Leading Minds: An Anatomy Of Leadership
by Howard E. Gardner

List Price: $22.00
Our Price: $3.99
You Save: $18.01 (82%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.65 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

• White paperback with black, red and gold lettering. 400 pages

Book Reviews of Leading Minds: An Anatomy Of Leadership

Book Review: Intelligence: Not Beyond Good and Evil
Summary: 5 Stars

As Gardner observes in his Introduction: "Our understanding of the nature and processes of leadership is most likely to be enhanced as we come to understand better the arena in which leadership necessarily occurs -- namely, the [in italics] human mind. Perhaps this characterization should be pluralized as [in italics] human minds, since I am concerned equally with the mind of the leader and the minds of the followers (whom I sometimes refer to as [in italics] audience members or [in italics] collaborators). Accordingly, this book is a sustained examination, first, of the ways in which leaders of different types achieve varying degrees of success in characterizing and resolving important life issues in their own minds and, second, of how, in parallel or in turn, they attempt to alter the minds of their various audiences to effect desired changes."

What we have here is a sequence of absolutely brilliant analyses of 11 exceptional leaders in quite diverse fields of engagement. As he did in Creating Minds (when analyzing the lives and achievements of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi), Gardner somehow maintains a delicate balance when respecting (indeed celebrating) the unique genius of leadership of Mead, Oppenheimer, Hutchins, Sloan, Marshall, Pope John XXIII, Roosevelt, King, Thatcher, Monnet, and Gandhi while at the same time explaining how each used the linguistic as well as non-linguistic resources at her or his disposal when attempting to communicate with and thereby convince others of "a particular view, a clear vision of life. The term story [in italics] is the best way to convey this point."

For Gardner, the story is "a basic cognitive form; the artful creation and articulation of stories [or messages] constitutes a fundamental part of the leader's vocation. Stories speak to both parts of the human mind -- its reason and emotion. And I suggest, further, that it is [in italics] stories of identity -- narratives that help individuals think about and feel who they are, where they come from, and where they are headed -- that constitute the single most powerful weapon in the leader's literary arsenal."

It is worth noting that, since the publication of this book, Gardner has become increasingly aware of the importance of understanding and grappling with the "counter-stories" that often loom so large in the minds of the audience. The most effective leaders understand the counter-story and address effectively the questions it raises. As indicated to those who visit Gardner's GoodWork Web site, his on-going studies of intelligence, creativity, and leadership are all conducted in an amoral way-- that is, human capacities can be used for good or ill. For example, Mandela vs Milosevic. Gardner is now trying to understand how human intelligence(s) and creativity can be yoked to serve the wider good.

In Part I of this book, Gardner establishes a framework for leadership, then (in Part II) shifts his attention to case studies which focus on nine of the eleven leaders; In Part III, he focuses on Monnet and Gandhi who illustrate "leadership that looks forward." In the final chapter, Gardner reviews "lessons from the past" and then suggests "implications for the future." I am grateful for the two appendices which follow: a chart which presents "The Eleven Leaders Viewed along Principal Dimensions of Leadership" and another chart on which Gardner records brief comments on ten "Leaders of the Second World War." Those in need of recommended sources for further study are provided with an extensive Bibliography.

The eleven men and women whom Gardner discusses in this book do indeed comprise an unusual combination. Although each is uniquely different from the other ten, all (in Gardner's words) by word and/or personal example, markedly influence the behaviors, thoughts, and/or significant feelings of a significant number of their fellow human beings. The leaders' voices affected their worlds, and, ultimately, our world." For me, it is essentially irrelevant how many persons comprise such a group nor do I have a quarrel with any of those whom Gardner selected. All are eminently worthy. Gardner has his own thoughts as to what lessons can be learned from their lives, of course, but it remains for each reader to make her or his own determination of that. Thanks to Gardner, there is a wealth of information to consider when doing so. He is indeed a brilliant teller of "stories."

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to read Gardner's earlier work, the aforementioned Creating Minds. Moreover, because they are not included among the works listed in the Bibliography, I presume to recommend, also, Albert Borgmann's Holding On to Reality and Gerald M. Edelman's Bright Air, Brilliant Fire.

Summary of Leading Minds: An Anatomy Of Leadership

Entrepreneurship Books

• Books > Subjects > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship
• Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling
• Education & Reference > Education
• Teens
• Politics
• Social Sciences