The Nature of Leadership: Reptiles, Mammals, And the Challenge of Becoming a Great Leader

by B. Joseph White, Yaron Prywes

"Leaders come in all shapes, sizes, and types. Some are the reptiles, the cold-blooded, tough-as-nails decision makers with their eyes on the numbers and a focus on control. Others are the mammals, the warm-blooded, compassionate creatures who connect with those around them and build success through mutual trust and open communication.

Good leaders, of course, combine the best attributes of both. And the truly great leader is the one who transcends type and moves beyond usual barometers of success to achieve real change in his or her organization.

It is time to challenge yourself to become a great leader. It won't be easy or quick. After all, writes Joe White, ""You can't become a Great Leader just by deciding that's your goal."" Still, by setting the goal, you will commit yourself to climb what the author calls the Leadership Pyramid and achieve milestones in your professional and personal development.

You'll start by building the basics, or Foundation Requirements: a desire to be in charge, and the corresponding ability, strength, and character that all leaders--especially the great ones--must possess.

And you'll develop a balance between disciplined, analytical reptilian leadership characteristics and those of the nurturing, engaged mammal.

As these attributes mature, you will notice your perspective has changed.

You will find inherent value in risk-taking and innovation, you will require and reward superb talent, and you will see the wide implications of every potential decision through development of the ""helicopter view.""

Finally, all these skills and qualities will coalesce into something bigger than the sum of their parts, an intangible but very real ""sparkle factor"" that separates the great leaders from the merely good.

The Nature of Leadership looks at the universal qualities of great contemporary leaders as well as those historical figures--such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.--whose leadership brilliance still resonates. It cites modern organizational leaders ranging from IBM's tough Lou Gerstner to the mammalian Herb Kelleher of Southwest

Airlines, along with South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp, GE's Jack Welch, Apple's innovative Steve Jobs, and many ""unsung heroes"" who have achieved greatness. Joe White also sprinkles the book with anecdotes of his own experiences, writing with an exceptional blend of warmth and candor.

A special feature of this mind-opening book is the ""nature of your leadership"" survey, a questionnaire to help you identify your strengths, preferences, and self-development needs.

With its unique combination of inspiring examples, cogent analysis, and practical advice, The Nature of Leadership takes you beyond the usual boundaries of type to a realm of individual and organizational growth reserved for only the greatest leaders."

Genres: Business, Management, Leadership

200 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

B. Joseph White is president emeritus of the University of Illinois and James F. Towey Professor of Business and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is dean emeritus of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and professor emeritus of business administration at the University of Michigan, where he also served as interim president, and Wilbur K. Pierpont Collegiate Professor of Leadership in Management Education. He is the author of The Nature of Leadership and Boards That Excel. Boards That Excel was named Governance Book of the Year for 2014 by Directors and Boards.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this front to back... which is an achievement. Im sure these leadership books all say similar things but this one was straight forward and easy to follow therefore I do recommend it. I was drawn to it by the reptile and mammal listing in the title but its not actually relevant to either. Instead they are used as analogies for being cold and analytical vs warm and nurturing. The theory presented is to find the middle ground and touches on defining then becoming a great leader.

[Sundar Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read on leadership models and reptiles/ mammals understanding

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

White shares his own thoughts about effective, indeed "great" leadership. More specifically, as C.K. Prahalad so succinctly explains in the Foreword, White's core message is profound and clear: "The capacity to be focused on the critical economic and performance issues and at the same time be sensitive to the social dimensions of leadership - the reptilian 'coldblooded' and the mammalian `warm and caring' - is at the core of leadership." White asserts (and I wholly agree) that a great leader must be successful at achieving change - "important, consequential change in the results for which [she or he is] responsible. Making change successfully is a leader's greatest challenge."

White makes effective use of a pyramid metaphor to illustrate a three-phase process. First, having a foundation that requires a desire to be in charge in combination with ability, strength, and character. During the next phase, to maintain an appropriate balance of quite different but not mutually exclusive qualities (i.e. reptilian and mammalian) as the leadership development process continues. All great leaders know when to discipline and when to nurture...when to focus on details and when to focus on context...when to verify and control, when to trust and delegate. The material in Chapters 4 and 5 suggest the relevance of the term "tough love" to the business world. Those who complete the second phase, who aspire to become great leaders, care enough about their direct reports to hold them fully accountable for their performance and behavior. They realize that great leaders are not always popular but they are respected by everyone with whom they are associated. Their constructive criticism as well as praise is credible because those who receive either believe that it is always honest, sincere, and (yes) deserved.

[Zeke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I incorrectly judged a book by its cover. I thought it would be about leadership in the animal kingdom - how lions lead their pride or wolves lead their pack - for example. However, I can only blame myself.

I give this book 2/5 stars because there was nothing truly novel about it. There are two types of leaders/leadership traits: reptilian (detached, analytical, quantitative, independent, adversarial) vs mammalian (engaged, emotional, qualitative, interdependent, cooperative). Both are necessary and truly great leaders possess both.

Throughout the book he draws from his experience in various leadership positions at Cummings, The University of Michigan and The University of Illinois. Using these anecdotes, he highlights how each situation called for a different reptilian or mammalian trait. They are effective, yet simple. Sadly, there was really no 'wow' moment that truly made me pause and reflect.

Fortunately, the book ended on a good note. The final chapter gives action steps. It also discusses the importance of being resilient. White shares his final story of the disappointment he felt when he was not selected to be president of the University of Michigan (after serving as dean of the business school and interim president). Ultimately, this is a great introductory book for someone who is truly at the beginning of their career or say a college student. I was left wanting more.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first choice of a leadership book for a class I am taking and I am very happy with it. He had a very insightful but straightforward way at looking at leaders and how they excel. Either you are a Reptile (analytical and fact-based) or a Mammal (people oriented). His take is that neither one is better than the other, in fact, to be a Great Leader, you have to have both sides developed. He has great examples of both kinds of leaders and how to develop those sides which you may be lacking. I should be able to give a great report from this reading.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on man vs beast and leadership.

[Erick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If someday you reach the goal of become a lider in your company, this book gives you a good orientation of how can you deal with the surrounding people.