The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of Leadership Paperback - 2001

From the rear cover

In this groundbreaking new look at twenty-first-century leadership, Bill Drath re-articulates the idea of leadership from an individual basis to one where group members share responsibility-resulting in more effective leadership. Through the story of a fictional piano company, Drath illustrates why this new notion of leadership is needed in order to face the challenges of the postindustrial information age. He offers us a larger meaning of leadership-a meaning that sees how, in making leadership happen, we all swim together in "the deep blue sea." "Bill Drath takes us out along the frontiers of leadership theory and gives us a new and even courageous answer to the age-old question: who is the leader and who are the led? A great read for those who want to move beyond ordinary thinking about leadership." --Jack Galvin, former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (NATO) and Commander-in-Chief U.S. European Command " A penetrating analysis of the roots of leadership from one of the most original thinkers in the field." --David K. Hurst, speaker, writer, and consultant on management and author of Crisis and Renewal: Meeting the Challenge of Organizational Change "Changes forever the way we look at and consider leadership. The magnitude of Bill Drath's contribution is only realized when you start to ask yourself what are the implications of relational leadership on how we develop leaders, evolve organization strategy, and drive change?" --Steve Mostyn, Senior Program Manager, Motorola University EMEA

From the jacket flap

In this age of increasing complexity, leaders often feel besieged and isolated by the challenges confronting their organizations, and there is a general sense that something is missing in the way leadership is practiced. In The Deep Blue Sea, Wilfred (Bill) Drath provides a succinct and compelling narrative that traces the evolution of leadership thought toward a vision of relational leadership. By relating the story of a fictional piano company, Drath provides a comprehensive view of two traditional principles of leadership-personal dominance and interpersonal influence-that rely on notions of the individual leader who gets things done. These leadership principles are valid and necessary but do not meet the complex challenges of many current leadership situations. Recognizing that our understanding of leadership must reflect the new ways in which we live and work, Drath's concept of relational leadership illuminates the trends toward globalization and collaboration occuring across organizations and borders. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, leadership relies on the whole system of relations-the deep blue sea-in order to get things done. Not a formulaic "how-to guide" on changing leadership, The Deep Blue Sea is an instructive resource for "how to think" about leadership in the twenty-first century. The Author Wilfred (Bill) Drath is a group director of New Lenses on Leadership and senior fellow at the renowned Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. His book is based on many years of work with managers and organizations on issues of leadership development.

Media reviews

Citations

• BookPage, 05/01/2001, Page 21
• Harvard Business Review, 05/01/2001, Page 147
• Publishers Weekly, 04/23/2001, Page 61