A Leader Doesn’t Have to Be a Boss

A look at the topic of leadership from another point of view. Short, sometimes harsh, and practical stories with a deeper meaning for those who can see it—from the owner of a small-town business with two employees to the director of a department of an international corporation.

Story A
English has two fairly precise terms: “management” and “leadership.” “Manage tasks and projects! Lead people!” Never mix up these two concepts because you cannot inspire boxes in a warehouse, and people don’t really like being pushed around like objects… (to be continued).

Story B
Very often official corporate values have nothing in common with reality. True values are what people talk about on their lunch breaks, in smoking rooms, and when they come home from work. So mission, vision, values are… (to be continued)

Story C
Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord once classified all officers into four groups: smart, hard-working, stupid, and lazy. He believed smart and hard-working officers belonged at the general headquarters. Stupid and lazy officers represent the vast majority and are rather well suited to perform various mundane tasks. Smart but lazy officers are the best for … (to be continued)

Story D
99 percent of liberal theories about equality in a team are complete nonsense. Only the best salespeople will be sent to meet the most important clients, and only the best specialists will manage the most important projects; however, the weakest link will abandon the team when faced with a crisis. The weakest link is usually the one furiously requesting “team equality.” But there are only two methods to help you make team members more or less equal: … (to be continued)

Story E
Do you want to test one of your people? Give them power! It is foolish to say that money and power corrupt people. Money and power simply highlight the qualities that a person already has. An old lady… (to be continued)

Summary. If you, as a manager, can see the humanity in your employees beyond their KPIs and other classic business metrics, then this book is for you. Still waters run deep and you may be one of the best leaders worldwide.