The Practice of Leadership January 03, 2008 Developing the next generation of leaders (Editors Jay A. Conger and Ronald E. Riggio, Jossey-Bass, 402 pages, $50)
By Skip Corsini
Overall Rating: 4 Stars
"Understanding how to get the practice of leadership right is typically more complicated because so often the answer is 'It depends.'"
Another fine effort from the Jossey-Bass imprint, this is a collection of essays on leadership in practice from authors who are not household names but whose resumes are nonetheless very impressive. This is not the best book on leadership I have come across, but it is close. As usual with books like this, the writing may not be the key attraction, but the concepts within are worthy of study.
The authors include a research scientist, college professors, and doctoral candidates. All have something interesting to say. They are fresh voices in a publishing world that usually goes for big names.
The editors do double duty in the book by writing an introduction (Conger also writes a chapter) and then closing the book with a chapter entitled, "Getting It Right: The Practice of Leadership," which I found as interesting as any part of the book, in which they summarize each preceding chapter by calling out "the most important takeaway messages." This final chapter is not a substitute for reading the chapters in full, but it does enhance one’s understanding of the material. Conger and Riggio should be commended for putting together a fine collection of thinkers on the subject of practical leadership. While not the best book on leadership I have read, it is the best of the current crop.
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