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Books on Leadership In recent speeches at district installations, Grand President James Jones has emphasized the need for strong leadership in the ICF. Strong leadership in our branches and districts is vitally important to the life of our organization. In order to provide branch and district leaders with the resources necessary for developing and strengthening leadership skills, I have devoted this column to books on leadership, focusing on leadership in non-profit organizations. Some of the books are written in a more popular style while some are more academic in tone. In either case, the books listed below can be valuable resources for leaders at all levels of the federation. The first two books are recommendations of Grand President Jones. The next two are listed in The Washington Post's column "10 Best Leadership Books of All Time." The last three are books focused exclusively on leadership in nonprofit organizations. How to Win Friends and Influence People Dale Carnegie Simon and Schuster, 320 pp. (hardcover reissue) First published in 1937, Dale Carnegie's book is still a timeless classic, offering leaders good advice on how to generate enthusiasm in any organization. Carnegie believed that successful relationships were due to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." Carnegie basically believes that improving one's people skills makes one a better leader, and his book contains a variety of techniques and sound advice on improving one's ability to influence others in a positive way. Carnegie provides many anecdotal stories that illustrate his ideas, and his conversational style makes this an enjoyable read for most people. This is a favorite of the Grand President's and he highly recommends it. The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make Hans Finzel David C. Cook Publishers, 224 pp. Han Finzel believes that we learn poor leadership skills by observing them in others. He provides readers with what he feels are the worse mistakes that leaders make and provides advice on changing bad habits. Written for the corporate environment, the book nonetheless provides much good advice that can be applied to nonprofit organizations. Finzel warns about "putting paperwork before people," "the absence of affirmation," "success without successors," "failure to focus on the future," and other common mistakes of leadership. Any reader will appreciate his straightforward style and clear examples. Grand President Jones feels so strongly in the importance of leadership that he has wriitten, "I recommend that people not read these books! I recommend that they STUDY these books. Read and reread for personal self improvement." On Becoming a Leader Warren Bennis Basic Books, 256 pp. This book is mentioned in The Washington Post as one of the 10 best leadership books of all time. To prepare for this book, Bennis, a University of Southern California professor, interviewed hundreds of leaders from diverse fields and with a variety of objectives. He concludes that great leaders must know themselves before leading others and that great leaders have a clear vision with clear goals. As he writes, "the point is to become yourself, to use yourself completely-all your skills, gifts, and energies-in order to make your vision manifest." The Leadership Challenge Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner Jossey-Bass, 416 pp. Listed by The Washington Post as one of the 10 best leadership books of all time, The Leadership Challenge, first published in the 1980s, has been updated for the new century. WAfter extensive research, Kouzes and Posner have indentified the actions of great leaders. Great leaders "model the way" by clarifying goals and setting an example; great leaders "inspire a shared vision" by envisioning the future and enlisting others. Great leaders "enable others to act" by fostering collaborating and strengthening others; great leaders "encourage the heart" by recognizing contributions and celebrating values and victories. The authors believe that everyone can and should be a leader. Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations: Lessons From the Third Sector Barry Michael Dym and Mr. Harry Hutson Sage Publications, Inc., 248 pp. Focusing on leadership in the nonprofit sector, Dym and Hutson provide an overview of leadership in nonprofit organizations. After studying many different organizations, the authors found that there is no "one size fits fall" style of leadership that works for all organizations "rather the fit between leaders and their organizations seemed the key to effective leadership." The challenge is to align the skills, values, and personal objectives of leaders to the objectives, resources, and culture of the organization. The book is full of case studies from the authors' own experiences and observations. Leaders Who Make a Difference: Essential Strategies for Meeting the Nonprofit Challenge Burt Nanus and Stephen M. Dobbs Jossey-Bass, 304 pp. Nanus and Dobbs write about the qualities and practices of good leadership in non-profit organizations. The book revolves around a variety of leadership metaphors, illustrating the leader as visionary, the leader as strategist, the leader as change-agent, the leader as coach, etc. The authors have done extensive reading and research into the field of leadership, especially in nonprofit organizations, and bring their experience and expertise to this book full of examples and practical advice. The book is written in a straightforward, accessible style. Improving Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations Ronald E. Riggio and Sarah Smith Orr (editors) Jossey-Bass, 320 pp. In this book, the editors have collected a variety of essays by notable professionals, experts, and academics in the field of nonprofit leadership. Authors include such notables as Frances Hesselbein, Stephen Dobbs, Florence Green, and Jay Conger. Covering a wide variety of issues and ideas, the essays in this book can be read according to the reader's interests and needs. One can read about strategies for managing and motivating a volunteer workforce, a model for leading nonprofit projects, or the challenges of developing new leaders and accepting change within an organization. More academic in tone than some of the other books listed here, this is nonetheless a valuable resource for those interested in studying the field of leadership in nonprofit organizations. Overall, there seems to be no one effective style of leadership that fits every situation. However, there do seem to be a variety of best practices that good leaders exhibit. As branch and district presidents know, leading others can be a rewarding and worthwhile experience, but it can also be full of challenges. These books may hold some of the answers to effective leadership in your branch or district. Certainly, if the ICF is to remain strong and vital, it will take good leadership at all levels of the federation, and we are lucky in our organization to have so many dedicated leaders. Italian Catholic Federation, 8393 Capwell Drive, Suite 110, Oakland CA 94621 tel: 888/ICF-1924; 510/633-9058; fax: 510/633-9758; Email: info@icf.org Website designed by HYPERSPHERE