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Leadership Search Leadership LeadershipHow to Lead: What You Actually Need to Do to Manage, Lead and Succeed
Prentice Hall Search Prentice Hall by Jo Owen Search Jo Owen
Customer Reviews:
Practical but much repeated material
If you've also read How to Manage: The Art of Making Things Happen, I'd recommend avoiding this book. It is practical, down-to-earth, pragmatic and clear. It is apparently based on research into 70 businesses. But the clue is in the subtitle: "What You Actually Need to Do to Manage, Lead and Succeed". This book is about managing, just as its sister is.
There are subtle differences only. It's true that it is possible to "lead" when you're not even a manager, but it's also true that many managers in businesses nowadays are expected to make things happen with little real power, so what's the difference? Not too much as it turns out.
I'd say own one or the other. they're both good, but for me, just not different enough.
Focusing on people, being positive and professional 
Leadership is much talked about and little practised.When reading this book I was thinking of those leaders I have had and how they succeeded and those that I have had that have not succeeded.
The best leader I had could always be trusted and was honest and he had mastered the art of leadership
As the book will tell you it is leading from the top, focusing on people being positive and being professional.
I was interested to note that no one focused on performance.
If I had been asked , I would have said performing was an important part of leadership. If you can perform then you may have the attributes of leadership.
The book tell you that there are four possible reasons why most of our leaders do not focus on performance as a key issue. Performance may be as natural as breathing air and it is a natural result of being positive,professional and people focused in the right way.
I haven't met a person in a team that hasn't had leadership skills who wasn't also a performer. all the bad performers have no leadership skills so I suppose they are right.
If you get all the other skills right then performance will flow naturally. Leadership is a destination not a journey.
I echo one of the other reviewers in that I enjoyed reading the book and read it very quickly and I will be revisiting it regularly to teach both myself and my staff all about leadership
I made to the end... 
...and this is the good news, considering the subject.
I found many good advices which will help me lead a team of 20 I recently selected for an internet business.
As in most books of this type, what I'll remember will be the stories behind the theory, not the Acronyms or the three and a half P's which I will forget in 24 hours.
The book suffers from the fact that it has been written by a public speaker who needs to give some visual clues to the audience...and here come the far too many Acronyms for my personal taste (well..you may like them!).
I struggled to finish it but every time I wanted to give up, he gave me that little story, which helped me to continue.
Now I am left with a few real life examples of leaders and I am sure that I will make use of something of it in the future.
If you are really committed and are not looking for entertainment, go for it, and keep it somewhere you can find it, I suspect it will be useful when you get in trouble with your team.
How to lead
I have really enjoyed this book. It explains things in simple language, yet funny in its delivery. All the advice is easy to put into practice. I would recommend this book, not just to those with leadership asprirations but also to anyone who would just like to take control of how they interact with others.
Enjoy the bookHow to Lead: What You Actually Need to Do to Manage, Lead and Succeed
Don't get me onto bankers...!
With this second edition comes a most refreshingly look at 'success' in its true form and sums up, for me , all the twaddle and hype one can read on leadership; 'there is no pixie dust'. I particularly found the reference to DNA most insightful; we all create our own DNA from sections of others and, in turn , we are part-copied ourselves.
Jo Owen , having extensive experience in the banking sector, takes a side swipe at the industry, a view echoed by, and for, many I am sure. I am especially respectful of his writing with his Teach First initiative; getting the best talent into challenging schools before making their fortunes in the City. If you aspire to be a leader or are in leadership , you would be wise to read this; it has humour too.
Listmania Lists:
Professional Development 2010
Management Essential
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how to lead: what you actually need to do to manage & succeed
with new sections on hiring and firing, dealing with the awkward squad and coaching for success, this second edition is your ultimate guide on how to lead and succeed. bn-10: 027372150x isbn-13: 978-0273721505 ...
http://itprojectmanagement.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-lead-what-you-actually-need-to.html
