Leadership is a quality that is difficult to define. Some believe that it is innate, the gift of a selected few. Others believe that it is a skill that can be learned but don't agree on what, exactly, should be taught.
In The Thoughtful Leader, Jim Fisher provides an invigorating, inclusive and positive framework for teaching current and aspiring leaders in all walks of life. The author has incorporated various apparently opposing leadership ideas into an integrated model. In order to successfully meet the challenges of a fast changing world, leaders can no longer choose between managing, directing or engaging. The thoughtful leader is someone who simultaneously, consistently and coherently manages, directs and engages their followers. The framework provides a way for anyone who is motivated to lead, has the courage to act and is willing to think about their actions to become more effective. Thoughtful leaders can maintain integrity in their actions and activities regardless of the situations that they encounter day-to-day.
The model developed in this book applies to many settings, including corporate and public service environments. The Thoughtful Leader offers a fresh and forward thinking framework that allows active and emerging leaders to be better prepared to live as a leader day to day.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jim Fisher, The Thoughtful Leader: A Model of Integrative Leadership captures the essence of what i learned teaching an MBA course on leadership for nearly 20 years at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. The book - and my course - focuses on what leaders do with their native talents and attributes rather than attempting to induce people to become something that they are not.
I joined the School as a Professor after 2 careers in industry. Career one was as a management consultant, starting with McKinsey, then with my own firm, The Canada Consulting Group which became the Canadian office of The Boston Consulting Group. Career two was in the food industry with executive responsibility for the North American bakery operations of George Weston Limited among other responsibilities.
REVIEWS:
Knowledge upon which positive action can be taken is rarely provided and hence precious. By this standard, The Thoughtful Leader by Jim Fisher is a gold mine of value for the practice of leadership. Simply put, it is the most actionable book on leadership I have yet read. Anybody who wants to become a better leader would be wise to read it.
Roger Martin, Institute Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
Jim has masterfully demystified Leadership' for those who think not everyone is meant to be a leader. He seamlessly takes the reader through the journey of managing, directing, and engaging to build confidence in anyone aspiring to be a leader. A must read for anyone in a leadership role or aspiring to move up the ladder.
Deepak Chopra, President & Chief Executive Officer, Canada Post Corporation
Jim Fisher's mix of theory, stories, personal journeys, and real cases offers a wealth of information that showcases his broad and deep command of the many facets of leadership. By impressively pulling together leadership theories and concepts into a coherent framework, Jim successfully convinces us leadership can be learned.
Rose Patten, Special Advisor to the President and CEO, BMO Financial Group, and Adjunct Professor and Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management)
