Minţi conducătoare. Istorii de viaţă ale liderilor mondiali

by Howard Gardner, Smaranda Nistor (Translator)

ceasta nu este o carte despre leadership, ci o carte despre lideri. Despre personalitatea marilor conducători, despre charisma lor, prin care şi-au transmis mesajul către milioane de oameni, despre capacitatea lor uluitoare de a schimba mentalităţi. O carte cu istorii de viaţă, adevărate studii de caz. Pe lângă liderii recunoscuţi ca atare, denumiţi "lideri direcţi", Howard Gardner aduce în atenţie un fenomen până acum nerecunoscut, anume "liderii indirecţi": indivizi care exercită un impact prin operele pe care le creează. Scopul declarat al cărţii este acela de a obţine o cunoaştere mai bună a particularităţilor liderilor eficienţi, a modului în care un individ ajunge să fie lider; astfel, ea prezintă istoriile de viaţă a mai multor lideri din secolul XX, din domenii diferite, mergând de la politică la religie, drepturile omului şi ştiinţă: Margaret Mead, J. Robert Oppenheimer, George C. Marshall, Papa Ioan al XXIII-lea, Martin Luther King Jr., Margaret Thatcher, Jean Monnet şi Mahatma Gandhi.
Ca o concluzie comună tuturor acestor studii de caz, sunt evidenţiate în final şase trăsături constante ale liderilor: povestea, auditoriul, organizaţia, întruparea poveştii, leadershipul direct şi indirect, competenţa expertă.

Howard Gardner deţine titlul de Profesor John H. şi Elisabeth A. Hobbs, predând cursuri de Cogniţie şi Educaţie la Harvard Graduate School of Education. Este, de asemenea, profesor de psihologie la Universitatea Harvard şi director al Harvard Project Zero. În 1981 a beneficiat de o bursă a Fundaţiei MacArthur, iar în 2011 a primit premiul Prinţului de Asturia pentru ?tiinţe Sociale. Deţine titluri onorifice acordate de 29 de colegii şi universităţi din întreaga lume. A scris peste 20 de cărţi, printre care şi revoluţionara Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Genres: Leadership, Psychology, Business, Nonfiction, Education, Management, Biography

512 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 1995

About the author

Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also holds positions as Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero. Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1981. He has received honorary degrees from 26 colleges and universities, including institutions in Bulgaria, Chile, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, and South Korea. In 2005 and again in 2008, he was selected by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines as one of the 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world. The author of 25 books translated into 28 languages, and several hundred articles, Gardner is best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be adequately assessed by standard psychometric instruments.

During the past two decades, Gardner and colleagues at Project Zero have been involved in the design of performance-based assessments; education for understanding; the use of multiple intelligences to achieve more personalized curriculum, instruction, and pedagogy; and the quality of interdisciplinary efforts in education. Since the middle 1990s, in collaboration with psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and William Damon, Gardner has directed the GoodWork Project-- a study of work that is excellent, engaging, and ethical. More recently, with long time Project Zero colleagues Lynn Barendsen and Wendy Fischman, he has conducted reflection sessions designed to enhance the understanding and incidence of good work among young people. With Carrie James and other colleagues at Project Zero, he is also investigating the nature of trust in contemporary society and ethical dimensions entailed in the use of the new digital media. Among new research undertakings are a study of effective collaboration among non-profit institutions in education and a study of conceptions of quality, nationally and internationally, in the contemporary era. In 2008 he delivered a set of three lectures at New York's Museum of Modern Art on the topic "The True, The Beautiful, and The Good: econsiderations in a post-modern, digital era."

from http://www.howardgardner.com/bio/bio....

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Studies how leaders effectively communicate with the minds of those they lead using case studies of eleven direct and indirect leaders.

