I confess, today I’m in book heaven. I have been drawing together reading recommendations to supplement my own research and thinking about the inner game of leadership. In particular, I’m exploring the key attributes, characteristics, competencies that provide the foundations for effective leadership at director level. I’m especially interested in those characteristics that are often unseen and still essential to succeed at this level. These characteristics are often conspicuous by their absence: you don’t notice when someone has them but – oh boy! – you do notice when they’re absent.
Right now, I’m planning to write a paper on the subject and gathering together a number of books to read. In case you’d like to join me in my reading, here’s my list as it stands today. Some books I have already and know well. Some have been landing on my doorstep in recent days. (And of course, in case you’re like most senior leaders and only get to read a book if you’re on a plane well, then, look out for my brief paper which I’ll be publishing later this year). Here’s the list:
- The New Leaders: Transforming the Art of Leadership into the Science of Results, by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee: This is an old favourite of mine, rooted in research into what differentiates the most outstanding leaders. I’ve worked extensively with this research so I’ll be dipping in rather than reading from scratch.
- Resonant Leadership, by Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee: The New Leaders tells you what it takes, Resonant Leaders explores how to get there.
- Conscious Business: How to Build Value through Values by Fred Kofman. In the words of Ken Wilber: Kofman “takes us on a thrilling tour through what business would be like if it had both a heart and a mind – a conscience and a consciousness”. There are some challenges in this topic (look out for some reflections on this).
- Why Smart Executives Fail by Sydney Finkelstein and Why CEOs Fail by David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo. Both books explore the characteristics that derail senior executives and CEOs (respectively).
- The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership-Powered Company by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James Noel. This book explores how to develop leadership throughout organisations so that leaders are constantly coming through the organisation.
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins. This book is beloved of many leaders who value the distillation of deep and extensive research into a highly readable book.
Right now, I’m beginning to explore the findings in Jim Collins Book, Good to Great. I’ll keep you posted. Meantime, what thoughts do you have about the hidden characteristics of the most outstanding leaders at director level? And what has it taken you to succeed at this level?
What an interesting enquiry and some great reading. I am reading 'Lost in Transition' by Bridgette Farrands at the moment. It looks at all the standard mistakes leaders make as they move to new roles. She then suggests outrageous ideas such as take time, admit you don't know some things, share your emotions and ask advice. This got me wondering why people make the mistakes they do. Two things occur. One is that when we receive a stimulus we respond. So most of the way we act is automatic. Second is we are driven by our motivation to survive which shapes our automatic responses. Add to all this the idea that humans seem to be selfish rather than altruistic and the mistakes become understandable.
Another perspective is given in Boris Groysberg in 'Chasing Stars'. He argues there are few independant 'stars' but rather people who get the label when acting in an organisation providing great learning, powerful processes, great support teams and a winning culture.
Look forward to reading what you discover.
xx
Hi Dorothy, I was listening to a Radio 4 programme last night on US Chief of Staff and what it takes to become trusted advisers to Presidents of the US. What struck me most was that the presidents wanted criticism from people they trusted. People telling them that things were fine or good didn't work for them. They wanted to be the best they could be. One quality I think that makes leaders stand out is a real desire to hear what they can do better.
Great to hear from you both. As it happens I'm doing a lot of interviews at present, assessing men and women for senior leadership roles in a client organisation. I always find it interesting to notice what I warm to in an interviewee (and also to take care not to run away with my own biases…). Today I am analysing an interview and found myself thinking "great boss!" when I harvested some particular examples of behaviours that really built motivation.
I look forward to reporting back over time – and to continuing my reading.