1. Introduction: The New Relevance of Leadership, Teamwork, and Change Management
In Chapter 1. Cohen first discusses a brief history which helped formulate the author's current opinions. Next the goal of addressing challenges of leadership and management is stated. Individual chapter goals are then noted.
Cohen opposed old views of business which left no room for relationships, teams and trust in management. The art and science of leading and managing is not fully understood and therefore requires continual learning. No book offers classroom experiences allowing for the practice of human skills for leading effectively, however, this book is said to offer a combination of the conceptual and the practical in the practice of human skills. Book chapters and their goals are introduced; current leadership and management theory and practice is presented with individual authors. Leaders today need to articulate and sell a transforming vision of the organization; this vision can inspire people to cooperate and produce their best work. Effective vision helps build teams and peer collaboration and cooperation. Self-management is also important.
Management and leadership involve personal and interpersonal dealings as well as the arrangements of people and policies that create the organizational framework and design of effective organizations. Future leaders need to become global managers and use all the concepts noted to deal with permeable national boundaries.
Vaill discusses the role that vision plays in the organization, what vision is and what it does. Next the creation of visions by leaders is offered. A third section talks of methods for making a vision real and includes how a leader makes a vision meaningful to others. The concept of vision is considered important and vision problems are presented.
The power of a vision lies with its commonness and ordinariness which includes its content, appropri...