The LEADER'S COMPANION: INSIGHTS ON LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE AGES

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Summary: Getting a grasp on the nature of leadership
Review: I have used this book in an introductory class on Leadership. It provides an outstanding overview of key authors and their thoughts on leadership spanning centuries. Wren offers a readable review of a variety of methodological approaches to the study of leadership presented through the writings of a wide array of authors. Both historical views and modern views are covered in the work and this anthology opens the door for more extensive readings. As a discussion starter it is a goldmine. The arrangement of broad topic areas such as, Historical, Leaders and Followers, Environments, Skills, and most important, writings in Moral Leadership promotes the development of "jigsaw" discussion techniques. Wren presents an excellent introduction to a fascinating topic!

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Summary: A Great Collection of Leadership Essays
Review: If you want a synopis of what is or has been said about leadership this is the book. I regularly use it as a reference text for my leadership classes.

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Summary: Great compendium, but slanted toward social-psychological...
Review: This book consists of 64 excerpts from (mostly) modern writers about leadership, with a social-psychological perspective. (The non-modern excerpts are from, for example, Plato, Machiavelli, Tolstoy, Lao-tzu, Carlyle, etc.) There are a couple of chapters dealing with women's leadership. The editor, J. Thomas Wren, has struggled to find common grounds--e.g., modern views of leadership, leaders and followers together, the leadership environment. Nearly all writings are slanted toward social-psychological, around concepts like "transaction," "transforming," behavioral theories, system perspectives, influence, tactics, organizational decision-making, and so forth.

A friend noted the paucity of "high quality" mass leadership in today's America--he was speaking of the Enron mess and the financial predations of high-power executive America, the corruption of the political process by highly expensive campaigns, the stagnation of our drug "war," and the pervasive ironic cynicism in public commentary. This book does not deal with the absence of leadership, unfortunately, or the inability of America to handle fast-moving problems (such as global warming, and our contribution to it)--but it is great background material and well worth reading.