The Taboos of Leadership The 10 Secrets No One Will Tell You About Leaders and What They Really Think

by Smith, Anthony F.; Bornstein, Steven M.

• ISBN13: 9780787995829
• ISBN10: 0787995827
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-04-20
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Most leaders who make it to the top possess characteristics that are all too human: they have politically incorrect attitudes, are conflicted, and play politics to get their way. Written by leading management consultant Anthony F. Smith, The Taboos of Leadership reveals the rarely discussed realities of leadership-the secrets that leaders just cannot admit to publicly for fear of losing power, self-respect, or even their jobs. This revelatory book will help both leaders and followers achieve real understanding and co-create a two-way street culture of openness, trust, and improved performance in their organizations. The Taboos of Leadership discloses ten guarded secrets that leaders can't discuss, even with their closest constituents, including: charisma shouldn't make a difference . . . but it does; women make better leaders . . . when that's what they really want to do; blatant self-interest is dangerous . . . in followers, not leaders; thou shalt not play favorites with friends and family . . . except when it makes a lot of sense; and more.

Author Biography

Anthony F. Smith is co-founder and a managing director of Leadership Research Institute, recognized as one of the leading management consulting firms specializing in leadership development and assessment. An active writer and researcher whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, Smith was a contributor to the books The Leader of the Future and The Organization of the Future (from Jossey-Bass).

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xvii
Introducing the Taboos
Taboos and Leadership	p. 3
Secret 1: We Know What Leadership Looks Like (But We Don't Know What It Takes)	p. 13
Taboos of Persuasion
Secret 2: Charisma Shouldn't Make a Difference (But It Does)	p. 31
Secret 3: Real Leaders Don't Play Politics (They Take It Very Seriously)	p. 43
Secret 4: Women Make Better Leaders (When That's What They Really Want to Do)	p. 55
Taboos of Position
Secret 5: The Double Standard Is for Cavemen (and the Corner Office)	p. 69
Secret 6: Thou Shalt Not Play Favorites with Friends and Family (Except When It Makes a Lot of Sense)	p. 81
Secret 7: A Leader's Fundamental Duty Is to Groom a Successor (But It Hurts Like Hell)	p. 91
Taboos of the Person
Secret 8: Leaders Need to Demonstrate Work-Life Balance (No Problem; Work Is Their Life)	p. 105
Secret 9: Blatant Self-Interest Is Dangerous (in Followers, Not Leaders)	p. 119
Secret 10: It's Lonely at the Top (But Leaders Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way)	p. 129
Our Taboos Are Exposed, So Now What?	p. 139
References	p. 153
About the Author	p. 155
Index	p. 157
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