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WME Feature Book Review:
Leadership: Thinking,
Being, Doing
 Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing by Dr. Lee Thayer is
a book written for those who want to excel in corporate
leadership.
“You can’t learn to be a leader. Only history will decide that.
All you can do is be prepared if you are ‘called on’ to provide
leadership.”
This quote comes from renowned thought leader and author, Lee
Thayer, in his new and revised edition of Leadership:
Thinking, Being, Doing. Thayer once again challenges
existing leaders and their would-be counterparts to join the
excellence of “thinking, being and doing.”
In a world that, at times, can appear to be too caught up in
rhetoric and celebrity, Thayer’s book shines a light on
leadership qualities that are vitally important, but sometimes
forgotten or, worse yet, ignored.
For example, in Chapter Two, he identifies a series of “think
pieces” that clarify how one must be able to think differently
from the mainstream in order to lead oneself and others in the
pursuit of optimum performance. He notes that while most people
are event-driven, true leaders and the organizations they lead
are purpose-driven; and, he cautions – don’t let what you can’t
do define what you can do; as well as – necessity is what drives
extraordinary performance. Thayer’s insights allow anyone
aspiring to leadership to look introspectively and quite likely
see their role in ways not visualized before.
In Part IV, “Some Tools for Making It Happen,” Thayer provides
the reader with the necessary resources great leaders bring into
play to align others with their mission. Thayer’s ‘tools’
involve developing the competencies of people and their roles,
creating ‘smart’ systems that both encourage and accommodate
higher levels of performance, and acquiring the critical mass of
leaders who exemplify the kind of culture that makes high
performance simply the “order of the day.”
For over four decades Thayer has been a pioneer and influential
innovator in the design and development of high-performance
organizations. As a consultant to numerous businesses including
several of the Fortune 500, his work focuses on helping CEO’s
better understand what it takes to lead the way to creating
great organizations. Thayer teaches the “how” as much as the
“why,” and his book is an extension of his work.
James O’Toole, author of Leading Change, calls the book
“terrific.” Max De Pree, Chairman Emeritus of Herman Miller,
Inc. states that the book “is itself the art of leadership (and)
has a penetrating quality.” One of the strengths of Thayer’s
work is that the principles and concepts he presents have been
successfully field-testing numerous times – ideas based on years
of experience.
Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing is aimed at CEO’s and
anyone aspiring to become a truly great leader of his or her
organization. |
