Leadership

The Inner Side of Greatness, A Philosophy for Leaders, 2nd Edition

By: Peter Koestenbaum

Narrated by: Walter Dixon

Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

It has been more than a decade since the first edition of Peter Koestenbaum's landmark book Leadership: The Inner Side of Greatness was published. Since that time world events have caused a dramatic shift in how we think about our lives and our work. Now we grapple with the fundamental questions: How can we live a courageous life and manage anxiety? Is it possible to reach greater heights of ethics and responsibility?

Peter Koestenbaum, the preeminent business philosopher, has been a trusted mentor to business leaders worldwide. In this thoroughly revised edition of his classic book, he shares his wisdom about the fundamental nature of leadership and shows what it takes to become an exceptional and passionate leader in today's complex world. At the very heart of the book is his Leadership Diamond model - a paradigm that challenges managers to transform their thinking and approach everything with fresh effectiveness in order to reap richer results and become great leaders.

©2002 Jossey-Bass, Inc. (P)2017 Gildan Media LLC

A Guide to Being and Leading

If you could sum up Leadership in three words, what would they be?

Live the Diamond--Vision, Courage, Ethics and Reality--and be Great!

What does Walter Dixon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Walter Dixon does an outstanding job of narrating. He brings the book to life. I had some trepidation about whether the narration would be boring. There was nothing to fear--in fact when I went back to look at sections in the hard copy book--I "heard" Walter's voice as I read.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Throughout the book I was reminded of areas that I wanted to work on--some areas were with my team, some with my wife and some with the kids.

I was particularly moved by the application of the Diamond thinking to 9/11. While 9/11 was almost 16 years ago, listening to the thoughts written at that time brought back how significant it was and the importance of living an authentic life in response.

Any additional comments?

This book provides a foundation which can be used to guide one at work, in life and in relationships. The information provided has depth and provides a challenge to be more. There have been a few books that stuck with me over the last 30 years and even fewer that I go back to when I have really tough decisions to make or challenges that I need to resolve. Leadership--The Inner Side of Greatness is one of those books.