The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership

by Martin Gutmann

The Unseen Leader delivers one simple but immensely powerful we need to radically rethink how we discuss leadership. In this book, American historian Martin Gutmann passionately challenges the received wisdom that history's great leaders were individuals with a proclivity for action and brash words. Drawing on extensive historical scholarship and contemporary leadership theory, Gutmann delves into the journeys of four unknown or misunderstood leaders who achieved remarkable successes in vastly different environments―the Polar North, the deserts of Arabia, the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, and Second World War London. What emerges is an entirely new narrative on leadership. Contrary to the perception of heroic protagonists forging ahead boldly, history's truly great leaders were often precisely those who didn't need to generate excessive noise or activity. Instead, they skillfully minimized dramatic circumstances. Their stories challenge our present-day conception of leadership and can inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Genres: Leadership, History, Nonfiction

212 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2023

Reviews

[PepTalk Speakers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this on the basis of Martin's incredible TED talk (1 million views and counting). As Martin says, "Good leadership looks boring," and in fact, we can't often see it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU06c...