How to lead by Jo Owen
What makes a good leader is a bit of a mystery. We might be able to identify one, but agreeing on a common definition can be problematic. For Jo Owen, effective leadership is characterised by a collection of skills and behaviours that can be learned by anyone. This conviction comes from extensive research which led the author to conclude that there is no magic which can transform individuals into charismatic leaders. In fact he maintains that charisma and heroism are ‘exactly the wrong style of leadership’.
How to lead is a very readable book. Complex theories are explained simply and demystified. The language is practical and straightforward, with an emphasis on making concepts easy to understand. Cartoons and case studies are used effectively. There’s something for everyone here. If you’re at the start of your career you will learn what distinguishes emerging leaders from those destined to remain in junior positions. Anyone struggling with the complexities of leading from the middle will find a comprehensive analysis of the challenges of that role and sound advice on how to avoid learning to survive rather than escape. If you’re at the top, reading this book could help you stay there.
Owen has identified 36 essential leadership skills and this book is a guide to developing and practising these approaches at different levels in an organisation. The core content of the book is divided into three parts. The first concentrates on the emerging leader, the second on leading from the middle and the third on leading from the top. The approach for each part consists of an introductory section which sets the context followed by three chapters: Focusing on people, Being positive, and Being professional. As you move up an organisation you require different capabilities but these build on what went before. It’s an approach designed to help aspiring leaders avoid what Owen describes as altitude sickness, ‘you can succeed at one level and then simply find the challenge too great at a higher level where the rules of success have changed out of all recognition’.
One of Owen’s essential skills is learning to be lucky. As those who are consistently regarded as lucky will confirm, you make your own; the harder you work at it the luckier you get. For a sportsperson that mean lots of training, in the business world it means experience. In his introduction, Owen says his book is not a theory of leadership but ‘the collected wisdom of people who are leading at all levels in different types of organisations’. Its insights could provide you with the lucky break you need.
Review by Irene Krechowiecka, a career coach, author and freelance journalist