The Wizard and the Warrior

Bolman, L. G. and Deal, T. E.  The Wizard and the Warrior: Leading with Passion and Power.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006.

This book offers a message that seems to be provocative for readers and audiences:  a lot of would-be leaders are hampered by fear of conflict and lack of magic.  They try to lead as either analysts, relying on logic and data, or as caregivers, who emphasize support and sensitivity to others.   Analysts and caregivers are vital, because they help make the world more sane and humane, but they miss the essence of great leadership.

From publisher: 

Most leaders feel that if they have the right job, the right idea, and treat the people right, it should all work well. But in so doing, they ignore the greatest challenge of leadership: the tension between passion (the wizard) and politics (the warrior). While most leadership books focus either on being a passionate, symbolic leader or on being a shrewd, political leader, few books combine both images with advice on how to achieve strength in both areas. The Wizard and the Warrior opens leaders’ eyes and gives them the courage to take risks on behalf of the values they cherish and people they lead. Bestselling authors Bolman and Deal present the defining moments and experiences of other leaders who wrestle with power and politics, including Carly Fiorina, Lou Gerstner, Thomas Keller (head chef of French Laundry), David Neeleman (CEO of Jet Blue), Mary Kay Ash, Warren Buffet, Anne Mulcahy, George Marshall, and Abraham Lincoln–for readers to emulate. These engaging, realistic case studies are followed by commentaries that will raise questions and suggest possibilities without rushing to resolution or simple answers.

 

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