La naturaleza del liderazgo: Reptiles, mamíferos y el desafío de convertirse en buen líder

by B. Joseph White, Yaron Prywes

Los líderes vienen entodos los tamaños, formas y tipos. Algunos son los reptiles (de sangre fría,duros como piedra) y otros son los mamíferos (de sangre caliente,compasivos).
El verdadero líder grandioso es aquel que trasciende el tipo y va más allá de losusuales barómetros del éxito para lograr el verdadero cambio en suorganización. Comience con la formación de los principios básicos, y usteddesarrollará un equilibrio entre las características de liderazgodisciplinadas y analíticas de los reptiles y las de los mamíferos protectores yllenos de interés. Por último, todas estas habilidades y cualidades sefusionarán para formar algo más grande que la suma de sus partes, un "factorchispeante" intangible pero muy real que separa a los grandes líderes de losque solamente son buenos. La naturalezadel liderazgo se fija en las cualidades universales de grandes líderescontemporáneos así como aquellas figuras históricas cuyas genialidades deliderazgo aún hacen eco.

Genres: Business, Management, Leadership

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

B. Joseph White is president emeritus of the University of Illinois and James F. Towey Professor of Business and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is dean emeritus of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and professor emeritus of business administration at the University of Michigan, where he also served as interim president, and Wilbur K. Pierpont Collegiate Professor of Leadership in Management Education. He is the author of The Nature of Leadership and Boards That Excel. Boards That Excel was named Governance Book of the Year for 2014 by Directors and Boards.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this front to back... which is an achievement. Im sure these leadership books all say similar things but this one was straight forward and easy to follow therefore I do recommend it. I was drawn to it by the reptile and mammal listing in the title but its not actually relevant to either. Instead they are used as analogies for being cold and analytical vs warm and nurturing. The theory presented is to find the middle ground and touches on defining then becoming a great leader.

[Sundar Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read on leadership models and reptiles/ mammals understanding

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

White shares his own thoughts about effective, indeed "great" leadership. More specifically, as C.K. Prahalad so succinctly explains in the Foreword, White's core message is profound and clear: "The capacity to be focused on the critical economic and performance issues and at the same time be sensitive to the social dimensions of leadership - the reptilian 'coldblooded' and the mammalian `warm and caring' - is at the core of leadership." White asserts (and I wholly agree) that a great leader must be successful at achieving change - "important, consequential change in the results for which [she or he is] responsible. Making change successfully is a leader's greatest challenge."

White makes effective use of a pyramid metaphor to illustrate a three-phase process. First, having a foundation that requires a desire to be in charge in combination with ability, strength, and character. During the next phase, to maintain an appropriate balance of quite different but not mutually exclusive qualities (i.e. reptilian and mammalian) as the leadership development process continues. All great leaders know when to discipline and when to nurture...when to focus on details and when to focus on context...when to verify and control, when to trust and delegate. The material in Chapters 4 and 5 suggest the relevance of the term "tough love" to the business world. Those who complete the second phase, who aspire to become great leaders, care enough about their direct reports to hold them fully accountable for their performance and behavior. They realize that great leaders are not always popular but they are respected by everyone with whom they are associated. Their constructive criticism as well as praise is credible because those who receive either believe that it is always honest, sincere, and (yes) deserved.

[Zeke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I incorrectly judged a book by its cover. I thought it would be about leadership in the animal kingdom - how lions lead their pride or wolves lead their pack - for example. However, I can only blame myself.

I give this book 2/5 stars because there was nothing truly novel about it. There are two types of leaders/leadership traits: reptilian (detached, analytical, quantitative, independent, adversarial) vs mammalian (engaged, emotional, qualitative, interdependent, cooperative). Both are necessary and truly great leaders possess both.

Throughout the book he draws from his experience in various leadership positions at Cummings, The University of Michigan and The University of Illinois. Using these anecdotes, he highlights how each situation called for a different reptilian or mammalian trait. They are effective, yet simple. Sadly, there was really no 'wow' moment that truly made me pause and reflect.

Fortunately, the book ended on a good note. The final chapter gives action steps. It also discusses the importance of being resilient. White shares his final story of the disappointment he felt when he was not selected to be president of the University of Michigan (after serving as dean of the business school and interim president). Ultimately, this is a great introductory book for someone who is truly at the beginning of their career or say a college student. I was left wanting more.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first choice of a leadership book for a class I am taking and I am very happy with it. He had a very insightful but straightforward way at looking at leaders and how they excel. Either you are a Reptile (analytical and fact-based) or a Mammal (people oriented). His take is that neither one is better than the other, in fact, to be a Great Leader, you have to have both sides developed. He has great examples of both kinds of leaders and how to develop those sides which you may be lacking. I should be able to give a great report from this reading.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on man vs beast and leadership.

[Erick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If someday you reach the goal of become a lider in your company, this book gives you a good orientation of how can you deal with the surrounding people.