Leaders and Misleaders

At last someone has produced a book that addresses the problem rather than the symptoms of the leadership crisis in business, politics, and the professions. Andre van Heerden's "Leaders and Misleaders" dismantles the misguided belief that we can produce leaders through skills-training and quick-fix solutions, and insists that the key is character-development and the fomenting of wisdom through on-going education. Giving skills to people of negative character will see those skills misused, and this is why our society tends to produce misleaders rather than leaders. "Leaders and Misleaders" is a guide for leaders who are serious about helping people build a better future. It is rich in historical anecdotes, philosophical insights, and eye-opening personal experiences from corporate life, and includes an illuminating bibliography that will encourage readers to take their own education further. The book has earned high praise. Internationally famous author and social critic, Anthony Daniels, says: "This is the only book on management that someone who is not himself a manager could bear to read, because it is literate, philosophically-informed and truthful." Greg Fleming, CEO of the Maxim Institute, is equally emphatic: "This is a very important book. It speaks directly to the leadership crisis and prescribes the perfect antidote - rediscover the character and vision that shaped those on whose shoulders we stand - those giants who lived for causes greater than themselves. To a generation of leaders standing on the quicksand of individualism and relativism this book offers purpose and confidence. Read it!" Professor Joe Wallis of the School of Business at the American University of Sharjah is no less enthusiastic: "Simply outstanding - I will have no hesitation in using it in any future course I may teach on leadership and ethics. There are many books that make a contribution to our understanding of this complex topic but I cannot think of any with the potentially life-changing impact of Andre's call to lead as though we really mean it." Reg Birchfield in Management Magazine said: "Deeply reflective and meticulously researched... It is 225 pages of tightly argued proposition and intriguingly quotable quotes. The world's book shelves may be staggering under the weight of books of this genre, but this one is interestingly different." Carolyn Moynihan, Deputy Editor at mercatornet.com wrote: "It is a book for industry leaders, to be sure, but also for educators, politicians, parents, and, indeed, for any individual who wants to think more deeply about their work and their life and what issues we should be addressing as a society. It is a life coach and a leadership programme between two covers."