Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones, Harvard Business School Press, Boston 2006Reviewed by admin Mon 24 Nov 08 Bob's Rating: At last someone has written a book on leadership! So many so called “leadership” books are actually dealing with management. However, Goffee and Jones with their description of “authentic leadership” have clearly defined the essential fundamental interrelationship between the person aspiring to lead and those who might decide to follow.The book is crammed full of actual case studies of people who have both succeeded and failed as leaders, with the author’s explanation as to why. I found the concepts easy to understand and follow. It is a little slow reading at times, due to the numerous case studies. However, it is worth persevering, as the case studies do illustrate the author’s points very well. Although Goffee and Jones assiduously avoid giving leadership recipes – they rightly maintain that leadership is contextual – there are some good learning points for aspiring leaders. Chapter four for example – Read and Rewrite the Context – has some gems. In this chapter, they describe three levels of analysis for leaders; key leaders who may make the biggest impact on one’s performance, important teams, and thirdly the context and constraints within which one must operate. This should be an essential text for anyone who is looking to take on a leadership role within family, community, organisation or country. Highly recommended. |
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