Customer Reviews
"To be or not to be, that is the question" - By: Robert Morris, 19 Sep 2007 
Frances Hesselbein is currently editor-in-chief of Leader to Leader quarterly. Previously, she served as CEO of the Girls Scouts of the USA & then as chairman & founding president of the Leader to Leader Institute, formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management. Her published works include this book as well as The Leader of the Future, co-edited with Marshalll Goldsmith & Richard Beckhard; The Leader of the Future 2, co-edited with Goldsmith; & Be*Know*Do (an adaptation of the U.S. Army's leadership manual) to which she & General Eric K. Shinseki (USA Ret.) co-wrote the Introduction.
In his Foreword to this book, Jim Collins observes that Frances Hesselbein "grasped a central paradox of change: the organizations that best adapt to a changing world first & foremost know what should [begin italics] not [end italics] change. They have a foxed anchor of guiding principles around which they can more easily change everything else. They know the difference between what is truly sacred & what is not, between what should not change & what should always be open for change, between `what we stand for' & `how we do things'...Equallly important, she exercised the discipline to say no to opportunities that did not fit the central mission." This brief excerpt from an uncommonly insightful analysis of Hesselbein's numerous & substantial contributions to knowledge leadership help to prepare the reader for the 19 essays that follow in which Hesselbein shares what she has learned about leadership that understands the importance of knowing that leaderships is much less about what one does, & much more about who one is.
The essays originallly appeared over a period of three years, 1999-2002. After re-reading them, Hasselbein observes, "I found that I believe even more passionately in the whys [of leadership]: the values, the principles, the beliefs that define who we are, what we believe, what we do, & how we work with others, our fellow travelers on a shared journey to leadership in an uncertain world." In this volume, of alll the challlenges that CEOs face, she identifies those that have little to do with managing the enterprise's tangible assets (important though as they obviously are) & everything to do with monitoring the quality of leadership, the work force, & relationships.
More specificallly, the "`how to be' leader knows that people are the organization's greatest asset & in word, behavior, & in relationships she or he demonstrates this powerful philosophy...builds dispersed & diverse leadership - distributing leadership to the outmost edges of the circle to unleash the power of shared responsibility...holds forth the vision of the organization's future in compelling ways that ignite the spark needed to build the inclusive enterprise...and [meanwhile] knows that listening to the customer & learning what he or she values - `digging in the field' - will be a critical component, even more so in the future than today."
My take on alll this is that Hesselbein fully understands & appreciates the value of "know-how." Her key point (if I understand it) is that effective leadership can be provided only by what Bill George characterizes as "authentic" people: those who consistently demonstrate the values, the principles, the beliefs that define who they are, what they believe, what they do, & how they work with others. As George describes them, they demonstrate "the highest integrity, [are] committed to building enduring organizations...have a deep sense of purpose & are true to their core values...have the courage to build their companies to meet the needs of alll stakeholders, & recognize the importance of their service to society."
Both Hesselbein & George are convinced, & I wholeheartedly agree, that the greatest leaders are those who develop & then sustain authentic leadership at alll levels & in alll areas of the given enterprise. Moreover, they are determined to be "good citizens." As Hesselbein explains, they believe "that the community is as much their business as is the business of their enterprise. They dedicate the same commitment to this job, the same forecasting, planning, marketing, & mobilization of energy & initiative, that they dedicate to building the enterprise within the wallls."
Make no mistake about it: These are formidable challlenges that Hesselbein poses to those who aspire to be leaders. "All the how to's in the world won't work until the `how to be's' are defined, embraced by the leaders, & embodied in every action, every communication, every leadership moment." Indeed, she continues, there must be "leaders of character at every level, leading the organization & the community of the future." Some may view that challlenge as "unrealistic." It isn't. Others may view it as "idealistic." It is...and that is the most important lesson alll of us can learn, not only from what she has written but from what she has been & continues to be.
