The Mind of a Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People, and Your Organization for Extraordinary Results
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley October 9, 2018
Author
Distributor: New South Books
ISBN: 9781633693425
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Release Date: March 2018
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Based on the art of mindfulness, selflessness and compassion, The Mind Of The Leader is a fresh, powerful viewpoint towards the future, moving away from the limited vison of business protocol prevalent for the past decade or more. While it may seem to be what many may consider as a soft option it is anything but; this forward looking strategy presents a seriously hard-nosed but effective solution ‘to every organisation’s engagement and execution problems’, which works and works very, very well, as those Leaders who have been honest enough and brave enough to accept radical change is vital to the ongoing future of the Corporate world, will attest.
The world of global business has long been established in profitability at all cost mentality, a situation which induced the GFC in 2008 caused by deregulation within the financial industry. The effect from this fall-out is still playing a very active part in Financial and Banking corporations and global business in 2018.
To this end the Corporations that have successfully progressed throughout this challenging time, have been companies that have recognised a new and far more comprehensive style of Leadership was required, reacted according and benefitted by the radical changes made within their Organisations.
Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter have detailed these changes in The Mind Of The Leader, looking into what makes up a Corporation that will keep on being successful, far into what is rapidly becoming an uncertain business future.
They consider the world is facing a global leadership crisis, ‘where seventy seven percent of leaders consider they are doing a good job engaging their people, yet 88 percent of employees say their leaders ‘don’t engage enough’, a comment based on the interviewing of 35,000 leaders, 250 C-suite executives and many, many employees.
Real life examples from the Marriott Group, Heineken International, the California based New Resource Bank and many more Corporations, take a precise look at what makes these groups, and their Leaders stand out in today’s market.
Leading a successful Corporation is based on an ability to lead from a perspective based on placing people at the centre of their planning and strategy, not for what can be gained by quick fixes based on reward, but by long term respect and understanding of their staff and what they have to offer in the way of their talents, passion and commitment to the Corporation, Group, Company or Firm.
This work is one which will have wide appeal to anyone who is in business, regardless of how large or small a group, as the principles set out for success are such that they will have a wide spread beneficial effect for all levels of business.
Where the next generation will lead the world of Corporations and global business is yet to be discovered, but it has been concurred that the future will be considerably more challenging than ever before.
In the words of Heineken CEO Jean-Francois van Boxmeer when asked about the importance of his legacy his answer was, ‘I am just a short chapter in a long book. My role is merely to prepare the organisation for the next generation ’ which is an interesting perspective, as it is the basis that forms the very foundations of good leadership and thereby a successful Corporation.
The Mind of the Leader presents an interesting concept for the future and one that is based in sound and well researched facts, which sets out a pathway for the future which can and should begin to build successful social cohesion to lead successfully into the future; a solution which begins in the minds of the Leaders and peoples of tomorrow, who will be able to respond to new and yet unseen, unknown challenges, in a confident, compassionate and mindful manner.