The Connective Edge

Lipman-Blumen posits that organizations wanting to succeed in a world that is becoming more interdependent and more diverse simultaneously require a new leadership model. The book's three parts examine the origin and evolution of the human need for leadership, detail what is described as the Connective Leadership Model and explore the empirical organizational results and philosophical implications of this new model. Rightfully disdaining simplistic solutions, the author presents a complex design for the new leadership ideal--one that forms short-term coalitions to solve immediate problems (for example, George Bush and his Gulf War Alliance) and moves rapidly and adjusts easily to changing circumstances while taking a long-term perspective. The Connective Leadership Model combines ""instrumentalism"" with authenticity and accountability. Lipman-Blumen defines instrumentalism as a way of using both self and others to accomplish goals that are ethically good for the entire community--a kind of denatured Machiavellianism. The author argues powerfully for the necessity of a new type of leadership, but her model is at times fuzzy and difficult to grasp. Nor is it at all certain that when new-style leaders appear, their strengths will be appreciated and their guidance heeded. Gorbachev, praised by the author for his connective style, hardly shines as a successful role model. Lipman-Blumen serves as codirector of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Leadership at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate Management Center in Claremont, Calif. (July)