Leadership Any degree of comprehensive analysis of Nannerl Keohane's non-fiction book, Thinking About Leadership, reveals that the author had a number of eminent reasons for writing this manuscript. The overarching theme which this work of literature is based upon, however, is what sort of qualities, traits, and tendencies are necessary to produce the most efficacious form of leadership possible. To that end, the author rarely strays from this task while utilizing a varied methodology that exposes different facets of leadership that are ultimately responsible for success. Thinking About Leadership is partially biographical, partly theoretical case study, and partly analytical of varying historical figures and contexts. The author relies upon her own experience in leadership (which is fairly significant considering that she was the first female president of Duke and a former president of Wellesley University) as well as examples of others to elucidate a number of relevant ideas related to relationships with one's followers and gender of contemporary leaders.

Since the author readily transitions from a number of different formats of presenting information about effective leadership, she is able to provide a varied reading experience that is ultimately more comprehensive than if she had simply relied upon one of the three perspectives for imparting information about this topic. One of the principle drawbacks of utilizing this approach, however, is not a lack of clarity or congruity in the ideas depicted by the author (in fact, the multi-various approach actually imbues Keohane's work with a coherence that is bolstered by the wide abundance of examples) is that the author does not spend a significant amount of time utilizing empirical evidence. Such evidence would, of course, present an immediacy to her claims regarding facets of successful guiding of organizations and its constituents. At the same time, however, her approach is still considerably academic without...

The author denotes that "leadership is not only a descriptive term but a prescriptive one, embracing a moral, even a passionate dimension." This quotation underscores the gravity and overall importance that the author attaches to the concept of leadership -- which transcends mere results and is ultimately responsible for a core culture that fosters and reinforces such results. Equally intriguing is the notions of what exactly leaders are, which Keohane defines as those who "determine or clarify goals for a group of individuals and bring together the energies of members of that group to accomplish those goals" (Keohane, 2010). Although this definition seems more pragmatic and traditional than the one associated with the general notion of leadership, part of the book's appeal lies in Keohane's seamless blending of these two ideas that provides an ideal for leaders to strive for.
One of the most poignantly insightful segments of Keohane's manuscript is the second chapter, which is dedicated to the intricacies of the nature of relationships that exist between leaders and their followers. The hierarchy of organizations in which modern theories of leadership is based is not entirely abandoned by the author, who stratifies followers between those on the fringe of an organization and those whom a leader relies upon for counsel, guidance, and for the overlying strength of an organization. What is most fascinating about this chapter and the relationship chronicled by the author between leaders and subordinates is that she emphasizes the need for tension between both parties -- which ultimately aids in keeping a leader honest and cognizant of the full range of possibilities regarding his or her actions and that of the organization he or she…