Head, Heart and Guts: How the World's Best Companies Develop Complete Leaders - Hardcover

by David L. Dotlich (Author), Peter C. Cairo (Author), Stephen H. Rhinesmith (Author)

This book reveals the three most important capabilities leaders must demonstrate today: the ability to set strategy, empathize with others, and take risks--all at the same time. In Head, Heart, and Guts, leadership experts David Dotlich, Peter Cairo, and Stephen Rhinesmith--who teach and coach CEOs and executive teams throughout the world--argue that to be successful in a complex, matrixed, fast-moving world, "whole" leaders must set strategy, develop trusting relationships with others, and consistently do the right thing based on personal values. "Partial" leaders, often the product of traditional executive programs, may be successful in the shortrun, but their companies lose over time. Filled with case studies of companies such as Bank of America, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and UBS, Head, Heart, and Guts, lays out specific steps and actions for leaders who want to grow beyond their "leadership comfort zone" and an action plan for companies that want to move beyond tried-and-true leadership development in order to develop "whole" leaders throughout their leadership pipeline.

Front Jacket

We know that the importance of these three human qualities--head, heart, and guts--has been recognized by people before our own time. The idea is not new. The most obvious illustration of it comes from the movies. Almost everyone has seen The Wizard of Oz, one of the most popular films ever made. You will recall that the three main characters (besides Dorothy and her dog Toto) were the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. The Scarecrow was searching for brains, the Tin Man for a heart, and the Lion for courage--or head, heart, and guts. Each recognized he was incomplete. Each was searching for the missing piece that would make him whole. Each had an underdeveloped capacity but either didn't know it or didn't know how to use what he had.

We find that many business leaders today are in the same situation as the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion--searching for the key personal quality that will somehow make them successful or whole (and often investing significantly in 'wizards' who promise to do so). Quite often, what they need already exists within them but is unrecognized or undeveloped. We hope this book will help move you down the yellow brick road of leadership understanding.
--from the Introduction

Back Jacket

This book reveals the three most important capabilities leaders must demonstrate today: the ability to set strategy, empathize with others, and take risks--all at the same time. In Head, Heart, and Guts, leadership experts David Dotlich, Peter Cairo, and Stephen Rhinesmith--who teach and coach CEOs and executive teams throughout the world--argue that to be successful in a complex, matrixed, fast-moving world, "whole" leaders must set strategy, develop trusting relationships with others, and consistently do the right thing based on personal values. "Partial" leaders, often the product of traditional executive programs, may be successful in the short run, but their companies lose over time.

Filled with case studies of companies such as Bank of America, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and UBS, Head, Heart, and Guts lays out specific steps and actions for leaders who want to grow beyond their "leadership comfort zone" and an action plan for companies that want to move beyond tried-and-true leadership development in order to develop "whole" leaders throughout their leadership pipeline. The authors argue that globalization, complex structures, and constantly changing business models require leaders who can "lead from the front," take a clear position, create meaningful relationships, and "rethink the way we do things" while simultaneously building businesses and delivering results.

Because employees want leaders who are authentic, inspire trust, and set high standards, "whole leaders" must balance people and business needs, motivate people from diverse backgrounds, and create real trust through unyielding integrity and transparently balancing risk and reward. Based on research and coaching with thousands of leaders in Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center programs, the authors argue that traditional leadership development focuses too much on the "head," and it is now critical that leaders use other capabilities to achieve results in an era defined by paradox, ambiguity, and unpredictability. Head, Heart, and Guts is the definitive handbook for individuals and organizations seeking a new model of leadership and a road map to achieve it.

Author Biography

David L. Dotlich is president of Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center (formerly CDR International). He is former executive vice president of Honeywell International.

Peter C. Cairo is head of executive programs and leadership strategy for Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center and former chairman of the Department of Counseling and Organizational Psychology at Columbia University.

Dotlich and Cairo are the coauthors of Action Coaching, Action Learning, Unnatural Leadership, and Why CEOs Fail, all from Jossey-Bass.

Stephen H. Rhinesmithis a partner of Mercer Delta Executive Learning Center. He is former special ambassador to the Soviet Union and was president of Holland America Line.