Review of Leadership
By Tom Peters (2005)
Part of the Tom Peters Essentials Series

Reviewed by Kelsey Ebben, Performa Graduate Research Associate

Leadership by Tom Peters

In Leadership, Tom Peters (2005) packages essential knowledge into an accessible, pocket-size guide for all leaders interested in improving their practice. Leadership is part of his Essentials series, which also includes books on Design, Talent, and Trends. In Leadership, Peters encourages readers to adjust their work to be more creative and flexible in light of the "new economy." He states, "Command-and-control management. 'leadership' from on high.is obsolete. New leadership draws on a new skill set - the hallmarks of which are improvisation and inspiration. It taps into the unique leadership attributes of women. It cultivates great talent by creating a great place to work" (p. 4). Peters' text is divided into four sections: Pursuing Excellence in a Disruptive Age: The Leadership50; Boss Work: Heroes, Demos, & Stories; Meet the New Boss: Women Rule; and Boss Job One: The Talent25.

In the first section, Peters (2005) provides 50 key roles for leaders in the twenty-first century. As bureaucratic structures give way to a more innovative, team-oriented business environment, leaders must adjust their actions accordingly. Peters describes the best leaders as being simultaneously good at logical thinking, developing talent, and conveying a vision. Leaders should also be comfortable with and encourage the "messiness" that comes with innovation, know their own limits, have a risk-taking spirit, and focus on relationships. One of Peters' most fascinating suggestions is his method for how leaders can maintain focus - through writing a "to-don't" list of things that should be eliminated in order to concentrate on a goal.

The second section centers on leaders' use of "heroes, demos, and stories." Leaders should identify those who have a strong sense of commitment and bring a fresh perspective to the organization - the heroes. Then, leaders encourage these hero-employees to take creative risks and work on WOW projects, which Peters (2005) defines as projects that "have goals and objectives that inspire others" (p. 71). WOW projects engender creative thinking and have the potential to transform the organization and make a difference. Finally, the leader should praise these innovative "demo" projects throughout the organization through the use of stories.

In the third section, Meet the New Boss: Women Rule, Peters (2005) clarifies how women's innate leadership strengths match the leadership needs of the new economy. Given their unique skills, women are a strategic opportunity for American organizations. Women leaders' natural abilities include: improvisation skills, self-determination, trust-sensibility, natural intuition, and the ability to empower others and develop strong relationships. Peters acknowledges that the gender gap still exists, and suggests now is the time to capitalize on the vast resource of women leaders.

In the final section, Peters (2005) focuses on what he considers to be the most essential leadership activity: recruiting and maintaining talent. In order to attract quality employees, leaders must create an environment that is a "great place to work." Leaders should be willing to pay more-than-competitive salaries for quality employees, provide staff with professional development opportunities, and transform the human resources office to be one of the most important aspects of the business. Leaders should also foster open communication, embrace diversity, and fuel others' enthusiasm. At the end of the section, Peters reminds readers to respect and learn from Generation-X and Millennial generation workers, who are overall more skilled in technology than previous generations.

To conclude, Peter's (2005) Leadership is a highly accessible book appropriate for leaders in business and higher education. It provides page-upon-page of digestible tidbits of information, geared to enhance organizations' fit with the ever-changing business environment. Peters demonstrates that the leader is no longer a "command and control" hero who holds employees responsible for "getting the job done." Rather, the "new" leader is one that embraces multiple roles and focuses foremost on supporting the people that make the organization successful. Since higher education is built upon the exchange of new ideas, creativity, and innovation, it behooves higher education administrators to consider ways to facilitate this type of innovation among staff through supportive leadership practices.