Reading to Learn About Business Leadership

by Knowledge@SMU, 07 December 2011

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topics:
Management

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Human Capital Management leadership

When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died in October, there was a tremendous outpouring of grief from millions of people around the world. It was all the more remarkable that they were celebrating and paying tribute to the life of someone who was neither a humanitarian nor a revered statesman.

Though Jobs was arguably the most popular chief executive in contemporary history, he was as deeply flawed as he was a highly effective leader. There was certainly a nasty and mercurial side to Jobs. After all, he was known to be a rather ‘high-maintenance’ co-worker who would label those who did not impress him as ‘bozos.’

But despite his failings, the college dropout, who was an obsessive perfectionist, led Apple to briefly surpass oil major Exxon Mobil as the world’s most valuable listed company in August 2011.

You don’t need to be perfect

The lesson here is that no one needs to be perfect to be an effective leader. But they do have to fit the situation or find a context in which they can use their strengths to flourish, says author and former management consultant Jo Owen in the third edition of his book, How to Lead.

For instance, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had to endure what he called his “wilderness years” in peacetime before succeeding in his role as an inspirational wartime leader against Nazi Germany.

“Leaders are creatures of context,” writes Owen. “If you look at leaders today, very few succeed across sectors. The great CEO is a one-trick pony.”

The right context

Indeed, the right context – among the three elements of the leadership journey – means finding a match between one’s signature strengths and the strengths that different organisations require from their leaders. Knowing an organisation’s rules for survival and success is crucial.

Although organisations all talk about teamwork, initiative and results, “the words and emphasis mean different things,” says Owen.

The book’s premise is that leadership does not have to be for the select few, but that anyone can learn to lead. And with practice and guidance, we can all strive to be the best version of ourselves, the author says.

No secret recipe for leadership

Owen reports that he has found no “elusive pixie dust” to turn people into good leaders, despite having interviewed thousands of people and spending three decades working with more than a hundred organisations.

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