Leading People: Expert Solutions to Everyday Challenges

Most people I run into at work use the terms "manager" and "leader" interchangeably. But they *are* different, and Leading People by Harvard Business School Press stresses those differences (and a bit more) in a concise volume. Contents: Leading People - The Basics: The Challenge of Contemporary Leadership; What Makes an Effective Leader?; How to Acquire Leadership Skills; How to Craft a Vision; How to Motivate the People You Lead; How to Care for Yourself Tips and Tools: Tools for Leading People; Test Yourself; To Learn More; Sources for Leading People; Notes This Pocket Mentor guide is ideal for someone who's just starting to move into management, and really doesn't know much about how to be a leader. The definition offered here is that a manager copes with complexity, while a leader copes with change. Management is often more technically oriented, while leadership is more about vision. Both of these roles need to possess the skill base of manager *and* leader, but that's a general dividing point that's useful to remember. The book also goes into the different types of leaders (charismatic, transformational, pragmatic) as well as the various leadership styles (coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and coaching). All the types listed have benefits and drawbacks, and each has a time and place where they are most appropriate. As the book is only 85 pages, it's a small investment in time to start to build your mental framework around the subject of leadership. I wouldn't recommend this as your only leadership book by any means, nor is it intended to be such. But as a starting point (or a remedial short course), it serves its purpose well.