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LCO_Presentation1.pptxAct like a leader, think like a leader: book review
This is a book review of the book ‘Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader’ by Herminia Ibarra
Introduction
This book is designed to help organizational managers of all levels to have leadership skills in their professions.
When one attempts to make small but changes in their networks, their jobs or personal changes, they enhance their leadership opportunities.
Herminia Ibarra bases this book on the principle of ‘outside’, which holds that a leader has to think first before acting like a leader.
Ibarra offers advice to help a person to:
· Redefine your job in order to make more strategic contributions.
· Diversify your network so that you connect to, and learn from, a bigger range of stakeholders.
· Become more playful with your self-concept, allowing your familiar — and possibly outdated — leadership style to evolve.
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Background information of the author
The author is Herminia Ibarra, and she is the director of a prestigious executive leadership program at London Business Schools.
She is currently a professor of organization behavior at London Business School and she is 49 years (2019).
Ibarra was born and raised in Cuba.
She obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the field of organizational behavior at Yale University.
She was a teacher of leadership classes at Harvard Business School for thirteen years before transferring to London Business School where she currently teaches ;leadership.
She was a teacher of leadership classes at Harvard Business School for thirteen years before transferring to London Business School where she currently teaches leadership as per her 2019 biography.
‘Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career’ is also one of her books that she published in 2013 while she was teaching leadership at Harvard Business School.
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The major theme of the book
Among the many themes depicted in the book, the “outside” principle lays the foundation of the entire book and thus it is the main theme of the book.
The most compelling argument she uses to support this theme is about a 2013 INSEAD survey about 173 executive program alumni.
The survey finds for that the people who had reported major changes of what they had expected, only 47% had received promotion in a span of two years.
The rest of the individuals studied were nevertheless expected to undertake bigger roles of leadership while remaining in the same job positions.
This need to step up to leadership with little specific outside recognition or guidance is what I call the do-it-yourself transition,” says Ibarra
She also found that while 79 percent of executives surveyed agreed that “what got you here won’t get you there,” most still found it challenging to reinvent themselves.
Such an explanation is actually a theme that projects the entire book.
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An explanation of my interest in the book
I chose the book because it is well written with all points properly expressed.
Ibarra makes a lot of scientific referencing in this book that can help a person know why or what science says with ease.
The book also has helpful sidebars and summaries of chapters that make the key points of each chapter, helping the reader to skim through the chapter in a nutshell.
I especially liked her experience from teaching MBA students where she derives a variety of examples that are familiar to many readers.
I have learnt from the book that I have to push myself outside of your comfort zone and invest time and effort in learning new things. It’s dangerous to get stuck in the competency trap where you will always know one or two things.
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Main theories and principles
The first principle is the outsight principle
The second principle is the redefinition of the job
Networking is the third principle in the book
Trying new things is the fourth principle
Principle number five is management of the process of stepping-up.
In the principle of outsight Ibarra says that if you want to step into leadership, you have to learn to act like a leader. Because who you are today is a product of your past experiences and successes, it is hard for you to think your way into acting in the new ways you need to act. So, act first and learn from what happens.
For the redefinition of the job principle, Ibarra talks about the competency traps that we fall into when we do more and more of the things that we are good at, get praised for, and are comfortable doing. When we fall into competency traps, we miss out on opportunities to learn to do other things that are also important and that may be more important in a new situation.
For networking principle, she says that You need to expand your network outside your current job and team, and perhaps company. You need to bring in other people who can help you make the transitions you want to make and share wisdom with you, because they’ve already been to the places you want to go.
For the fourth principle, the author says that The problem with trying new things, with learning by doing and creating a new kind of you is that it often feels false. Ibarra suggests you should be more playful with yourself. What she does in this chapter is give you ways to try on new behaviors without threatening your authentic self and to develop an authentic self that fits your new situation as well as your nature.
managing the stepping-up process is the fifth principle. The big insight here is that stepping up to play a bigger leadership role isn’t something that you do once and then are done with. It’s a process. It takes a while. And if you understand it that way, you can keep working at it and keep developing
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How the principles are related to leadership
The theories and principles in the book have a direct relationship to leadership.
For instance, the principle of outsight means that the leader has to examine himself/herself in order to understand what he/she is capable of. This gives the leader ample time to assess himself/herself
The principle of redefining your job is also related to leadership because it emphasizes that a leader has to focus on a specific job so that they know what to prioritize as leaders. This helps a leader to know how to approach the work and why it is important.
