What You Need to Know about Leadership
Jeff Grout and Liz Fisher
RRP £12.99
In What You Need to Know about Leadership, authors Jeff Grout and Liz Fisher explain how leadership differs from management. While a manager must plan, organise, budget and solve problems, they point out that it is the role of a leader to motivate the team and drive the company’s vision.
However, they warn that “being placed in position of power does not make you a leader”, rather “the essence of leadership is that a boss will say ‘Go’ while a leader will say ‘Let’s go’”.
A key theme in the book is the importance of communication, which Grout and Fisher discuss in-depth in chapter four, saying that “there is little about being a good leader that has nothing to do with communication”. To illustrate this point the pair draws on the success of Richard Branson which, they say, boils down to his ability to “connect with people”.
With useful tips on leading high performers and encouraging less motivated staff, the book succeeds in providing an informative read for those new to leadership, or those looking to enhance their leadership skills.