Howard E. Gardner is a cognitive psychologist who works in the field of education. One of his most significant works is The Unschooled Mind, the thesis of which is that outside of domains where an adult has great expertise, most adults theorize about the world with the mind of a five year old. In this work, Gardner focuses on effective leadership as an exercise of communication with the minds of others, seeking to influence them to action that follows one's leadership. For Gardner, storytelling is central, and effective leaders are not only able to tell a story that communicates with those who share their expertise, but also with a wider public responding with the "unschooled mind" of a five year old. He identifies two types of leaders, indirect leaders, like Albert Einstein, and direct leaders, like Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some individuals exercise both kinds of leadership.

Gardner considers eleven individuals who exercised leadership in a variety of domains: 

Margaret Mead: Anthropology
J. Robert Oppenheimer: Physics
Robert Maynard Hutchins: Higher education
Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., Business (General Motors)
George Marshall, Military and Statecraft
Pope John XXIII: Religion
Eleanor Roosevelt: American women
Martin Luther King, Jr.: Civil rights
Margaret Thatcher: Political
Jean Monnet: International leadership
Mahatma Gandhi: International leadership

After introductory chapters outlining his basic approach and methodology, Gardner devotes a chapter to each of these leaders, except for the last two, who he considers together. What is fascinating is that he looks at the development of these leaders, the story they told and how they adapted their stories when their leadership moved beyond those who shared their expertise, and how effective they were. He looks at indirect leaders like Jean Monnet, who essentially served other national leaders in forming the framework of the European Union, and direct leaders like Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. who communicated a compelling, missional story for General Motors. He also considers their areas of failure. For a leader like Robert Maynard Hutchins, his inability to embody his story with the faculty at the University of Chicago, and include a wide constituency in his vision were critical failures.

From these profiles, Gardner identified six constants of leadership:

1. The Story: Leaders must have a central story or message that includes those necessary for accomplishing her vision. Often these are inclusive, but not always, as in political or military conflict.
2. The Audience: A story cannot succeed without being heard and heeded, and the effective leader is able to communicate in a nuanced fashion that different audiences will understand.
3. The Organization: The influence of a leader's story depends on an organization for implementation--be it a business, a political party, a movement. Margaret Mead never created an organization and had no school of followers after she died.
4. The Embodiment: Leaders, especially direct leaders, must embody their story. George Marshall not only spoke about a vision for service but embodied it in his integrity, hard work, and willingness to work behind the scenes for the success of the war effort.
5. Direct and Indirect Leadership. Indirect leaders influence through symbolic products whereas direct leaders engage with their followers as they articulate a story.
6. The Issue of Expertise. Those who move from leadership within a domain to wider leadership, like J. Robert Oppenheimer, do so because of proven expertise. The paradox is that the wider one's leadership, the less their technical expertise alone is a factor.

Two appendices in the form of extended tables chart Gardner's analysis, the first consider the eleven leaders in this study, the second ten world leaders during the World War II era.

I did have one reservation about this study. It seemed to me that Gardner's approach presupposed his conclusions. This does not necessarily invalidate his conclusions, given that this work extends prior research. But I would be cautious in considering this as an all-encompassing account of leadership. For me, it suggested the importance of having, and effectively communicating to different audiences, one's story of a preferred future.

Gardner's eleven leaders, although they each have their failings, are generally positive figures. His account of story and the unschooled mind also recognizes that some leaders are able to communicate compelling stories and gather a following with very bad consequences, as in the case of Hitler or Mussolini. There are also instructive lessons for those who are so "wonky" about their stories, that they are unable to garner a following outside those who are already sufficiently wonky. There is also a quite wonderful lesson in the stories of those like Pope John XXIII, George Marshall, and Eleanor Roosevelt who embodied the stories they conveyed, and so were able to lead all the more effectively.

Most of us both lead and follow in our lives. Gardner's book shows important qualities of story, inclusion, embodiment and expertise as critical in leading well. He also helps us when we follow, to listen to the stories leaders tell and the congruence between story and the life of the leader. It seems to me vital to consider whether the story is one that works for all who a potential leader would lead, or whether those stories will intensify the divides between those included and those excluded.

