Mastering Leadership

This book reveals the key skills needed by any leader and shows how they can be used in practice, focusing on techniques for improving individual and organisational performance and enabling mid to senior level managers to understand their own leadership style. It provides guidance on how to develop a learning organisation and how to be a successful mentor.

Introduction

1. The changing world of management
2. Leadership: an historical balance sheet of debits and credits
3. Mastering leadership
4. A master leader in action…
5. Mastering the organisational boundaries – and connections
6. Focus on the boundaries of ‘must’, ‘can do’, ‘can’t do’, and ‘won’t do’
7. The leader as mentor
8. Decision making in leadership
9. Management and leadership… essentially a team effort
10. Leadership: towards ‘mastery’ – and beyond

‘A must-read for anyone who wants to become a better leader. Easy to read and packed full of practical advice about how to make things happen. A complete course on business leadership and personal development. Mike Williams has brilliantly summarised 30 years experience in training business leaders into just 270 pages.’

Dr Patrick Dixon, Chairman Global Challenge Ltd and Fellow, London Business School

‘Insightful and thought provoking – an excellent guide for calibrating your leadership style.’

Harry McCracken, Group Managing Director, Viridian Power & Energy

‘This book is a useful and effective addition to one of the most important current topics for business: leadership.’

‘Michael Williams has been a successful consultant on leadership for 30 years, working with global businesses such as IBM, ICI, ABN AMRO, and British Alcan. Before that, he did extensive military service in the Royal Navy, Marines and the Special Boat Service – no doubt where he got his grounding in leadership.’

‘Williams communicates the subject well. His writing style is acceptable to most readers and is well-illustrated with diagrams, with review points at regular intervals. Never before have we had truly global business, with instant communication around the planet, as we do now. Never before has change been a constant rather than an evolutionary occasional incident. Never before has the need for leadership been so great.’

‘Writers such as Williams, John Adair and Charles Handy are shining searchlights on our current weaknesses, and provide ideas and solutions for business survival. But even more than business survival, this book helps the individual to consider themselves as a leader and to actively seek the skills and experience to become effective leaders.’

‘The new context is no longer ‘jobs for life’ but employability for life. While reading is not enough to develop leadership skills, it helps to study texts for advice to underpin your experience? This book is value for money and I recommend it.’

‘Useful? Five out of five stars.’ ‘Well-written? Four out of five stars.’ ‘Practical? Four out of five stars.’ ‘Inspirational? Four out of five stars.’ ‘Value for money? Five out of five stars.’ ‘Overall? Four out of five stars.’

Keith Lawson, lecturer to business and management students in the UK and Romania, as well as consultant to the voluntary sector

Michael Williams has run his own consultancy business since 1979, following managerial experience in the paper, iron, steel, engineering and automotive industries. He specialises in leadership management, team and organisational development for a wide range of organisations. He is a member of the British Psychological Society and the Institute of Directors.