Social Leader

October 1, 2014

A leadership manual for its self-defined Social Age, this book by leadership coaches Guglielmo and Palsule has two distinct parts. The first covers the Social Age--identified as a new era roughly starting about ten years ago, brought about by digital technology, globalization, and active consumers--and how leaders can adapt and flourish in this environment. The second portion builds on these principles, using a fictitious case study to show how the tenets of social leadership (proactivity, openness, etc.) can be applied. Two prominent themes include leading as a mayor, rather than as a general, and focusing on conversations, actions, and behaviors (CABs). The book is heavy on charts, graphs, and real-world examples and is a dense read that at times can seem overwhelming. End-of-chapter summaries distill the important points. The authors make positive workplace suggestions, though an acknowledgement that change comes quicker to certain fields than others would be helpful. Checklists would have also been useful. VERDICT Best for those in leadership positions or those who aspire to be who would like to learn more about collaborative and open leadership styles.--Leigh Mihlrad, FDIC Lib., Washington, DC

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