Synopses & Reviews
In unpredictable circumstances and when resources are constrained, leaders are expected to show the way forward, by thinking differently, coming up with new strategies and building sustainable competitive advantage. However, what is common to good leadership is often uncommon practice. If leaders are to shape organizations and push them ahead of competition, they need to be stimulated to think strategically, and
Uncommon Leadership offers a new model through which they can learn how to do the common things uncommonly well.
Supported by a companion website providing updates, tools and resources, this book presents five uncommon insights into leadership:
-Seeing: finding the sense before it becomes common and becoming a "pathfinder" leader
-Shaping: making good sense into common sense and becoming a "game-changer" leader
-Showing: doing the common things uncommonly well and becoming a "rain-maker" leader
-Serving: having the common touch and becoming a "bridge-builder"
-Sharing: making uncommon leadership more common by developing other leaders and becoming a "play-maker"
In order to energize managers and leaders, they need to feel challenged, stretched and inspired, and this book captures ideas specifically designed to motivate executives to develop their own distinctive approach to thinking differently about business.
Review
"Uncommon Leadership is a tour de force of the experiences and lessons learned from seasoned, successful leaders all integrated into a fascinating intellectual package. It reveals an exigent and compelling alternative to the leadership of the contemporary powerbrokers existing on today's world stage. It seems that people really are much more engaged by leaders who consistently offer the power of their own example - rather than by leaders who consistently offer only examples of their own power." Professor Dennis J. Garritan
Review
"Comprehensive, provides a fresh perspective and illustrates what the best leaders do well to develop competitive advantage...brings together the best thinking on this topic to provide leaders with a practical, insightful and informative toolkit." Adjunct Professor, Harvard Univ., Academic Dean at the Mountbatten Institute
Synopsis
Leaders are expected to show the way forward, especially in unpredictable circumstances or when resources are constrained. Yet frustratingly, what is common to good leadership is not often widely practised. Uncommon Leadership will help you explore the uncommon insights that can make a significant difference to your leadership. It will lead you to fresh strategic thinking by challenging conventional wisdom and asking you to reflect on some thought-provoking questions. Using their wealth of experience as managers, educators and consultants, Phil Higson and Anthony Sturgess will help you to think differently about leadership. In this highly readable book, they stimulate fresh thinking on leadership and give you the practical platforms you need to deliver uncommon success in your organization. They bring uncommon leadership to life, combining insights from some remarkable leaders and their surprising stories, with their own individual take on leadership.
Uncommon Leadership is supported by a companion website: www.uncommonleadership.co.uk, providing updates, tools and resources to help you do the common things uncommonly well.
Synopsis
Practicing leaders and managers; MBA students; Leadership educators, trainers and HR professionals
About the Author
Phil Higson is a published author and active researcher, with over 30 years' experience in business and management education as lecturer, course developer, manager, external examiner and consultant. He is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Events Management at Liverpool John Moores University.
Anthony Sturgess has almost 20 years' experience in the teaching, facilitation and coaching of managers and leaders, ranging from individual leadership and management development to leading organizational change. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Leadership at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Together, they co-founded Apex Leadership, where they develop innovative and challenging management and leadership development interventions.
Table of Contents
List of figures
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction : The uncommon sense of leadership
The only explanation is leadership
Time for a fresh look at leadership?
The 5-S Leadership Framework
Inside Uncommon Leadership
The balcony and the dance floor
01 Leading with vision : Seeing the sense before it becomes common
Seeing the sense before it becomes common
As new ideas emerge it takes leadership to implement them
Sense-making
Vision: a different view of the future
Finding the sense before it becomes common
02 Leading with action : Shaping the organization by turning sense into common sense
Common sense is not always common practice
From sense-making to sense-giving
Shaping context
Culture eats strategy for breakfast
Shaping strategy
Getting into shape
03 Leading with purpose : Showing the way by doing the common things uncommonly well
Service, sandwiches and simple messages
The quickest route to bankruptcy?
Walking the talk
Mirror leadership
The stonecutter re-visited
Crafting a calling
Uncommon sense in practice
04 Leading with service by the common touch
The poor arent credit worthy
Upside-down leadership
Upside-down thinking: whats the meaning of business?
A simple thank-you
Talking with crowds, walking with Kings
From serving to sharing
05 Leadingwith people : Sharing leadership by making it more common
The case for shared leadership
Sharing enthusiasm
Sharing strengths - incompetence, mediocrity and excellence
Building sustainable practice - tell others about it!
Sharing influence
Building human towers - a motto for shared leadership
06 Conclusion : Building competitive advantage through uncommon leadership roles
Building uncommon competitive advantage
The 5-S framework and uncommon leadership roles
Seeing - leading with vision requires pathfi nders
Shaping - leading with action requires game-changers
Showing - leading with purpose requires rain-makers
Serving - leading with service requires bridge-builders
Bridge-builders in action
Sharing - leading with others requires play-makers
An uncommon advantage - saliency, sagacity and serendipity
Index