weLEAD Online Magazine
leadingtoday.org
Copyright
2005 ã weLEAD, Inc.
Book Review
Daring to Be Different
A Manager’s Ascent to Leadership
Star Publishing Company - 2002 (149 pages
in paperback)
Author
ISBN 0-89863-266-8
One of the most frequent questions we receive at weLEAD is “what is the difference between a manager and a leader”? In the
future we will be recommending Daring to Be Different as an extended
answer to this important question. Author James Hatherley shares his varied experience
as a senior vice president of a Fortune 150 company, and a lively writing style
to powerfully discuss the kind of leadership that makes great things happen.
Hatherley draws a broad distinction between traditional monarchic
managing and muralistic leading. Muralistic leaders are defined by the
author with traits similar to that of “servant-leaders”, including the ability
to articulate a clear vision, the building of trust, mentoring, and commitment
to the values and success of the mission. The author candidly exposes what
monarchic managers typically do to organizations and their cultures. The
negative consequences of this management approach continues to plague the
majority of organizations today.
As Hatherley writes, “Success for muralists comes from developing
mutual trust among team members, and challenging them to test the limits of
their individual and collective skills. By identifying the goals of the
mission, yet disavowing knowledge of all the answers, the muralist creates a
sense of mutual discovery within the team”.
Hatherley has a unique gift of translating daily and abstract events
into metaphorical lessons for the reader. This adds greater interest and
insight in this interesting work. One example is his discussion of both the lifters
and leaners who inhabit an average organization. Lifters are
defined as those who uplift the organization and upgrade the quality of
individual performance. On the other hand, the “meeting and committee oriented”
leaners are those who block opportunities and derail progress.
Daring to Be Different also takes the reader beyond the text with charts to ponder such as
the four quadrants of a Leadership Compass and a Leadership Continuum
for self-assessment. The book is divided into 22 chapters and is an easy read. Daring
to Be Different is a call to action that hopes to inspire managers to
transform themselves and their thinking toward muralistic leading! The benefits
of doing this are strongly outlined in this exceptional book. If you desire to
become a real leader, and are willing to abandon the “paper handcuffs” that
exist in most organizations today, this book will challenge and enlighten you.
weLEAD rating – highly recommended
Buy
This Book at a Discounted Price Here!
BACK TO
weLEAD HOME PAGE