Don't panic, you're only human

7.  Leading in the moment – Become more versatile as a leader

Part 2  - How it works                                                                     

8.  Bosses – Manage expectations                                                                       

9.  Self – Practise "healthy selfishness"                                                    

10.  People – See if they will trade with you                                        

11.  Groups – Work on and off the table 

12.  Strategy – Nudge it forward                                                            

13.  Change – Be part of it                                                                        

14.    Development – Get real                                                                    

 Part 3   What comes next

15.  Living with permanent transition  

 A summary of living leadership

The research

Acknowledgements

Index

Back Cover

“A breath of fresh air – insightful and practical.”

Philip Cox, Chief Executive, International Power plc

“Cuts through the ‘how to’ leadership oversimplification and provides extremely valuable insights for those in leadership roles.”

Kai Peters, Chief Executive, Ashridge Business School

“Very few books are as practical and ‘real life’.”

Stuart Lancaster, Head of Elite Player Development, English Rugby Football Union

“… for everyone working with and delivering through people.”

Kim Bohr, Finance & HR Director, Royal Theatre, Opera and Ballet Copenhagen

LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A REALLY EFFECTIVE, INSPIRATIONAL LEADER

What really makes a good business leader? Do you have to be an extraordinarily charismatic hero with a larger than life personality before you can make things happen? What if you’re not? What are the practical and personal lessons of high performance leadership that will help ordinary managers and effectives get top results? How can you lead your team more effectively?

Living Leadership has the answers. This insightful and motivating book will help you to reassess your own leadership style, discover how to make real connections with people, and how to become an effective leader who makes things happen in the real world.

Reader Review(s)

''A sound, readable, leadership book for a wide audience: to be read by everyone concerned with delivering resluts at any level.''
Long Range Planning, March 2007

“The real value of this book lies in the detail of how things really get done, and sometimes go wrong. The "black box" of leadership in organisations is now a little less mysterious…   Those of us who are led by someone will know that the book’s messages are spot-on. It is practical, challenging, potentially liberating and timely. Most of all, it is humane and passionate. It deserves attention. “   People Management, February 2005

The authors of this timely and reassuring new book are challenging the conventional new wisdom. They bring a large and welcome dose of reality to the overblown debate on "transformational leaders" and the heroics of one lonely individual. Leaders are only effective when they work with and not apart from their organizations, as this important book makes plain. Anyone who has to run or lead anything should find space for it on their bookshelves."                        Accounting & Business, February 2005

"... a refreshing and engaging break from the torrent of formulaic, sanctimonious self-help guides ... peppered with incisive observations on redefining leadership in terms of the realities and choices that 'ordinary mortals' in organisations face ... there are some excellent practical lessons of good leadership, which will be helpful to managers and executives looking for long-term effectiveness" 
                                                   Management Today, February 2005

"Leadership gurus George Binney, Gerhard Wilkie and Colin Williams outline the qualities required to be a contemporary leader..."

- Esquire, Feb 09 (readership 154,000)

“Based on some four years of action research, Binney, Wilke and Williams provide us with an unvarnished account of leadership in action, with all its anxiety, uncertainty, false certainty and crippling expectation.  They dispel the myths of leadership, they eschew recipes and homilies; instead they give us some real insight and wisdom into the constraints and possibilities of ‘living leadership’ .

Bill Critchley, Organisation Consultant and Leader of the Ashridge Masters in Organisation Consulting

 "Living Leadership shows how, when you take away the myths and misconceptions, leading can genuinely be made easier."   Hans Straberg, CEO, Electrolux

“A 'how to' book that redefines leadership in terms of the realities and choices facing people in organisations today."  
            Professor Michael Osbaldeston, Director of CranfieldSchoolof Management