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Book Review: John Kotter's
"Force for Change: How Leadership Differs from Management"
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Is leadership expected in
your job?
Looking to develop a better understanding of what
leadership is? John P. Kotter's book A Force for Change: How
Leadership Differs from Management (Free Press, 1990) is
a great organizational development resource.
Kotter illustrates, through business case studies,
how leadership in combination with competent management can produce
extraordinary results. In doing so he brings clarity to the differences
that make management and leadership very distinct.
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Those who have taken management programs
have very likely been indoctrinated in the core principles of modern management:
(1) planning and budgeting, (2) organizing and staffing, (3) controlling
and problem solving. The familiar acronym POSCORB is very likely ingrained
in many. Kotter demonstrates why these management basics are distinct
from those of leadership.
John Kotter describes in detail three subprocesses
that are at the foundation of leadership. One part of the leadership equation
is developing a vision of the future along with the strategies for producing
the changes needed to achieve that vision. A second, according to Kotter,
is aligning people. He explains how this involves communicating direction
and developing coalitions committed to achievement of the vision. The
final subprocess is keeping people moving in the right direction by appealing
to very basic, but often untapped human needs, values and emotions. Kotter
describes these as motivating and inspiring leadership roles.
The outcomes attributed to management and
leadership in an organization differ Kotter asserts. Management produces
a degree of predictability and order and has the potential of consistently
producing key results expected by various stakeholders. Being on time
and on budget are examples. In contrast Kotter indicates leadership produces
change, often to a dramatic degree. Much of the change has the potential
of being extremely useful. Among captive insurance companies, service
providers and staff that could mean new approaches, new services, and
other changes that could attract more business.
There is much to be gleaned from this excellent
book. A bonus will be any insights you might gain about how an individual
might be both an effective manager and effective leader in any type of
business.
______________________________
Force
for Change: How Leadership Differs from Management
book review by John
Salisbury, President,
Captive.com
llc, former captive President/CEO
and currently Chief Operating Officer of Compensation Funds of New Hampshire.
Have you read a helpful book you'd like to review for
visitors to captive.com? If so, please submit your
book review to us at findus@captive.com!
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