Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter

(Hardback)

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New stories and a compelling evaluation on what makes a great leader, when they matter, and how to pick them. The author helps leaders figure out which leaders matter, why, and whenand what lessons they can learn from those who do. Leaders profiled in the book include: Abraham Lincoln, Neville Chamberlain, Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill, Jamie Dimon, Al Dunlap, Sir Jacky Fisher,and Judah Folkman.

Reviews

"It makes for fascinating reading..." -- Tom Friedman, The New York Times "In his new book, Indispensable, Gautam Mukunda, of Harvard Business School, uses Lincoln to examine one of the liveliest debates in modern management--whether insiders or outsiders make better bosses." -- The Economist "These insights should now be of considerable help to the future development of aspiring executives and those who coach them, and to those responsible for selecting a CEO most suited to mastering a looming challenge." -- Strategy and Leadership "Gautam Mukunda, with his book Indispensable and its cornerstone leader filtration theory (LFT), provides a significant new contribution to, first, organization studies in general and, second, leadership theory in particular." -- Organization Studies, SAGE journals "Associations seeking a CEO will benefit from Mukunda's leadership research and examples, as well as his six guidelines for increasing the chances of a successful hire...Mukunda's conclusions are likely to inspire rich dialogue among board members and CEOs." -- Associations Now Magazine (asae: The Center for Association Leadership) "In reviewing the life of some of the greatest leaders in history, Gautam Mukunda offers us a vision of leadership that is fascinating and original." -- Business Digest (France) ADVANCE PRAISE for Indispensable: Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University; author, The Better Angels of Our Nature and How the Mind Works-- "Indispensable is indispensable--an eye-opening analysis of how we should evaluate leaders in our politics and our organizations, and a set of gripping narratives about some of the most fascinating people who have ever lived." Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize--winning author and presidential historian-- "Indispensable provides a masterly, absorbing, and exceptionally original approach to the age-old study of leadership." Clayton M. Christensen, bestselling author, The Innovator's Dilemma-- "I have studied innovation and change from many dimensions. Somehow, however, I had simply assumed that the right leader can be selected to effect the changes required. Indispensable has taught me that I was woefully naive. This is a great book." Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman, President, and CEO, Merck & Co-- "Indispensable provides fascinating insights into how leaders are shaped by their unique personal and professional journeys and by the context of their times. Whether they were focused on saving countries, saving companies, or saving lives, the individuals profiled here are memorably illuminated through Mukunda's sharp and engaging analysis." David Gergen, Professor of Public Service, Harvard Kennedy School; senior political analyst, CNN-- "Why do some leaders change the course of human events, while others find themselves not quite up to the task when history knocks In a study that applies to business as well as to civil society and politics, Mukunda explores the 'filtration' systems through which we choose our leaders, providing fresh and fascinating insights."

Author Bio

Gautam Mukunda is an assistant professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. Before joining the HBS faculty, he was the National Science Foundation's SynBERC Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT's Center for International Studies. His research focuses on leadership, international relations, and the political, economic, and social implications of innovation and technological change.