Cambridge Business Association
The Leader Within
Book

The Leader Within

Learning Enough About Yourself to Lead Others

Drea Zigarmi, Ken Blanchard, Michael O'Connor and Carl Edeburn
FT Prentice Hall, 2005
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Editorial Rating

5

Qualities

  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Ken Blanchard is the draw in this group-authored book, even if he doesn’t get top billing. The author of The One-Minute Manager and his co-writers Drea Zigarmi, Michael O’Connor and Carl Edeburn explain how to understand and shape your personality to become the kind of leader or manager you want to be. Their book is not a tract on cognitive science but rather a business text with useful exercises and insights – in particular, the notion of personality as layered, complex and malleable rather than hard and unchanging. The authors’ charts are a bit of a hodgepodge; they occasionally strain for an image and their presentation of ideas can be confusing. However, getAbstract recommends this book to Blanchard fans and others who are striving to enhance their charisma and brush up their leadership style.

Summary

How Leaders Change

Too many managers attempt to do their jobs without understanding themselves or knowing how their co-workers view them. Time after time, surveys reveal a huge gap between managers’ self-perceptions and the views of their colleagues, subordinates and superiors. Working on surface behaviors won’t help you to close it. Instead, true change begins in your core self and works its way through the several layers of your personality. Ultimately, it manifests itself in your behavior. In other words, your actions result from who you really are. They are not a costume you put on each morning.

Developing greater self-awareness and transforming yourself into a more integrated and effective leader is uncomfortable. Most people prefer to avoid the pain of change. Even after starting the process of growth, they often revert to familiar patterns. However, if you are truly determined to break through, and to lead with purpose and vision, you’ll keep sailing against the headwinds toward your goals. Success in business arises from your character and that of your team. As you change, your interactions with customers will matter to you because you wish to serve them well...

About the Authors

Drea Zigarmi is a management consultant for numerous major corporations and entities. He is a bestselling author, trainer and speaker. Ken Blanchard consults and trains managers about leading their employees. He wrote The One Minute Manager and other books. Michael O’Connor co-authored Managing by Values with Blanchard. Carl Edeburn has been a business consultant for 25 years. Edeburn has co-authored several books with Blanchard.

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