The Wizard and the Warrior – Leading with Passion and Power
Authors: Lee G Bolman and Terrence E Deal
Price: £18.99
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Pages: 256
ISBN: 0787974137
This is an American book for an American market, full of American role models – many unknown to us on this side of the Atlantic.
There’s still that fixation with war and warriors, and it’s immersed in concepts such as Sun Tzu and the Five Rings.
The book is praised by both a lieutenant general and a colonel, as well as a number of people whose businesses are mentioned in the book.
All this, and any aversion to making business out to be a war zone, ought to put you off. However, you would miss a readable book with lots of enjoyable anecdotes.
The book really shines when it talks about wizards; these are people who have the ability of “wisdom and foresight”, and “to see below and beyond appearances”.
Both authors have long-established, high-value academic credentials, and there is no doubting their ability to communicate.
What they have done here is to throw up role models – good and bad – that we can learn from, and the stories of war leaders, presidents and business people can educate us all.
If they could have found more role models from Europe, the book would have had more cultural significance over here.
So if you prefer biographies and anecdotes rather than text books and manuals, you are likely to enjoy this book.
I started reading it with some ambivalence and was won over. I found that the passion and power in the book’s title came through.
Useful? 4 stars
Well-written? 5 stars
Practical? 3 stars
Inspirational? 4 stars
Value for money? 3 stars
Overall 4 stars
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Reviewed by Keith Lawson, training consultant, charity/voluntary sector
