Leadership

Rating:
Summary: Egghead, not worth it
Review: I am currently halfway through this book. The odd thing is that throughout the book, you get the feeling that you are reading a monumental book. The wealth of historical data that he brings to bear is huge. But somehow, it always turns out to overanalyzed and incohesive. The psychological models used are done so rigorously but to what real effect? He picks up a different model every couple pages; it makes you wonder if he actually supports any of them. This book lacks the formulation of broad theories on leadership that make a John Gardner book or a Howard Gardner book so great. If you are looking for a lot of historical background on leaders, this is a great place to look. If you are looking to become a better leader, look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Egghead, not worth it
Review: I am currently halfway through this book. The odd thing is that throughout the book, you get the feeling that you are reading a monumental book. The wealth of historical data that he brings to bear is huge. But somehow, it always turns out to overanalyzed and incohesive. The psychological models used are done so rigorously but to what real effect? He picks up a different model every couple pages; it makes you wonder if he actually supports any of them. This book lacks the formulation of broad theories on leadership that make a John Gardner book or a Howard Gardner book so great. If you are looking for a lot of historical background on leaders, this is a great place to look. If you are looking to become a better leader, look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Lacks practical application
Review: The prose is well written.... BUT that's it. Few insights that can be used in practice for people who aspire to become future leaders.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a classic
Review: The reviewer below is right. This is not a how to book. But then, it was never written with this intent so marking it down is not right.

If you want to truly understand leadership, historically, socioligically, psychologically, then buy this book. EVERY scholar of leadership has read it and often references it. It is a really monumental book and Burns is a really honest and authentic scholar (unlike the popular authors who know zero about leadership and are in it for the money). VIVA BURNS!!!

Rating:
Summary: The MUST book on leadership.
Review: This book is THE classic, set-the-bar book on leadership. Professor Burns has produced a masterful, beautifully written, historically based view of leadership behavior. In this book, he first introduces his idea of 'transforming leadership.' Now in his 80s, he is Senior Scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at University of Maryland. A true classic.....

Rating:
Summary: The cornerstone of leadership literature
Review: This is the definitive book on leadership. It is long, dense with historical facts, sparkling with insights, and is essential reading for the leadership scholar. Few other leadership books merit a place on the essential reading list for this field.

Burns's accomplishment of recognizing the taxonomy of leadership is unmatched to this day. He distinguishes, for example, intellectual leadership from executive leadership, and explains how each is forged in the "crucible" of circumstances.

Rather than serving as a "how to" guide on leadership, Burns provides the reader with a framework for understanding his or her leadership role, and the requirements that accompany each role. Finding one's own reflection in this catalog of leadership roles can be an exciting and satisfying moment for the reader.

Burns is best known for developing the concept of "transforming" leadership, or "transformational" leadership as he calls it in this book. It stands in contrast to "transactional" leadership, which holds that every leader-follower encounter is an isolated event.

Whether the reader perseveres through the whole book, or just reads the introductory chapters, he or she will be in the presence of some of the best thinking to date on leadership.