The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise

by Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

"This is a book that any senior executive will find enlightening, as it peels back the layers of self-deception to reveal how our hidden personalities, largely hard-wired since early childhood, affect the way we lead and manage others." Carol Kennedy, Director magazine "This book is a real gem. The author writes with flair and precision. ... I recommend this book very highly. It is clear, timely and accessible. De Vries is a master of the elusive topic of leadership. For the busy manager and consultant, it is a valuable balance to a growing library that merely idealises and idolises leadership." HR Monthly , Australia "Your business can have all the advantages in the world; strong financial resources, enviable market position, and state-of-the-art technology, but if leadership fails, all of these advantages melt away." - Manfred Kets de Vries Organizations are like automobiles. They don't run themselves, except downhill. Successful leadership today demands very different behavior from the conventional leadership tradition we are used to. It requires leaders who speak to the collective imagination of their people, co-opting them to join in the business journey; leaders who are able to motivate people to full commitment and spur them on to make that extra effort. It's all about human behavior. It's about understanding the way people and organizations behave, about creating relationships, about building commitment, and about adapting your behavior to lead in a creative and motivating way. So, stop right now and ask yourself what you're doing about the leadership factor. How do you execute your own leadership style? Whether you work on the shop floor or have a corner office on the top floor of a shimmering skyscraper, what have you done today to be more effective as a leader? There are no quick answers to leadership questions, and there are no easy solutions. In fact, the more we learn the more it seems there is to learn. In The Leadership Mystique , management and psychology guru Manfred Kets de Vries unpicks the many layers of complexity that underlie effective leadership, and gets to the heart of the day-to-day behavior of leading people in the human enterprise. Assess your own leadership qualities with the probing self-questionnaires and learn how to develop your skills for maximum impact as a leader.

Genres: Business, Psychology, Leadership, Nonfiction, Management

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries is a Dutch psychologist, Professor of leadership development and organizational change at INSEAD, and consultant

Reviews

[Denis Vasilev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Психологизация и набор благих пожеланий на тему лидерства и корпоративной культуры. Практического мало.

[Glenn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kets De Vries focuses much of his time on the "interior" condition of a leader & how it has been shape by different events & experiences in the past & present

This is one of the most insightful books on leadership I have read for some time. He broaches the subject of how this impacts a leader's ability to adapt to various organisational contexts, and even exposes why there is so little authenticity in some leaders.

He introduces CCRT (Core Conflictual Relationship Theme where he identifies a conflicting force to be managed by leaders (impulses and defences) / what’s visible and what is hidden

Other excellent themes Kets De Vries addresses include:

The mussel syndrome – where leaders become cemented in a place and resistant to change
Dysfunctional patters in leadership – I particularly enjoyed his section on "transference" (where all current relationships are coloured by previous ones)
The impact of narcissism and how every leader needs a ‘fool’
The Dilbert Phenomenon – resuscitating dead leaders
Neurotic styles & organizations – and how to stop “rot at the top”

This is an outstanding book that I highly recommend.

[Seda Muradoglu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liderlik hakkında okuduğum en iyi teorik altyapıya sahip, en öğretici ve akıcı kitap.

[andrew dyshuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very strong book on leadership. Every aspect is described in short, specific words. Good chapters on values and personal abilities needed to be a real leader. 4Hs approach (Hope, Humanity, Humility, Humor) in my experience as a leader is the foundation of successful leadership. Thank you for the book.

[Gerhard Steenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really found it difficult to rate this book as it was a difficult read that took me months. But the author eluded to that in his opening comments and his final remarks. He dissected leadership from clinical psychology fundamentals. It really all came together with a wonderful conclusion with a lot of truths and learnings which made the perseverance wort my while.

[Joy Mindo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of the best books i have trade in recently. i am learning a lot about what in means to be a leader from the inside out.

[Vladimir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and pragmatic. Highly recommended!

[Joosep · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book, interesting to read, and I got many great ideas from it.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

de eerste helft van het boek was goed, maar al bij al is het volledige boek wat te weinig vernieuwend, mist het wat structuur of een duidelijke leidraad