Leading Up

November 15, 2001
In his first book, " The Leadership Moment" (1998), Useem used stories to provide examples of leadership in extreme situations. He does it again, now using diverse stories from throughout the ages to show both good and bad examples of "leading up." Useem includes leadership lessons to reinforce the value of the stories and highlight particular points. An integral ingredient throughout the leadership lessons is communications. Providing accurate data, not withholding information or being afraid to speak up to a superior, is part of what he perceives as essential. He realizes that there can be risk associated for the person trying to lead up, especially in a business that doesn't foster managers communicating risks, strategies, and values up to CEOs. In the last chapter, heties all this together in a formula for managers to use to lead up. Useem does provide insightful information for thoughtful consideration by managers and reinforces the importance of feedback and long-range thinking as necessary to keep the organization moving forward.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)