"The Apprentice" Teaches the Wrong Leadership Lessons

"The Apprentice" has attracted a weekly network television audience of 20 million. According to Carol Kinsey Goman, author of "This Isnt the Company I Joined" -- How to Lead in a Business Turned Upside Down, this popular reality-TV show set in the corporate world shows a leadership style that is all-powerful and all wrong.

(PRWEB) March 31, 2004 -- In todays volatile work environment, top-notch leadership is a must in all industries. But the 14 leaders Goman interviewed for her book agree that the criteria for the job have changed. In contrast to Trumps imperial style and uber-boss aura, todays leaders must exercise power through a new set of leadership skills which include:

Leadership as Vision
Visionary leaders dont have to be brilliant, highly innovative, or incredibly charismatic. But they do have to be passionate about what it is they are trying to achieve. Fred Smith of FedEx put it in these very practical terms: "If there is any indication that the leader is not totally committed to achieving the vision, then all the sweet talk in the world will not get people to support it."

Leadership as Integrity
A leader must be seen to stand for something, must act from deep-seated principles, and must rely on strong personal beliefs.

Leadership as Trust
The new breed of knowledge workers increasingly dont want or need to be micro-managed. They need to be trusted.

Leadership as Vulnerability
Moving from a model in which leadership made all the decisions and knew all the answers to an organizational environment of openness, candor, and empowerment takes a willingness by leaders to become and remain highly vulnerable.

Leadership as Values
As leadership strategy moves from coercion to cooperation, the key to bonding people to the goals of the organization automatically becomes the intangibles -- relationships, commitments and shared values.

Leadership as Motivation
Motivation is an intrinsic capacity of human beings that manifests when leaders hold a compelling vision of the future, have a strong personal desire to realize the vision, and possess the ability to engage people in that vision so that a true interconnection emerges.

Leadership as Collaboration
Leadership success increasingly depends on how good you are at creating collaborative environments that help groups of talented employees find innovative solutions to organizational problems.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an international consultant and lecturer on human capital issues. Her seminars and keynote addresses for management conferences and major trade associations have made her a recognized expert on the human side of organizational change. Clients number more than 90 organizations in 19 countries, including corporate giants (PepsiCo; Consolidated Edison), technological leaders (Hewlett-Packard; Tektronix), major non-profit organizations, government agencies, and international corporations.

To request a review copy, please contact 510.526.7127. Carol Kinsey Goman is available for interviews and articles upon request.

Title: "This Isnt the Company I Joined" How to Lead a Business Turned Upside Down
Author: Carol Kinsey Goman
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
Hardback ISBN: 0-9625435-2-7        
Price US: $29.95
Pages: 296