[Bernie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit thick and academic for my tastes, but thourough and thoughtful. Worth the read if you think deeply about leadership and its future directions.

[Devin Partlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a case study of a number of very famous leaders followed by the author drawing conclusions from the similarities and differences of these famous leaders.

I will say that he did a good job of picking leaders from all walks of life but I fear that readers could take his conclusions as "How to be a Leader" rather than "Here are Some Traits I Found in My Survey of Leaders".

Since I feel like the author wasn't explicit enough in stating that what his conclusions were the latter, he's penalized .5 stars!! lol

3.5 stars (definitely worth the read tho)

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read as far as the chapter on Eleanor Roosevelt and decided there was not enough new substance or analysis to inspire me to go on. I wrote down a few insights from the earlier chapters, but this book is primarily a collection of introductory biographies on the included persons.

Audible speaker is fine, but the delivery and content is somewhat flat. There are other books I would rather read. Disappointed as I am a long-term fan of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

[Jake]

Pros:
A great collection of short biographies from a diverse group of people. The book is filled with interesting information. I would have never thought to read about some of these successful individuals.

Cons:
A little too academic for my taste. It read more like a text for a graduate course. The themes felt a little disjointed. After reading, I don’t think I could boil down the author’s leadership philosophy into a few sentences.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Între numeroasele carti pe care le-am scris de-a lungul ultimilor patruzeci de ani, Minti conducătoare pare sa fi presupus cel mai mare salt de la un subiect la altul. Inainte de publicarea ei, ma socoteam, si eram socotit de altii, un psiholog care studiaza dezvoltarea umana, mai ales in sfera cognitiva. Scrisesem mai multe carti despre mintea umana, majoritatea avand in titlu cuvantul „minte" — mind. Pana la inceputul anilor 1980, eram in primul rand un psiholog cercetator care scria pentru alti psihologi. Dar dupa publicarea in 1983 a cartii mele Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences („Cadre mentale: teoria inteligentelor multiple"), mi-am concentrat atentia asupra chestiunilor care tin de invatamant si educatie; intr-adevar, subiectele despre care scriam, ca si auditoriul caruia ma adresam faceau parte din acest sector al societatii. Apoi insa, aparent pe neasteptate, cu ajutorul competent al Emmei Laskin, am publicat in 1995 o carte despre leadership. In cartea aceea, a carei prefata o cititi domniile voastre acum, ma ocupam de un subiect considerat prin traditie ca apartinand de drept stiintelor politice sau istoriei. Nu doar ca scriam despre o chestiune care pare mult îndepartata de dezvoltarea cognitiva a individului, dar mai scriam sidespre leadership într-un mod care i se adresa mai degraba publicului larg decat cititorului de specialitate. Si, cireasa de pe tort, conceptia mea parea una idiosincrazica: ce cauta niste oameni ca antropoloaga Margaret Mead, fizicianul J. Robert Oppenheimer sau intelectualul Robert Maynard Hutchins in compania unui papa, a unui prim-ministru si a unui general de armata?! Realitatea este ca, intr-adevar, Minti conducătoare chiar a constituit un punct de cotitura pentru mine, ocazia de a ma adresa unor noi categorii de public, interesate de politicile publice si de cele economice, si de a-mi „exprima nemultumirea" fata de niste subiecte apartinand categoriei evenimentelor curente. Acum insa, profitand de posibilitatea de-a privi lucrurile in retrospectiva, e foarte usor — cel putin pentru mine — de vazut de ce, chiar la mijlocul vietii, am ales sa scriu si sa public o carte despre leadership. Inca din copilarie am fost fascinat de politica si de istorie; devoram cu lacomie ziare si reviste de opinie, si nu ma puteam abtine sa nu deschid radioul sau televizorul cand se difuzau emisiunile de actualitati. Decizia de a scrie despre leadership mi-a dat posibilitatea sa-mi valorific pasiunile, ca veritabil dependent de istorie si stiri. In acest sens subteran, s-ar putea spune ca lucram la aceasta carte de zeci de ani.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knocked this book down to three stars because it is hard to read at times. It's clearly from the mind of an academic; that is the only real gripe I have with it. It is not a how-to manual and it never pretends to be (it's perhaps one of the main points that such a prescriptive approach isn't possible).

