What do you think?
Rate this book
Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing
Here is a book on leadership like no other. It begins by announcing "You can't learn to be a 'leader.' ... All you can do is be prepared if you are 'called' to provide leadership." So begins Lee Thayer's relentless assault on conventional thinking ... which, he tells us, will "always and inevitably lead to conventional results." From his initial "stretching exercises" for your mind, he offers a detailed guidebook for making sure you're prepared when your leadership opportunity arrives. The underpinning of his method boils down to this "As you think, so will you be. And as you are, so will you do." He warns at the outset that much of what he's learned over four-plus decades of working with CEOs to build high-performance organizations may seem counter-intuitive and that the journey is "more difficult than you can imagine." But he also notes, "If your learning journey is not fun and exciting, it will not bear fruit." So along the way you'll learn how to "slay dragons" (Ch. 5) and "overcome perversity" -- especially your own (Ch. 11). And in the process, you'll acquire the habits of thinking, being, and doing that prepare you perform the leadership roles that come your way.
- GenresBusiness
360 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published April 24, 2007
3 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Lee Thayer
44 booksDr. Lee Osborne Thayer was a leadership expert, educator, consultant, and author.
Thayer was an instructor at University Oklahoma, 1956-1958. He took a position with Pratt & Whitney, then returned to teaching in 1959 as an Associate Professor at the University Wichita. In 1964 he took a position as Professor and Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Communication at the University Missouri at Kansas City. In 1968 he became a Professor of Communication Research at the University of Iowa. In 1973 he became Professor of Communication Studies at Simon Fraser University. In 1976 he became a Visiting Professor at the University Massachusetts, and in 1977 he became a Professor at the University of Helsinki. In 1978 he became Professor of Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Thayer was an instructor at University Oklahoma, 1956-1958. He took a position with Pratt & Whitney, then returned to teaching in 1959 as an Associate Professor at the University Wichita. In 1964 he took a position as Professor and Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Communication at the University Missouri at Kansas City. In 1968 he became a Professor of Communication Research at the University of Iowa. In 1973 he became Professor of Communication Studies at Simon Fraser University. In 1976 he became a Visiting Professor at the University Massachusetts, and in 1977 he became a Professor at the University of Helsinki. In 1978 he became Professor of Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 14, 2017
This is the second book of Dr. Thayer's that I've read. I found this one much more palatable and understandable - maybe because the ideas were rougher than in the Competent Organization.
What all of Dr. Thayer's books need are rich examples. Otherwise the messages come across as knowledge rather than as a way to learn. Yoda didn't just talk at Luke, he made him run through mental and physical exercises. This book is all talk and little exercise, which leaves the writing flat.
That said, I never step away from reading a section of this book without more to think about and regularly return to it to continue growing.
What all of Dr. Thayer's books need are rich examples. Otherwise the messages come across as knowledge rather than as a way to learn. Yoda didn't just talk at Luke, he made him run through mental and physical exercises. This book is all talk and little exercise, which leaves the writing flat.
That said, I never step away from reading a section of this book without more to think about and regularly return to it to continue growing.
January 5, 2024
Forced to read for a class. Not even close to being earth shattering. Painful.
February 19, 2012
I am a publisher of this book, so I am biased. I admit it.
The purpose of this book is to help leaders understand the process of leading - it's "thinking, being, doing." There is no leadership without all of those actions.
I follow the advice in this book on a daily basis. It's a must read for anyone hoping to be a great leader today. I was proud to be the editor and publisher.
The purpose of this book is to help leaders understand the process of leading - it's "thinking, being, doing." There is no leadership without all of those actions.
I follow the advice in this book on a daily basis. It's a must read for anyone hoping to be a great leader today. I was proud to be the editor and publisher.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews