Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? With a New Preface by the Authors: What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader

by Rob Goffee, Gareth Jones

Overview

Are you an authentic leader? Too many companies are managed not by leaders but by mere role players and faceless bureaucrats. What would it take to replace these empty suits with real leaders—men and women who are confident in who they are and what they stand for and who truly inspire people to achieve extraordinary results? Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones argue that leaders don't become great by aspiring to a list of universal character traits. Rather, effective leaders are authentic: they deploy individual strengths to engage followers' hearts, minds, and souls. Authentic leaders are skillful at consistently being themselves, even as they alter their behavior to respond effectively to changing contexts. In short, the authors present a powerful case: that it takes "being yourself, in context, with skill" to be a successful, authentic leader—and they show you how to do exactly that. In this lively and practical book, Goffee and Jones draw from extensive research to reveal how to hone and deploy your unique leadership assets while managing the inherent tensions at the heart of successful leadership: when to show emotion and when to withhold it, how to get close to followers while maintaining an appropriate role distance, and maintaining your individuality while "conforming enough" to gain traction and lead change. Underscoring the inherently social nature of leadership, the book also explores how leaders can stay attuned to the needs and expectations of followers. Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? will forever change how we view, develop, and practice the art of leadership, wherever we live and work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633697683
Publisher:	Harvard Business Review Press
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,035,296
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x (d)

About the Author

Rob Goffee is Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School. Where he teachers in the world-renowned Senior Executive Programme. Gareth Jones is a Fellow of the Centre for Management Development at London Business School and a visiting professor at Spain's IE Business School in Madrid. Goffee and Jones consult to the boards of several global companies and are coauthors of Why Should Anyone Work Here? and Clever, both published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Author social media/website info: creativemanagementassociates.com

Table of Contents

New Preface, 2015 ix

Introduction: Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? 1

1 Be Yourself-More-with Skill 9

2 Know and Show Yourself-Enough 29

3 Take Personal Risks 59

4 Read-and Rewrite-the Context 83

5 Remain Authentic-but Conform Enough 109

6 Manage Social Distance 135

7 Communicate-with Care 161

8 Authentic Followership 189

9 The Price and Prize of Leadership 203

Appendix A Evaluating Your Leadership Potential 219

Appendix B Maximizing Authenticity and Skill 223

Acknowledgments 225

Notes 227

Index 237

About The Authors 243

Editorial Reviews

"Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones is by far the best book written on leadership." — Vinay Kalantri, Mobile Wallet, as seen in the Economic Times

"The authors of one of the all-time best books for creative leaders, Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?, are also simultaneously re-releasing that volume with a new preface." — David Slocum, FORBES

"A rewarding read if you want to lead." — Financial Times

From the Publisher