There are several good reasons for reading this book if you can get past how dry it is:

-The beginning chapters lay out the foundation of human development and the sophistication of the mind as one learns. These chapters alone are enlightening for one who has never studied such topics.
-The biographies are short yet complete. The authors cover how each person became a leader and how they fit into the mold that is presented throughout the book.
-Each biography covers the downfalls and failures of the leader. This is a common miss in many books that cover such "larger than life" personalities. There are several references to the inevitability of failure, and how one responds to this partially determines their ability to lead.
-The authors admit that their perspective is not the only valid one and not without its criticisms. Most people who look at academics as overly egotistical and stubborn should take special note of this.

It wouldn't be my first recommendation on leadership books, but certainly worth the read.

[Jeffrey Thurber · Rating 2 out of 5]

The major themes in "Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership" by Howard Gardner explore effective leadership through a cognitive lens, focusing on communication, storytelling, and the leader's ability to connect with followers. Gardner examines how leaders craft and embody their stories, influence others, and adapt to different audiences and contexts.

Gardner emphasizes that effective leadership involves crafting and conveying a compelling story or message that resonates with both experts and the broader public. This story should be clear, concise, and impactful.

Leadership as Communication:
Leadership is presented as a process of communicating with the minds of others, influencing them to action and following the leader's vision. This requires a nuanced understanding of audience and the ability to tailor communication accordingly.

Embodiment and Character:
Leaders are not just communicators; they must embody their values and beliefs through their actions and character. This creates authenticity and builds trust with followers.

Different Types of Leadership:
Gardner identifies both direct and indirect leadership styles. Direct leaders engage directly with their followers, while indirect leaders influence through their creations and ideas.

The Importance of Expertise:
While leaders may start within a specific domain, their expertise can be a foundation for broader leadership in different fields.

Adapting to the "Unschooled Mind":
Successful leaders are able to simplify complex ideas and communicate them in a way that resonates with a broad audience, including those with a more basic understanding.

Early Markers of Leadership:
Gardner also explores early childhood experiences that may contribute to a leader's development, such as self-reliance and a willingness to confront authority.

[Hasan Saraç · Rating 4 out of 5]

Başarılı olmuş, liderliğiyle insanlığın - toplumların gelişimine pozitif katkıda bulunmuş değerlerin hayatını incelediğinizde önce bir hayali olduğunu görüyorsunuz.

En güzel örneğimiz ulu önderimiz Mustafa Kemal Atatürk...
.
Bir hayali, bir umudu, somut bir hedefi olmayan kişiden gerçek bir lider çıkamaz. Belli düşüncedeki insanları bir süre peşinden sürükleyebilenler olabilir, ancak bir yere varamazlar.
.
Dünya tarihi, lider olma şansını yakalamışken toplumları savaşa sürükleyen, kaosa sürükleyen ve ölümünden sonra ardında kötü anılar bırakan nice insanı yazdı. Ya da tam tersi, hayattayken hak ettiği iltifatı yeterince alamadan ölen, ardından ağıtlar yakılanları...
.

[Ed McDermott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, this is the 3rd book I read where the author writes a bunch of biographies, labels the person as a leader, but does nothing to explain how or why they are a leader other than stating it. Basically, it's a list of folks the author admires. But, there were a couple of good things in there, so 2/5 stars.

[Joshua Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome analysis of the 11 leaders, but very academic book...often dry and hard to push through.

[Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

As they say, part of greatness is witnessing the greats do their work. This book definitely does not fail.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has good information, but it's very dry and not for lay people. I was hoping to gain insight about how to lead but didn't really gain anything from it.

[Maureen Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid.

[JOHN · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life stories of the 11 selected leaders from diverse backgrounds, provide insight to the question of effectiveness and success in a multitude of leadership roles. The ability to conceptualize the work of leading through these stories. Presenting an opportunity to reflect on the elements of leadership, and the varying approaches to leadership in varying aspects of life.
The connection of 'lessons from the past, and its implications for the future' is very instructive for people assuming leadership roles, as well as those that are in current leadership positions. Providing a practical approach on the importance for leaders to know their story, make the connection of lessons from the past, their implications for the future, and to be able to communicate it effectively.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book is the brief biographies of each leader and how Gardner highlighted their qualities that mostly pertain to leadership. These are historical figures that I had always wanted to know more about and Gardner writes about them in a way that is useful to Inspiring leaders. He is very explicit when writing about how his work can be useful to the reader (sometimes verges on repetitiveness). His findings were pretty straightforward with nothing groundbreaking, but if nothing else it was a very well-written synopsis of various leaders of the 1900's. I have always liked Garder's works and would read more by him.

[Lawrence Linnen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gardner defines a leader as an individual who significantly affects the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of a significant number of individuals. He selected the leaders purposefully to reinforce his arguments on leadership and to obtain a better understanding of effective leadership. Gardner presents case studies of Margaret Mead, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Alfred P. Sloan, George C. Marshall, Pope John XXIII, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Margaret Thatcher.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for leadership theories, frameworks, or even best practices this book will disappoint. But if you want a comparative biography of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, you'll like this book.

From Ghandi to Eleanor Roosevelt to Oppenheimer their lives are summed up, analyzed, and compared.

Warning: It's written very academically. The author is a Harvard Professor and it feels like a term paper. Phrases like "one would think" (avoiding using "I") and a lot of redundant thesis statements clutter up an otherwise good way to get a lot of biographies in one book.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Parts I and III of this text for a Leadership in Context course. Gardner's notion that leaders remember they are dealing with the eight-year-old mind is spot-on. Gardner has a tendency to drill the point home throughout the text, but that should not take away from the poignancy of the initial idea.

The chapters on Ghandi and Monet were interesting overviews of the men as leaders. In my case, having known nothing of Monet and shamefully little on Ghandi, these chapters were enriching reads.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book for a graduate class, I was not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed most parts of this book. Basically Gardner takes a look at great leaders in the 20th century and tries to come up with a common theme of what leadership looks like and where it comes from. I particularly enjoyed the middle section of the book that looked at specific characters that I did not know a great deal about (like Margaret Mead). Recommended as a character study of great figures and as a journey through some parts of 20th century history that you may not usually read about.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Profiles of different leadership styles - at the highest level, between those of direct and indirect influence - but then with other nuance built in. Gardner takes a sociologist's view on leadership and the outcomes as a result of different leadership styles. Readable and engaging as he discusses some of the great 20th century leaders and how they fit into his leadership framework.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read other Gardner books. He is an excellent writer and researcher. While the theme here is interesting and the biographies of each of the leaders he chooses to study are ok, the book is not compelling. His others were much better and more thought provoking.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cool book. i'm reading it for class, but it's basically a quick run-down of some very impressive leaders in our history. It examines the different leadership styles and what events/traits lead a person to become extraordinary. Very interesting.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gardner lays out the characteristics of leadership in some surprising ways. Notes that high levels of verbal intelligence, distance from father figure, and exposure to travel are commonalities. Uses unlikely and new studies (people) as examples. Fascinating. What makes a leader? Read on...

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

leaders as storytellers

[LeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, where are they in American public schools?

[Peter Bistolarides · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great on narrative. Some practical observations on leadership, but not as rich in this as one would expect

[Emma Laskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book since I helped write it!!