Open Source Leadership: Reinventing Management When There’s No More Business as Usual

by Peshawaria

From taxi rides, hotel stays, car driving, to communicating and paying, everything we knew as normal has changed beyond recognition. To lead effectively in today’s brave new world, you have to question EVERYTHING. For the first time in human history, knowledge is free and almost every boundary to communication has been lifted. This open source world has permanently altered the business landscape. And you can count on the fact that the pace of change will only accelerate. Yet . . . companies still rely on management tools and practices that were, at best, mildly effective in their heyday. In Open Source Leadership, Rajeev Peshawaria reveals the vision, insight, and practices he has used to help some of today’s largest and most influential organizations meet the open source world head on. It all starts with asking the right Peshawaria reveals the answers to these questions—and they will surprise you. Based on his company’s groundbreaking research spanning 28 countries, he concludes that traditional industrial age thinking needs a massive upgrade to successfully navigating the brave new world of business. Open Source Leadership rewrites the rules of management, giving you a unique look at the most common misperceptions, illusions, and downright wrong information you’ve been getting about what works and what doesn’t. It provides a new, counterintuitive model for seizing competitive edge in any industry. Among other issues the book argues convincingly that “positive autocracy” must replace democratic leadership; talent and innovation are abundant not scarce; early identification of high-potentials is counter-productive; and setting employees free to do as little as they want will increase productivity.

Genres: Business, Leadership

320 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book that claims to be key for ‘reinventing management when there’s no more business as usual’, taking its cue from the changing nature of work and the new networks that govern things. The author argues that once-critical management practices today are ineffective, suggesting that a new counterintuitive approach needs to be taken, overturning many conventional thoughts, approaches and myths along the way.

Technological advances have changed the way we work, changed how businesses function and rearranged our demands. No doubt there is more change to come, so if we can even try and be aware and ready to adapt further, that cannot be a bad thing either. The book and its contents certainly gives cause for thought, developing an interesting, inspirational thought process that may have a point. I am always wary of claiming anything is definitive, but feel confident to say that the author certainly has raised a meritorious argument and justifies his claims well.

It deserves consideration. You may learn some new approaches or just appreciate better how to apply and utilise your existing knowledge. The book is aimed at leaders and managers, but a lot of its sentiments can be deployed even in one’s personal life. It is an adaptive way of thinking, of serving and of being served. The book is fairly deep and requires the reader’s undivided focus. Questions raised are apposite and relevant, the solutions proffered appear not to be far-fetched, credible and reasonable. It is highly nuanced and giving.

Take an executive decision today and invest in the future. Buy the book and consider its contents (at the very least).

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting new business book that tries to break from current management thinking to share reasons why leaders need to be more autocratic and how they can be successful doing so. The author, Rajeev Peshawaria, has delivered executive coaching and consulting globally, in addition to being the Chief Learning Officer of both Coca-Cola and Morgan Stanley and other senior positions at American Express and Goldman Sachs. He has had a very impressive career that leads credence to his management philosophy. He uses an array of interesting data points and statistics to paint a picture of why managers need to employ more autocratic practices to be successful. At the end of each chapter he includes a good summary and valuable questions to help each reader think through how these concepts could apply in their business. This book also includes a truly global view which I rarely see in business books.

I enjoyed this book because it did cause me to stop, absorb and process the concepts he was touting but at the end of the day I don't think what he is ascribing is as drastically different than what others describe. He encourages many of the 21st century norms and behaviors that many popular social psychologists tout today with one difference - the leader needs to lead and to him this means make autocratic decisions but - and there is a big but, only if the leader clearly understands and leads with values. Overall a good read - worth your time.

[Theodore Kinni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ex-CLO of Coke and Morgan Stanley argues that the business leaders we want and need are benevolent dictators. Kinda disturbing when you think about it, no?

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concepts

[Jan Kamstra]

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jankam...

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content and excellent description. It can use be used for introduction class