The Strategic Leader
Book

The Strategic Leader

New Tactics for a Globalizing World

John R. Pisapia
Information Age Publishing, 2009
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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Analytical

Recommendation

Henry Ford made good strategic choices, but he failed to see and adapt to change. He created the automobile business but his competitors quickly stole a sizable portion of it because he didn’t keep up with market changes. What was true in the early 20th century is doubly so in the early 21st: If you do not lead your organization to be flexible and responsive to change, it will soon be toast. Modern businesses require strategic leaders who can quickly adjust to ever-changing, ambiguous circumstances. In this book, professor John R. Pisapia analyzes other experts’ theories on leadership and describes the six habits strategic leaders must develop. The compelling, colorful stories he presents about noted personalities help bring his refined, elevated (sometimes even obscure) theories and findings down to earth. While Pisapia’s book is thoughtful and scholarly, readers may find its imperfect proofreading and fact checking somewhat distracting. Still, getAbstract recommends this book to leaders at all levels, to academics who teach about leadership and to consultants who advise others on how to carry out leadership effectively.

Summary

Lessons in “Strategic Leadership”

Automotive pioneer Henry Ford introduced the mass-produced car at a time when his contemporaries still did not understand assembly-line production. He built and ruled a new market. But this visionary leader soon became blind to changes in his industry. His belief that his black Model T and Model A met consumer needs sufficiently enabled competitors with varied car styles and colors to topple his monopoly. Ultimately, Ford was “only partially successful” as a strategic leader. He excelled at making strategic choices, but failed to see and adapt to change.

Louis Gerstner, on the other hand, was a wholly successful strategic leader. He came in as IBM’s CEO when the company was preparing to break into several smaller businesses, but the change made no sense to him. Gerstner believed that consumers would rather not rely on a single supplier for computer products, and that a larger company that served as an “integrator” of software and hardware, including products from outside firms, could better meet their needs. Gerstner kept IBM intact and then helped it prosper by understanding the business environment, setting common goals, adapting...

About the Author

John R. Pisapia teaches leadership and policy at Florida Atlantic University. He has the sobriquet “global professor” because he has taught in China, India and elsewhere.

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