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The Taboos of Leadership
Book

The Taboos of Leadership

The 10 Secrets No One Will Tell You About Leaders and What They Really Think

Anthony F. Smith
Jossey-Bass, 2007

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Editorial Rating

8

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Recommendation

Anthony F. Smith discusses common workforce taboos that can create organizational problems for leaders. These taboos – from sensitive subjects like nepotism or sexism to sacred corporate myths like the superhuman CEO – provoke such strong reactions that many people can’t even discuss them or admit the truth about them. Emotion simply stands in the way. Smith does a good job of helping leaders see both sides of these issues and explains how failure to address them may be holding back your organization. He offers hints about ways to discuss them constructively. Even if you don’t act on all these issues, you will benefit from being more aware of them and their ramifications. getAbstract recommends this book to leaders who want to avoid being blindsided by sacred cows and shibboleths. If it isn’t a must-read, it is certainly a should-read.

Take-Aways

  • Taboos are truths that businesspeople don't want to admit, but still need to discuss. The first one is admitting that leadership is hard to define and can get messy.
  • Second: People don't always advance on merit. Sometimes they need good looks and charisma.
  • Third: Of course leaders don't play politics. It's work.

About the Author

Writer and researcher Anthony F. Smith has contributed to many books and periodicals. He is the co-founder and managing director of the Leadership Research Institute.

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