The third principle of network across and out is related to leadership because when one expands their network, they gain invaluable knowledge for their career and business, a big win for a leader.
The principle of trying new things is important for any leader. This helps a leader to ascertain question like: How might your current leadership identity be supporting (or getting in the way of) your ability to step up to a bigger leadership role?
the fifth principle was to manage the stepping-process, which is “Stepping up to play a bigger leadership role is not an event or an outcome. It’s a process that you need to understand to make it pay off,” according to Ibarra. This is important for a leader because he/she has to manage the leadership role in the most effective way and maintain the momentum of his/her followers.
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How the principles related to a leadership standard
The principles in the book are related to various leadership standards.
For instance, the principle of outsight relates to relational leadership principle because it requires a leader to act first and learn from what happens, thus building relation with events and people.
Redefinition of the job is related the leadership standard of organizational leadership. This is because while the leader redefines his/her roles in the leadership, they strengthen the culture and build organizational learning
Networking principle relates to relational leadership. This is because relational leadership requires a leader to use emotional intelligence, an essential element that a leader needs to form networks that help him sharpen his leadership skills.
Trying new things is a principle that relates to about three leadership standards: organizational leadership, relational leadership, and instructional leadership. When a leader tries new thigs, he/she literary tries to lead an organization, tries to relate to people and even attempt instructional leadership in order to ascertain what works, how it works and what does not work.
Managing the step-up principle is related to organizational leadership because the leader will have to build the organizational learning, strengthen the culture and encourage collaboration. This standard elements will help a leader to effectively manage their step-up into the leadership roles.
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How the principles relate to me as a leader
Being a leader, the principle of outsight relates to me because I have to think first before taking an action regarding leadership. I will learn from the action and know where I stand as a leader.
Redefining my job is relates to me as a leader because I have to know the specific interests I have so that I strive to aligned my action towards.
I have to embrace the principle of networking as a leader because it helps me to gain new ideas and experience of leadership.
As a leader, I have to keep trying new things according to Ibarra’s principles. This is simply risk taking, which makes a good leader because I will be able to put to use all the potential benefits of leadership in my organization
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Closing comments
Owing to the fact that businesses are crowing at an ever increasing pace in the current society, ‘Act like a leader, Think Like A Leader’ is a helpful resource for any leader that wants to be proactive in the transition processes of leadership, even the emerging leaders.
This book offers a roadmap for anyone to apply easily in a real life situation for developing his/her leadership skills
Additionally, while the book gives clear outline of the outsight benefits, it is a good source of knowledge to complement any introspection work that a leader my have already completed.
“New ways of acting not only change how we think – our perspective on what is important and worth doing – but also change who we become,” says Ibarra.
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Book critique
I find the chapter, “Be More Playful with Your Self” to be associated with self identity.
This concepts is more enlightening and refreshing such that one does not feel like an imposter when he/she steps into a new leadership role.
However, the author does not offer the limits of playing with oneself and thus it can be messy sometimes when a leader tries to go to the extreme just to test his leadership.
Therefore, the author could have offered the parameters within which a person should play with himself/herself.
This book is written in a practical ‘how to’ style with sidebars containing useful models, worksheets and engaging examples and with helpful summaries at the end of each chapter. In addition to providing much good food for thought, this style also makes it useful as a reference tool for the many common challenges it addresses around making the transition from ‘doer’ to leader.
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Information gained through review of this book
I find information gained through this book review to offer a great insight to any leader, including me.
For instance, in the process of this book review, I have learnt that I have to create my own collage where I can learn leadership roes and not just work on it.
The book review has also depicted tat the principles of leadership are in line with the leadership standards, which is an appropriate concept for me to stay in line with the universal leadership standards while still emulating the good concepts of Ibarra.
The review has also revealed to me that if I want to change as a leader, I need to act right now, which is a great step I will be taking towards my leadership roles.
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If I Would Recommend the Book to other People
I would gladly recommend this book to any leader and all other individuals aspiring to be future leaders.
If a person is amidst growth in the role of leadership or if they have the thought of leadership expansion, the book Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader is great and most applicable for him/her.
The book offers self-confidence trick by encouraging people to have outsight approaches, which will encourage them not to fear anything, even failure in the process of leadership.
I also recommend the book to my friends because it encourages them to Take little risks often, not big risks rarely — the only way to change how you think and work is by doing different things, and that doing new things is obviously far more important than simply thinking, deliberating and even worrying about doing them.
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Reference
Ibarra, H. (2015). Act like a leader, think like a leader. Harvard Business Review Press.
