cover image The Leader Within: An Empowering Path of Self-Discovery

The Leader Within: An Empowering Path of Self-Discovery

Howard G. Haas, Robert A. Tamarkin. HarperCollins Publishers, $20 (247pp) ISBN 978-0-88730-561-0

Contending that ``business is overmanaged and underled,'' Haas, former CEO of the Sealy bedding firm, declares that self-discovery and ``exceptional personal commitment'' are keys to the leadership and organizational renewal needed to halt U.S. economic decline. Drawing on observations from 150 leaders interviewed, Haas and Tamarkin ( The New Gatsby ) suggest that aspiring leaders should assess their natural, educational and professional strengths. Leaders, they stress, are ``ordinary persons,'' but they are especially dynamic, open and firm; they use imagination, take risks and plan strategy. Eschewing ``how-to'' specifics, the authors of this significant addition to the current spate of derivative leadership guides sum up their advice thus: ``See it big, and keep it simple.'' (Feb.)