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Copyright 2002 ă weLEAD, Inc.
Leading
Quietly
An
Unorthodox Guide To Doing the Right Thing
Author Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.
ISBN 1-57851-487-8
Leading Quietly is not a book that
promotes the pompous prominence of those our culture labels as its leaders. It
is not about celebrity, fame or vainglory. It is about the “small and obscure”
actions done by ordinary people who make the world work. Badaracco
has written this book after four years of research and discovery that the quiet
leaders are those whose patience, restraint and modesty are in a great part
responsible for impressive achievements. He defines “leading quietly” as those
individuals who maintain a low profile, and inconspicuously do what is right
for themselves and their organizations without fatalities.
Badaracco uses case studies
throughout the book to highlight his major points. He also includes special
insights from a moral leadership class he teaches at the Harvard Business
School. The literature he refers to from this class is particularly perceptive
in contrast to the moral bankruptcy we have been reading about in the business
pages of our daily newspapers!
Here are some of the qualities and
guidelines possessed by those who are Leading Quietly:
Good leaders are those who are honest
with themselves about how well they truly understand a situation and how much
control they really possess. They don’t kid themselves or deny reality.
Effective leaders learn to trust their mixed motives. They accept their motives
to be confused and mixed, and they use this ambiguity to solve problems or
create compromises. Successful leaders often play games or create stall tactics
to gain enough time to ponder difficult situations and think things through.
They understand the value of buying a little time when necessary. Wise leaders
build “political capital” and use it wisely. They cautiously borrow on this
capital when proceeding in an uncertain environment or situation. Quiet leaders
gather the details of complex problems. They take the time to “drill down”
through the quagmire of bureaucratic, legal or technical details to discover a
good solution. The quiet leader also seeks creative compromises as a
responsible and practical goal of the responsible leader.
This is a book that celebrates the
old-fashioned values of hard work and wisdom. The only major weakness of the
book is its lack of emphasis on proper ethics. Badaracco
writes, “Preparation, caution, care and attention to detail are usually the
best approach to everyday challenges.” Leading Quietly offers a careful
analysis of those unsung leaders who truly make the world work for all of us.
weLEAD rating recommended
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