Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders: The Three Essential Principles You Need to Become an Extraordinary Leader

by Rajeev Peshawaria

How did Alan Mulally––an outsider to the auto industry—lead such a spectacular turnaround at Ford? How did Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack keep his company from imploding even as Lehman Brothers collapsed? What is it that enables such extraordinary leaders to galvanize their talents and energy, as well as the talents and energy of those who work for them, to achieve superior performance no matter what challenges they face? Rajeev Peshawaria has spent more than twenty years working alongside top executives at Fortune 500 companies and training them in leadership, including as Global Director of Leadership Development programs at American Express, as Chief Learning Officer at both Morgan Stanley and Coca-Cola, and as one of the founding members of the renowned Goldman Sachs leadership development program known as Pine Street. He knows precisely what makes the difference between those who are simply bosses and those who are superior leaders, and between those who continue to rise to the top levels and those who get stuck along the way.In this lively and remarkably empowering book, Peshawaria offers readers the opportunity to experience the highest level of leadership training available in the world. Introducing the three core principles he has observed are the foundation of the best leadership––that great leaders clearly define their purpose and values; that nobody can motivate another person because everyone comes premotivated; and that a leader’s job is not to directly produce results but to create the conditions that will harness the energy of others—he details his unique and proven program for achieving leadership excellence. Sharing a wealth of illuminating stories, from those of Mulally’s achievement at Ford and Mack’s at Morgan Stanley, to how Harvey Golub and Ken Chenault successfully restored American Express to long-term sustainable growth, how Neville Isdell turned the Coca-Cola Company around, and the continuing prowess of Jeff Bezos in growing Amazon.com, he first reveals how extraordinary leaders marshal and sustain the level of energy in themselves that is required and how they enlist a core group of proficient co-leaders. He then outlines how to harness the energy and talents of those at all levels of an organization, igniting their motivation by following his RED guidelines for addressing their core needs concerning their Role, their work Environment, and their career Development. Finally, he introduces his unique Brains, Bones, and Nerves framework developing a clear strategy for competitive advantage (the Brains); crafting an optimal organizational structure (the Bones); and fostering a highly cooperative and motivated company culture (the Nerves). Filled with specific tips about the vital questions to ask and simple but powerful steps to follow, Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders is a manager’s essential tool kit for long-term superior performance.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Management, Nonfiction, Self Help, Professional Development, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I represent this book so it's possibly unfair to rate so highly, but I swear any reader who's entering the business world or has suffered through it will find interest in Rajeev's original leadership perspective. Indian-born and American-trained at the most respected blue-chip companies (Morgan Stanley, American Express, Coca Cola), Rajeev offers a true "story" of global business practice and guidance for acheiving results in any stage of your career. Also featuring personal interviews with John Mack, Alan Mullaly, Tom Gardner, and Jacqueline Novogratz.

A story as interesting as its title, with many enduring resonances.

[Bea Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though he says leaders can be in any industry he still gears his conversations towards CEOs of huge corporations. It was difficult to find ways I could as a teacher lead my students to emotional invest in producing quality work but there was some information I will try to find more accessible resources on.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read section one of this book and flipped through section two as it is not as applicable to me. Great book to make sure you are wisely spending your emotional energy at work. The six questions in the first section make this book worth the time.

[Aizuddin Khalid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book based on writers experience of leadership traits & skill.

He provided tools for new managers to enterprise managers to begin & evaluate their leadership journey.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to skill & will which can be acquired with the right circumstances.

[Tetrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walopun tertatih2 bacany, almost a year to finish it, but I've got many lessons from this book. In conclusion : INVEST YOUR TIME FOR YOUR TEAM. Create the SUCCESSION PLAN.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rajeev breaks down leadership into 2 key points - one must have skill and will. both can be innate or learned.

a leader must identify their goals and values ~ these will provide the drive to continue despite adversity and will provide the energy necessary that must be spread. employees' motivation depends on R-E-D: their role in the organization & where they fit in it, their environment (the actual working conditions and so-called hygiene factors) and their potential for development. the successful leader much match employees and work based on this.

as the leader progresses, leadership becomes a task of implementing and sustaining corporate culture. Rajeev states that businesses require brains (the mission and vision of an organization), bones (the structural components of an organization - streamlined, efficient, interconnected working towards the mission) and nerves (the values and culture that help the organization achieve its aims).

energy and vision must be contagious. leaders must listen, empathize, match expectations with work, hone their own skills (technical earlier on and leadership later on), take an active role in developing human resources and plan effectively for the future to carry on the vision and mission once leaders step down.

not a bad read. there's some good points in here & it may be worth a re-read at some point.

[Liza Fireman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best management book that I have found so far. It is concentrating in the more personal aspects of management and how to create trust and make your people successful, allowing their growth and energizing them. It uses the comparison to parenting (which is my favorite personally) and explains RED (role, environment, development) and how crucial those three things are for a manager to understand. The book also explains how important is tailoring your management style to your people. The second part of the book is concentrating in managing bigger organizations, and I think it is even more important than the first part (since so many managers tend to fail there). The BBN model (Brains - vision and strategy, Bones - organizational structure, Nerves - culture) is the best I have seen, and explains how to focus on the right things instead of wasting time trying to concentrate on too many things. This is a must read book for every manager!
p.s Good to Great, which is also a fantastic book touches some of those things, but very briefly. Since good to great is focusing more on the success of companies, they didn't expand on most of the topics that are dealt in depth in this book. I believe that in order to be great you have to manage your people with the approach suggested here, and therefore this is a complementary book to good to great.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Talked about it constantly. Bought it for friends. The ideas seem simple enough, but take time and effort. Will reread.

[Carey Radican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great rundown on what's wrong with a lot of organizations. They seem to have the right mix, but the missing element of leadership prevents them from being all that they could be. Very good methodology for addressing the organization's requirements... Brains, Bones, and Nerves. An organization's Vision and Strategy, Organizational structure, and Culture should be in the front of every leader's priorities.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of business management books and this is one of the better ones. He doesn't have any paradigm shifting insights, but I liked his writing style and I liked the personal stories that he shared about various companies, especially Goldman Sachs. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys Stephen Covey type books.

[Melissa Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loving Too Many Bosses... it's inspiring on every level! Highly recommend it to anyone in business looking to improve their leadership skills, management skills and sense of brand identity. Helps you look at the importance of leadership in a healthy way, from the inside out.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a two-fer … that is, read at least twice. I've referenced twice already. You're basically enjoying the life lessons of a successful executive from #AmEx, #Goldman (and others) as he learns from some of the best. Favorite? Q x A = E

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but a lot of what I had already heard.

[Tom Libertiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insights into major business decisions, but the rest of the book is average.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the stories of various businesses.

[Dan Hendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did a powerful job of enforcing its points through story telling. He summarized his work well, so I plan to go back over and over again to the final chapter.

[Javlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

wdsawd

[Fariba]

رهبران، توان ماندن و جنگيدن را دارند و انرژي لازم را به پيرامون خود انتقال مي‌دهند، در حالي كه غير رهبران تسليم مي‌شوند. انرژي را نه مي‌توان در كلاس درس آموخت و نه مي‌توان خود به خود آن را با پذيرش عنوان يا سمتي دهان‌پر كن ياد گرفت. انرژي رهبري را بايد كشف كرد و راه ميان‌بري هم براي رسيدن به آن وجود ندارد. اين كتاب راهي است براي كشف انرژي رهبري كه درون شما نهفته است و كشف آنكه چگونه مي‌توانيد به ديگران كمك كنيد تا انرژي خود را پيدا كنند.